ACONA Conference Reykjavík
At the annual ACONA conference, senior arms control and diplomacy experts address prescient topics in the field in a candid exchange with ACONA fellows and alumni and the public. While the program elements of the 12-month ACONA program are only open to current fellows, the ACONA Conference Reykjavík is open to the public.
2025 | 4th ACONA Conference Reykjavík: Negotiating the New Frontier: Technology and Conflict in a Changing Geopolitical Order
Mark your calendars for May 23, 2025, and join us in Reykjavík, Iceland, for the 4th annual Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA) Conference. This year’s theme, “Negotiating the New Frontier: Technology and Conflict in a Changing Geopolitical Order,” will bring together world-renowned experts, emerging leaders, and an engaged global audience to explore the critical intersections of technology, security, and diplomacy.
Held in the inspiring setting of Reykjavík, where historic negotiations have shaped the history of nuclear diplomacy, the ACONA Conference offers a rare opportunity to participate in lively discussions, hear from intriguing speakers, and connect with a diverse community dedicated to addressing today’s most pressing security challenges.
Admission is free of charge. You can register for either in-person or online participation.
Book your travel now and experience the power of dialogue in one of the world’s most stunning and historically significant cities. For any questions, please feel free to contact the ACONA Secretariat.
Programme
09:00 - 09:20 Opening Remarks
Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector, University of Iceland
Arvid Bell, Chair, ACONA Executive Board, CEO, Negotiation Task Force
Pia Hansson (Chair of the Conference), Member, ACONA Executive Board, Director of the Institute of International Affairs, University of Iceland
09:20 - 09:30 Spotlight Session: Private Sector and Arms Control
Christine Keung, General Partner, J2 Ventures
09:30 - 10:45 Panel: Tech for War or Tech for Peace? Science, Innovation, and Emerging Technologies in a New Geopolitical Era
Christopher Ford, Professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies, Missouri State University’s School of Defense and Strategic Studies
Christine Keung, General partner, J2 Ventures
Sibylle Bauer, Director of Studies, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Erlingur Erlingsson, Director, Adapt; Former Diplomat, Iceland
Moderator: Christopher Daase, Member, ACONA Executive Board, Deputy Director, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
10:45 - 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00 - 11:45 Panel: ACONA Innovation Roundtable
Mariana Budjeryn, Member, ACONA Executive Board, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School
Sascha Hach, ACONA Associate, Researcher, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
TBA ACONA Fellow '25 (Negotiation Award Winner)
TBA ACONA Fellow '25 (Policy Memo Award Winner)
Commentator: Darius Rahimi, Head of the Nuclear Arms Control, Non-proliferation and Disarmament Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Germany
11.45 - 12:00 Conference Address
Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, Foreign Minister, Iceland
12:00 - 12:45 Lunch
12:45 - 14:15 Panel: Lessons Learned from History: The Path Toward Cooperation During the Cold War
Togzhan Kassenova, Senior Fellow, Center for Policy Research, University of Albany
Rósa Magnúsdóttir, Professor of History, University of Iceland
Pavel Palazhchenko, Member, ACONA International Advisory Board, Head of the International Relations and PR Department, The Gorbachev Foundation
Nicholas Wheeler, Professor of International Relations, University of Birmingham
Moderator: Mariana Budjeryn, Member, ACONA Executive Board, Senior Research Associate, Project on Managing the Atom, Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School
14:15 - 14:30 Coffee Break
14:30 - 16:00 Politics Panel: Negotiation, Leadership, and Trust in Times of Crisis
Philipp C. Bleek, Professor in Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies, Middlebury Institute of International Studies
Darius Rahimi, Head of the Nuclear Arms Control, Non-proliferation and Disarmament Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Federal Republic of Germany
Nikolai Sokov, Senior Fellow, Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
Tong Zhao, ACONA Associate, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for Peace, China
Moderator: Nicole Deitelhoff, Executive Director, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt
16: 00 - 16:15 Closing Remarks
Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, President of Iceland (2016–2024), Professor of History, University of Iceland, and Chair of the Board, Institute of International Affairs
16:15 - 18:00 Closing Reception
Past Conferences
2024 | 3rd ACONA Conference Reykjavík: Negotiating the Future of Nuclear Diplomacy
The Third ACONA Conference took place in Reykjavik, Iceland on May 17, 2024. Please find the full program and list of speakers here.
2023 | 2nd ACONA Conference Reykjavík: Negotiating the Future of European Security
The Second ACONA Conference took place in Reykjavik, Iceland on May 12, 2023. Please find the full program and list of speakers here.
2022 | 1st ACONA Conference Reykjavík: Negotiating the Future of Nuclear Arms Control
The First ACONA Conference took place in Reykjavik, Iceland on May 14, 2022. Please find the full program and list of speakers here.
