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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.
2026 | 5th ACONA Conference Reykjavík
Mark your calendars for Friday, May 22, 2026, and join us in Reykjavík, Iceland, for the 5th annual Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA) Conference, which 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. Links to register for either in-person or online participation will be published in early 2026. You can already book your travel 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.
For in-person participation please register here.
For online participation please register here.
Please find the link to the Friday live stream here: https://vimeo.com/event/5938289​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Programme
09:30 - 09:50 Opening Remarks
Martin Eyjólfsson
Permanent Secretary of State, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Pia Hansson (Chair of the Conference)
Member, ACONA Executive Board
Director, Institute of International Affairs, University of Iceland
09:50 - 11:50 Opening Talk: "How Can Small States and Middle Powers Cooperate in Times of Geopolitical Eruptions"
Jónas Allansson,
Director General, Directorate for Defence at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs
Ville Cantell
Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Finland to Iceland
Clarissa Duvigneau
Ambassador, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Reykjavík
Jenny Hill
Ambassador, Embassy of Canada to Iceland
Ingólfur Bjarni Sigfússon (Moderator)
Correspondent, RÚV (Icelandic National Broadcasting Service)
11:50 - 11:15 Coffee Break
11:15 - 12:15 History Discussion: "40 Years after the Reykjavík Summit: Can Adversaries Still Engage in Diplomacy?"
Nancy Gallagher
Director, Center for International and Security Studies (CISSM), University of Maryland
Pavel Palazhchenko
Member, ACONA International Advisory Board
Former Personal Interpreter to President Mikhail Gorbachev
Senior Advisor, The Gorbachev Foundation
Svetlana Savranskaya
Director of Russia Programs, National Security Archive, George Washington University
Christian Ostermann (Moderator)
Member, ACONA Executive Board
Research Professor, School of Public Policy, University of Maryland
12:15 - 13:00 Lunch
13:00 - 14:15 Focus Panel: "Machines in the Loop: Will AI Stabilize or Destabilize Arms Control"
Belén Bianco
Senior Project Advisor, United Nations Regional Centre for Peace, Disarmament and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean (UNLIREC)
Jules Palayer
Researcher, Governance of Artificial Intelligence Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Jack Shanahan
Retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General
Adjunct Senior Fellow, Center for a New American Security (CNAS)
Former Director, Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, U.S. Department of Defense
Christopher Daase (Moderator)
Member, ACONA Executive Board
Deputy Director, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)
14:15 - 14:30 Coffee Break
14.30 - 15:30 ACONA Innovation Roundtable: "Next-Generation Ideas for Arms Control"
Mariana Budjeryn
Member, ACONA Executive Board
Senior Researcher, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Rose Gottemoeller (Commentator, online)
Member, ACONA International Advisory Board
Former Deputy Secretary General, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO)
Former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security
Sascha Hach
Managing Director, ACONA
Postdoctoral Researcher, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)
Maria Rost Rublee
Professor of International Relations, University of Melbourne
ACONA Fellow #1: Negotiation Award Winner
ACONA Fellow #2: Policy Memo Award Winner
15:30 - 15:50 Closing Remarks
Arvid Bell,
Chair, ACONA Executive Board
CEO, Anadyr Horizon
16:00 - 17.30 Closing Reception
Past Conferences
2025 | 4th ACONA Conference Reykjavík: Negotiating the New Frontier: Technology and Conflict in a Changing Geopolitical Order
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The Fourth ACONA Conference took place in Reykjavík, Iceland on May 23, 2025. Please find the full program and list of speakers here.
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2024 | 3rd ACONA Conference Reykjavík: Negotiating the Future of Nuclear Diplomacy
The Third ACONA Conference took place in Reykjavík, 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 Reykjavík, 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 Reykjavík, Iceland on May 14, 2022. Please find the full program and list of speakers here.
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