4:43 pm on September 21, 2026 · 2026 (279), AI governance (20), diplo (33)

HYBRID 29 SEP 07:00 UTC: ETH Zurich – AI Policy Summit 2026

White AI Policy Summit 2026 event graphic with the ETH Zürich Center for Law & Economics and Diplo logos across the top. Two stylized wireframe human profiles face each other from opposite sides, one green and one blue. Large centered text reads “AI Policy Summit 2026,” with the dates 29–30 September 2026 in a dark blue banner at the bottom.

White event graphic with the ETH Zürich Center for Law & Economics and RegHorizon logos across the top, two stylized wireframe human profiles, one green and one blue, facing each other from either side, and a dark blue banner along the bottom.
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On Tuesday – Wednesday, 29–30 September 2026, the ETH Zurich Center for Law and Economics (CLE), in collaboration with RegHorizon, hosts the seventh edition of the ‘AI Policy Summit 2026‘ at the ETH Zurich Main Campus Building in Zurich, Switzerland. Day 1 is hybrid, while Day 2 is in-person only.

The summit is held under the auspices of the Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE), Alain Berset. It is an official pre-event for the Geneva AI Summit 2027, and for the second consecutive year the flagship event of the Zurich AI Festival. This year’s key themes are ‘Policy for Innovation and Competitiveness‘, ‘Policy for Transition and Transformation‘ and ‘Road to Geneva 2027‘.

DAY 1 – TUESDAY 29 SEPTEMBER 2026

09:00 CEST (07:00 UTC) — SUMMIT OPENING
Ayisha Piotti – Head, AI Policy Summit; Managing Partner, RegHorizon
Elliott Ash – Chair of Law, Economics, and Data Science, ETH Zurich

09:10 CEST (07:10 UTC) — WELCOME REMARKS I: CANTON OF ZURICH
Fabian Streiff – Head, Office for Economy, Canton of Zurich

09:15 CEST (07:15 UTC) — WELCOME REMARKS II: SWITZERLAND
Balz Abplanalp – Ambassador, Head ATEC Division, Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

09:20 CEST (07:20 UTC) — WELCOME REMARKS III: COUNCIL OF EUROPE
Hanne Juncher – Director of Security, Integrity and Rule of Law, Council of Europe

09:30 CEST (07:30 UTC) — SETTING THE SCENE
Stefan Bechtold – Professor, ETH Zurich — ‘Innovation & Competition, an Academic Perspective’
Lajla Fetic – Head AI Public Interest & Policy, appliedAI Institute for Europe, Germany — ‘State of AI Capabilities and European Readiness’

09:50 CEST (07:50 UTC) — PANEL 1: POLICY FOR INNOVATION: MAKING IT REAL
Wan Sie Lee – Executive Director & Cluster Director, AI Verify Foundation, IMDA, Singapore (online)
Andrea Renda – Director, Centre for European Policy Studies, Brussels
Piotr Sankowski – UN Scientific Panel on AI; Prime Minister’s Office, Poland
Abhishek Bapna – Google DeepMind
Khushal Wadhawan – Manager AI Policy, IndiaAI Mission, MeitY, India
Guillem Martinez Roura – AI and Robotics Programme Officer, ITU AI for Good
Moderator: Laura Galindo – Privacy Policy, Meta

11:00 CEST (09:00 UTC) — GERMANY: BOOSTING THE AI ECOSYSTEM – FROM BREAKTHROUGH FUNDING TO PUBLIC DEPLOYMENT
Hans Michael Strepp – Head of Office, Bavarian State Ministry of Digital Affairs
Raphael Leuner – Research & Business Analysis, Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation, Germany
Ralf Junge-Pearl – Project Lead, DigitalService / Agentic AI Hub, Germany
Moderator: Lajla Fetic – appliedAI Institute for Europe, Germany

11:40 CEST (09:40 UTC) — PANEL 2: BUILDING TRUSTWORTHY AGENTIC SYSTEMS
Paul Nemitz – Professor, College of Europe; Advisor, European Commission
Angela Müller – Executive Director, AlgorithmWatch CH
Alexandra Wander – Responsible AI, ZEISS
Michael Schorpp – Head Digital Innovation & AI, Boehringer Ingelheim
Royce Wee – Director, Privacy and Data Policy, APAC, Meta
Rudra Chaudhuri – Vice President, Observer Research Foundation, India (online)
Moderator: Dominick Romano – Founder, Drainpipe.io

12:30 CEST (10:30 UTC) — AI & DEMOCRATIC RESILIENCE: PROTECTING POLITICAL REPRESENTATION
Agnieszka Pomaska – MP, Head of Polish Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly, Council of Europe
Vadim Pak – Policy and Legal Advisor, Council of Europe
Clément Étoré – Founder, Bulle (Finalist, CoE No Hate Speech Hackathon)
Moderator: Tatiana Monney – Head of Unit, New Democratic Pact, Council of Europe

14:00 CEST (12:00 UTC) — KEYNOTE & Q&A: MINISTER LIISA-LY PAKOSTA
Liisa-Ly Pakosta – Minister of Justice & Digital Affairs, Estonia
Moderator: Ayisha Piotti – ETH Zurich CLE

14:30 CEST (12:30 UTC) — GLOBAL UPDATES: CHINA
Lan Xue – Dean, Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University (online)
Moderator: Daniel Dobos – Co-chair, AI for Good Impact Initiative

15:00 CEST (13:00 UTC) — GLOBAL UPDATES: EUROPEAN UNION
Axel Voss – Member of the European Parliament (online)
Moderator: Daniel Naeff – Entrepreneur, Board Member, ETH AI Center

15:30 CEST (13:30 UTC) — GLOBAL UPDATES: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Taylor Stockton – Chief Innovation Officer, U.S. Department of Labor (online)
Moderator: Elliott Ash – ETH Zurich CLE

16:20 CEST (14:20 UTC) — PANEL 3: ROAD TO GENEVA 2027
Presentation (India): Sudeep Shrivastava – COO, IndiaAI Mission, MeitY, India
Liisa-Ly Pakosta – Minister of Justice & Digital Affairs, Estonia
Martin Tisné – CEO, Current AI; AI Action Summit, France
Thomas Schneider – Ambassador, Head of International Relations, OFCOM, Switzerland
Hoda Baraka – Advisor to the Minister, Ministry of Communications & Information Technology, Egypt
Wan Sie Lee – AI Verify Foundation, IMDA, Singapore (online)
Moderator: Ayisha Piotti – ETH Zurich CLE

17:20 CEST (15:20 UTC) — SWISS HIGHLIGHTS
Raphael von Thiessen – Programme Lead AI, Office for Economy, Canton of Zurich — ‘Building AI Policy through Public Dialogue’
Melhem Daoud – Digital Infrastructure and AI, digitalswitzerland — ‘Swiss AI Action Plan’
Moderator: Manuel Kugler – Data & AI, Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences (SATW)

17:50 CEST (15:50 UTC) — MANAGING AI-DRIVEN ECONOMIC CHANGE
Ekkehard Ernst – Chief Macroeconomic Policy, International Labour Organization
Beatrice Weder di Mauro – President, Centre for Economic Policy Research; Professor, Geneva Graduate Institute
Jovan Kurbalija – Executive Director, DiploFoundation; Head, Geneva Internet Platform
Moderator: Danny Buerkli – Director, Windfall Trust

18:30 CEST (16:30 UTC) — CLOSING REMARKS AND INTRODUCTION TO DAY 2

#AIPolicySummit #AIGovernance #AgenticAI

4:57 pm on September 10, 2026 · 2026 (279), cybernorms (3), diplo (33), Geneva (5)

WEBINAR 10 SEP 13:00 UTC – Critical Infrastructure Between Technology and Conflict: What Counts as Risk Now?

Dark blue and purple title card for Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace, with abstract geometric network graphics in bright colors around the edges. The Geneva Dialogue logo spans the top, followed by “Masterclass #3” in turquoise. Large white and red text announces “Critical Infrastructure Between Technology and Conflict: What Counts as Risk Now?” The date “10 September 2026” appears centered at the bottom.

Dark blue and purple title card for Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace, with abstract geometric network graphics in bright colors around the edges. The Geneva Dialogue logo spans the top, followed by “Masterclass #3” in turquoise. Large white and red text announces “Critical Infrastructure Between Technology and Conflict: What Counts as Risk Now?” The date “10 September 2026” appears centered at the bottom.
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On Thursday, 10 September 2026 at 15:00–17:00 CEST (13:00–15:00 UTC), the Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace hosts its third masterclass of 2026, ‘Critical Infrastructure Between Technology and Conflict: What Counts as Risk Now?‘. In 2026, the Geneva Dialogue is focused on stress-testing cybersecurity practices and agreed cyber norms under real-world conditions. This masterclass launches the third thematic cycle of 2026, focusing on critical infrastructure protection and cyber harm. It brings together perspectives from private sector cybersecurity practice, strategic policy, the wider cybersecurity research community, and academia and civil society to discuss how technology, geopolitics, and conflict are changing what counts as critical infrastructure, how we understand risk, and where current approaches to cyber harm still fall short.

SPEAKERS
Dr Bushra Al Blooshi – Executive Director, Governance and Risk Management, Dubai Electronic Security Center
Melissa Hathaway – President, Hathaway Global Strategies, LLC (HGS)
Alicia Fawcett – Accenture

#GenevaDialogue #CriticalInfrastructure #CyberNorms #Cybersecurity

5:26 pm on September 9, 2026 · 2026 (279), africa (115), diplo (33)

WEBINAR 9 SEP 13:00 UTC – Cyber Peace Keeping and Technology for Conflict Prevention in Africa

Teal-framed title card with the Diplo logo at upper left. A vivid purple, blue, and red digital background shows a circuit board overlaid with the orange outline of the African continent. Large white text reads “Cyber Peace Keeping and Technology for Conflict Prevention in Africa.” The date “9 September 2026” appears in white along the bottom.

Teal-framed title card with the Diplo logo at upper left. A vivid purple, blue, and red digital background shows a circuit board overlaid with the orange outline of the African continent. Large white text reads “Cyber Peace Keeping and Technology for Conflict Prevention in Africa.” The date “9 September 2026” appears in white along the bottom.
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On Wednesday, 9 September 2026, at 13:00–14:30 UTC (16:00–17:30 EAT / 15:00–16:30 CAT / 14:00–15:30 WAT), DiploFoundation hosts a webinar ‘Cyber Peace Keeping and Technology for Conflict Prevention in Africa‘. Technological transformation across Africa has enabled faster communication, improved service delivery, and economic growth. At the same time, digital tools and online spaces have become vectors for misinformation, cyber-attacks, election interference, and the amplification of social tensions that can precipitate or worsen violent conflict. Cyber incidents also target critical infrastructure (communications, finance, energy), undermining stability and humanitarian response. There is a pressing need to align cyber capacities, responsible technology policy, regional cooperation, and early-warning mechanisms with peacekeeping and conflict-prevention strategies. This webinar will bring together policymakers, peace practitioners, technologists, civil society and regional bodies to explore how cyber peacekeeping concepts, digital diplomacy, and responsible technology design can reduce conflict risk across Africa. The speaker is Lawrence Muchilwa, a cybersecurity practitioner, cyber diplomacy advocate, and Africa Regional Liaison at the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST).

SPEAKER
Lawrence Muchilwa – Africa Regional Liaison, Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST)

#CyberPeacekeeping #CyberDiplomacy #ConflictPrevention #Africa

3:33 pm on June 23, 2026 · 2026 (279), africa (115), diplo (33), tech diplomacy (2)

VIDEO 24 JUN 2026- Diplo – Developments in Africa cyber diplomacy: Continental, regional, and national initiatives

Promotional graphic for a Diplo event titled “Africa cyber diplomacy: Continental, regional, and national initiatives.” The design features a black background with the white Diplo logo in the upper left. Centered across the image is a large abstract outline of the African continent made of layered geometric shapes filled with wavy blue, teal, purple, and green contour-like stripes. Large white text overlays the graphic, with the subtitle “Continental, regional, and national initiatives” in bold. At the bottom, the date “24 June 2026” appears in bright yellow.

Promotional graphic for a Diplo event titled “Africa cyber diplomacy: Continental, regional, and national initiatives.” The design features a black background with the white Diplo logo in the upper left. Centered across the image is a large abstract outline of the African continent made of layered geometric shapes filled with wavy blue, teal, purple, and green contour-like stripes. Large white text overlays the graphic, with the subtitle “Continental, regional, and national initiatives” in bold. At the bottom, the date “24 June 2026” appears in bright yellow.
VIDEO | PERMALINK

On  24 June 2026, the DiploFoundation (Diplo) hosted a webinar ‘Developments in Africa cyber diplomacy: Continental, regional, and national initiatives‘. As the digital landscape evolves, cyber diplomacy has emerged as a critical component of international relations, particularly in Africa. This webinar aims to explore the latest developments in cyber diplomacy across the continent.

SPEAKERS
Amb. Prof. Bitange Ndemo (Kenya)
Dr Oita Etyang (Zambia)
Mwende Njiraini – African Initiative Coordinator, Diplo
Katherine Getao – Cyber Hygiene, Cyber Diplomacy, and ICT Strategy and Governance Consultant, Diplo

HOST / MODERATOR
Jovan Kurbalija – Executive Director, Diplo

#CyberDiplomacy #Africa #DigitalGovernance #Diplo

3:54 am on April 30, 2026 · 2026 (279), cyber stability (1), diplo (33), Geneva (5)

NO RECORDING 8 MAY 2026 – Cyber stability under pressure: A reality check for cyber norms in an era of AI-driven cyber risks

Promotional banner for Geneva Dialogue and Geneva Cyber Week 2026. Blue-to-orange gradient background with abstract dotted wave patterns. Text reads: “Cyber Stability Under Pressure: A reality check for cyber norms in an era of AI-driven cyber risks.” Date shown: 8 May 2026. Logos for Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace and Geneva Cyber Week appear at the top.

Promotional banner for Geneva Dialogue and Geneva Cyber Week 2026. Blue-to-orange gradient background with abstract dotted wave patterns. Text reads: “Cyber Stability Under Pressure: A reality check for cyber norms in an era of AI-driven cyber risks.” Date shown: 8 May 2026. Logos for Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace and Geneva Cyber Week appear at the top.
NO RECORDING | PERMALINK

On Friday 8 May 2026, at 10:00-12:00 CEST (08:00-10:00 UTC) The Geneva Dialogue on Responsible Behaviour in Cyberspace hosts a Geneva Cyber Week session ‘Cyber stability under pressure: A reality check for cyber norms in an era of AI-driven cyber risks‘.

Cyber stability is under increasing strain — not only from more sophisticated attacks, but from the rapid integration of artificial intelligence into both the tools used to carry them out and those used to defend against them. The same technology that makes defenders faster also makes attackers faster. The same AI model that helps a security team identify weaknesses in their own systems can help an adversary find them first.

At the same time, several major AI providers have revised the terms governing how their models may be used, including in some cases terms that previously restricted military and national security applications. Governments in a number of jurisdictions have actively sought to expand their access to commercial AI capabilities for defence and intelligence purposes. There is evidence that criminal and APT groups — including those allegedly affiliated with states — are increasingly adopting commercial AI tools to automate cyber attacks at greater scale, while reducing the investment in time and human resources required. Commercial AI security products, including those being procured by critical infrastructure operators, are built on underlying models whose permitted uses and governance terms may not be fully visible to the organisations deploying them.

This raises fundamental questions: when the same AI tools serve both attack and defence, what does “responsible use” actually mean in practice? Who sets the boundaries, and what happens when those boundaries are moved? How do existing cyber norms hold up when the technology they are supposed to govern has changed faster than the norms themselves?

This hybrid scenario-based session brings together experts and decision-makers from across stakeholder groups — including public policymakers, critical infrastructure operators, technology providers, cybersecurity practitioners, AI governance specialists, compliance and risk professionals, and civil society and academic experts, and will be held under the Chatham House Rule.

 

 

#DiploEvent #GenevaDialogue #GCW2026 #CyberSecurity #CyberNorms #CyberStability #AIGovernance #AIandSecurity #DigitalSecurity #TechDiplomacy

2:17 am on January 10, 2026 · diplo (33), Forecast (1)

Jan 8 2026 – Diplo 2026 Forecast – AI and Digital Developments

ISOC LIVE

ISOC LIVE VIDEO | AUDIO | RECAP |  ARCHIVE | PERMALINK

On 8 January 2026 DiploFoundation presented ‘2026 Forecast: AI and Digital Developments‘. In his annual predictions event, Jovan Kurbalija offered a structured analysis of emerging AI trajectories and broader digital developments, situating them within their global policy and diplomatic context. Drawing on Diplo’s research and practice, the discussion explores opportunities, risks, and strategic choices facing governments, international organisations, the private sector, and civil society.

SPEAKER
Jovan Kurbalija – Executive Director, DiploFoundation

MODERATOR
Su Sonia Herring – Digital Media and Communications Editor, DiploFoundation

#AIpolicy #DigitalTrends @DiplomacyEdu @jovankurbalija @GenevaGIP @DigWatchWorld

6:55 am on January 8, 2025 · ai (66), digital economy (4), diplo (33)

WEBCAST JAN 8 – DIPLO 2025 Forecast: AI and Digital Developments

isoc live

isoc liveOn Wednesday 8 January 2025 at 14:00–15:00 CET (13:00-14:00 UTC) Diplo will present ‘2025 Forecast: AI and Digital Developments‘. Jovan Kurbalija will explore: Geopolitical and geoeconomic trends shaping AI; AI and digital issues on the diplomatic agenda; Transformative use of AI tools in society, business, and diplomacy. Drawing from the key developments of 2024, he will analyse both ongoing trends and new shifts that may define 2025.

SPEAKER
Jovan Kurbalija – Executive Director, Diplo

LIVESTREAM https://youtu.be/N2WiXFrHMuo

PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM https://bit.ly/3DJ7m7v

REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/3DYzBiA

TWITTER #AI @DiplomacyEdu #DigitalEconomy @jovankurbalija 

#DIPLO MASTODON  | BLUESKY  | INSTA

ARCHIVE
https://archive.org/details/diplo-ai2025 (when available)

9:17 am on November 8, 2024 · diplo (33), GDC (10)

WEBCAST 8 NOV – Unpacking Global Digital Compact | Book launch

ISOC LIVE

ISOC LIVE On Friday 8 November 2024 at 15:00 CET (14:00 UTC) the Diplo Foundation will hold a webinar to launch ‘Unpacking Global Digital Compact‘, a new publication written by Sorina Teleanu, an expert on digital governance. Over the past 18 months, Sorina has meticulously followed the Global Digital Compact (GDC) process, anchoring it within the broader digital and internet governance landscape.

LIVESTREAM https://youtu.be/PiYQOn9a3ag

PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM https://bit.ly/4fgfhY4

REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/40y5ZlD

TWITTER #GDC @DiplomacyEdu

#GDC MASTODON  | BLUESKY  | INSTA

 

5:25 am on October 1, 2024 · diplo (33), tech diplomacy (2)

WEBCAST OCT 1 – Tech Diplomacy: Actors, Trends, and Controversies | Book launch

isoc live

isoc liveOn Tuesday 1 October, 2024 at 14:00 CEST (12:00 UTC) DiploFoundation (Diplo) will host a webinar to launch a new book ‘Tech Diplomacy: Actors, Trends, and Controversies‘.

The recent conflict between Elon Musk and the Brazilian government has sparked heated debate on freedom of expression. Many commentators failed to reflect on a strategic reconfiguration of global power between governments and powerful tech companies. As these companies increasingly wield economic and social influence, rivalling that of nation-states, the implications for global diplomacy are profound.

In this book Jovan Kurbalija and Pavlina Ittelson offer a critical, informed, and impartial analysis of tech diplomacy, exploring how these dynamics challenge the traditional Westphalian system centred on nation-states. They examine the interactions between tech companies and national governments, from the Bay Area to capitals worldwide, providing a comprehensive understanding of this rapidly changing environment.

SPEAKERS
Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director, Diplo
Pavlina Ittelson, Executive Director, Diplo US

LIVESTREAM https://youtu.be/1MgPs2qx7YU

PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM https://bit.ly/3Bk0HPZ

REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/4eLdlGd

TWITTER #TechDiplomacy @jovankurbalija @pavlinaitt @DiplomacyEdu

MASTODON #TechDiplomacy

ARCHIVE
https://archive.org/details/diplo-techdiplomacy

7:58 am on July 9, 2024 · cybercrime (4), diplo (33), the gip (11), un (41)

WEBCAST JUL 9 – UN Cybercrime Convention: Will states give in disagreements for the sake of a global common threat?

ISOC LIVE

ISOC LIVEOn Tuesday July 9 2024, at 13:00 UTC, ISOC.LIVE will webcast an edited version of the July 2nd DiploFoundation (Diplo) and Geneva Internet Platform Digital Watch observatory (digwatch) panel ‘UN Cybercrime Convention: Will states give in disagreements for the sake of a global common threat?‘ .

The Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime (AHC) is tasked with presenting a draft convention to the UN General Assembly at its 78th session in September 2024. The AHC was supposed to finalize the draft at its 7th meeting in February 2024, however the the meeting ended inconclusively, with some apparent serious disagreements, and will be reconvened in New York from 29 July – 9 August 2024.

The session is aimed at identifying expectations (if any) from the concluding session and highlighting elements that define a positive outcome of this process, based on the insights of different experts and stakeholders.

SPEAKERS
Tatiana Tropina, Assistant Professor in Cybersecurity Governance, ISGA, Leiden University
Alexander Seger, Head of Cybercrime Division, the Council of Europe
Katitza Rodriguez, Policy Director for Global Privacy, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)
Paloma Lara-Castro, Public Policy Coordinator, Derechos Digitales
Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Public Affairs, Kaspersky
Nemanja (Neno) Malisevic, Director, Digital Diplomacy, Microsoft

MODERATORS
Anastasiya Kazakova, Cyber Diplomacy Knowledge Fellow, DiploFoundation
Bojana Kovac, Researcher, DiploFoundation.

LIVESTREAM https://livestream.com/internetsociety/diplo-cybercrime

TWITTER #CybercrimeTreaty #CybercrimeConvention @DiplomacyEdu @UN @UniLeidenNews @coe @EFF @derechosdigital @kaspersky @Microsoft @Geneve_int @GenevaGIP @SwissMFA @SwissDevCoop @DigWatchWorld #DiploEvent #GIP #GenevaInternetPlatform #cybercrime

MASTODON  #cybercrimetreaty

SIMULCASTS
https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live
https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive
https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/

ARCHIVE
https://archive.org/details/diplo-cybercrime