17-18th

Venue: Dockside Private Room, Queens Wharf, Wellington, New Zealand

Pre-summit: Informal Collaboration and Networking

6-8pm

Theme: Building Trust in a Time of Uncertainty

• Opening toast

• Short cultural interlude 

• Quiet networking, discreet diplomacy, and relationship-building

• Dinner

Strategic Dialogue & Formal Discussions

Topic: Strategic Stability and Cooperative Security in a Fragmented World

Core Focus: How can middle powers and strategic actors collaborate amid rising hybrid threats and eroding global norms?

Objectives:  To establish a cross-regional strategic dialogue framework, connecting Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic actors, for advancing cooperative security; managing grey-zone threats; and strengthening confidence-building in a multipolar order.

8.30am: National Anthem and Karakia

8.35am: Welcome and Opening Remarks: Prof Dr Anita Abbott 

8.45am-9.45am:

PART I:  Strategic Forum Discussion for Ministers of Defence (virtual)

Redefining Deterrence for a Hybrid Era

Focus: Doctrine evolution due to grey-zone conflict, disinformation, and tech-enabled coercion

• How must national defense doctrines evolve in an era where gray-zone operations, disinformation, and proxy warfare increasingly precede traditional conflict?

• Can military deterrence still effectively prevent conflict in a multipolar world, or is it now a trigger for preemption?

• What are the prospects for a defense diplomacy compact — formal or informal — among Indo-Pacific and European actors to limit strategic distrust?
  
  Lead Discussant: MGen Gert-Johannes Hagemann (Ret)

  
  9.45am-10.45am:

PART II: Royal Assembly on Geopolitical Realignments: Royal Insights on Regional Realignments (virtual)

Refocus on: how royal figures enable Track 1.5 and 2 diplomacy, peacebuilding, and non-state partnerships.

• What roles can royal leadership play in fostering transcontinental partnerships? What strategic interests drive royal involvement in such transcontinental partnerships?

• How can royal figures contribute to conflict resolution in areas experiencing power centralization and crackdowns on factions?

• How can philanthropic initiatives by royal figures contribute to strategic stability in regions lacking effective governance?What mechanisms can ensure that such efforts complement rather than complicate existing security frameworks?

 Lead Discussant: TBC

10.45am-11am: Morning tea break

11am-12.30pm:

PART III: International Parliamentary Assembly 

Potential pathways to conflict resolution amidst rising militarisation, and how alliances and partnerships are evolving, especially under pressure from external powers

Focus: strategic alignments and misalignments and value-based diplomacy in contested regions.

Questions:

• What are the key drivers of militarisation in today’s regional conflicts, and how can parliamentary diplomacy counterbalance these trends?

• How are strategic alliances such as NATO, AUKUS, or the QUAD evolving in response to changing global power balances?

• How can inter-parliamentary forums contribute to confidence-building, policy alignment, and norm-setting in a fragmented geopolitical landscape?

 Moderator: Brett Murphy

12.30pm-1.30pm: Lunch break

1.30pm-3pm: 

PART II: Strategic Roundtable for Diplomats

Preventive Diplomacy and Risk Reduction

Focus : Operational deconfliction, regional CBMs, and reducing flashpoint risk.

• What diplomatic tools or protocols can states implement to prevent misunderstandings or miscalculations from escalating into conflict?

• What confidence-building measures (CBMs) can be launched or strengthened across multilateral platforms like ASEAN Regional Forum or EAS?

• How can diplomatic coordination be enhanced to reduce security dilemma dynamics in sensitive flashpoints?

Lead Discussant: TBC

Closing Remarks: MGen Gert-Johannes Hagemann (Ret)

Please note, CHATAM HOUSE rule applies