The 29th Forum 2000 Conference, titled Facing the Odds: Democratic Resilience in Action, will take place on October 12–14, 2025, at the Prague Congress Centre. This year’s conference will focus on the growing need for global cooperation among democracies and democratic actors in today’s increasingly complex international environment. It is expected to welcome more than 700 leading politicians, diplomats, writers, activists, civil society leaders, dissidents, experts, and entrepreneurs from over 100 countries around the world.
We look forward to the participation of Czech President Petr Pavel; the fifth President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk; Czech Minister of Foreign Affairs Jan Lipavský; European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi; Czech MP Karel Havlíček; His Beatitude Epiphanius, Metropolitan of Kyiv and All Ukraine; Rwandan human rights activist Anaïs Kanimbu; Member of the European Parliament Assita Kanko; European Commission’s Coordinator on Combating Antisemitism Katharina von Schnurbein; Member of the Mozambican Parliament Ivone Soares; First Deputy Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament Oleksandr Kornienko; Stanford University Professor Larry Diamond; Member of the German Bundestag Roderich Kiesewetter; Chair of the Thai House of Representatives Committee on National Security Rangsiman Rome; President of the Central Tibetan Administration Penpa Tsering; former Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radičová; Director General of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Thibaut Bruttin; Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies Fernando Iglesias, and many more.
An important part of the conference opening will be the ceremonial presentation of the fifth Forum 2000 International Award for Courage and Responsibility, taking place on Sunday evening. This year, the award will be presented to the Georgian movement resisting the country’s gradual autocratization and to one of its symbols – Mzia Amaglobeli. More information is available here.
Throughout more than 80 panel discussions and workshops, conference participants will explore ways to restore international democratic unity. Topics will range from the current state of transatlantic relations and Europe’s global role to the future of democracy support. Part of the program will focus on technological challenges, such as the role of artificial intelligence and the use of digital tools for social control. Other sessions will address global democracy and human rights "hotspots" — from the situation in Ukraine and the Western Balkans to Latin America, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific region. Several panels will explore the economic implications of today’s tense geopolitical situation and what recent wars have meant for the global economy and the future of democracy.
“For many years, the global democratic community has been facing immense challenges that are not diminishing but rather intensifying and becoming more threatening. Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and the growing assertiveness and political, military, and economic power of Communist China are accompanied by an autocratic surge on all continents — from Nicaragua and El Salvador, through Hungary and Georgia, to Angola and Myanmar. Domestic political tensions in democratic countries are rising, societies are becoming polarized, and democratic consensus is weakening. The rules-based international order is under pressure. Forum 2000 Conference participants, meeting on a unique platform for cooperation and exchange among democratic forces from around the world, will discuss how to confront these simultaneous threats,” says Jakub Klepal, Executive Director of the Forum 2000 Foundation.
The conference will also host working meetings of long-term Forum 2000 Foundation initiatives such as Democratic Solidarity Africa (DSA), Democratic Solidarity Latin America (DSLA), and the International Coalition for Democratic Renewal (ICDR), which currently brings together around 500 prominent global intellectuals, politicians, and activists. As part of the Forum 2000 Conference, the international media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will officially announce the opening of its new Prague office for Central and Eastern Europe — the first RSF office in the region.
For more information, please visit the Forum 2000 Conference website, where video recordings of selected sessions will also be available.
