New York Times : World Leaders, Policy Experts, Economists and Other Influencers Join The New York Times Athens Democracy Forum

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Kofi Annan, Swedish and Kenyan Foreign Ministers Margot Wallström and Amina Mohamed among leaders and experts to appear in AthensSeptember 13-15

LONDON, AUGUST 17, 2017 - The New York Times announces additional influential participants joining Roger Cohen and leading Times journalists atThe New York Times Athens Democracy Forumon September 13-17, rounding off its program of events.

As the foremost annual gathering marking theUnited Nations International Day of Democracyon September 15, the conference will convene a distinguished and influential list of speakers to explore and assess the critical challenges facing liberal democracies, their institutions and economies, including political discourse in the 'post-truth' era; the value of polling as a predictive or policy-making tool; how to reform, or overhaul, democratic systems and institutions; and myriad others.

The following speakers have been added to the lineup:

• Margot Wallström, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Sweden

• Amina Mohamed, Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Trade, Kenya

• Kevin Rudd, 26th Prime Minister of Australia and President, Asia Society Policy Institute

• Shami Chakrabarti, Shadow Attorney General, England and Wales

• Keboitse Machangana, Director of Global Programs, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance

• Sergei Guriev, Chief Economist, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

• Roby Senderowitsch, Practice Manager, Governance Global Practice, World Bank

• Michael Ignatieff, President and Rector, Central European University

They are the latest additions to a stellar group of participants that already includes:

• Kofi Annan, Former United Nations Secretary General and Chairman, Kofi Annan Foundation

• Hyeonseo Lee, North Korean Defector and Human Rights Activist

• Prof. He Jiahong, Director of the Center for Anti-Corruption and Rule of Law, The School of Law, Renmin University of China

• Dr. Philip Fernbach, Cognitive Scientist and Assistant Professor, Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado

• Irina Bokova, Director General, Unesco

• Lord Robert Hayward, Conservative Party Peer and Psephologist

• David Van Reybrouck, Writer

• Mark Thompson, President and C.E.O., The New York Times Company

• Patrick Chappatte, Editorial Cartoonist, The New York Times

• Georgios Kaminis, Mayor of Athens, Greece

• H.E. Prokopios Pavlopoulos, President of the Hellenic Republic

• Annika Savill, Executive Head, UNDEF: The United Nations Democracy Fund

Democracy & Film Weekend at Costa Navarino

This year'sAthens Democracy Forumwill convene a special Democracy & Film Weekend atCosta Navarino,the prime destination on the southwest Peloponnesian coast on September 15-17, following proceedings in Athens.

Curated and hosted by artist and producer Ali Hossaini, this exclusive event will explore the historic and cultural influence film and filmmakers have exerted over viewers' perceptions of politics and current events - and shaped their responsibility to the world at large. Featuring a full program of cultural experiences, the Democracy & Film Weekend will culminate in a topical discussion with writer and filmmaker Paul Mason.

Full program details aboutThe New York Times Athens Democracy Forum, including all confirmed speakers, can be found on theconference website.

TheAthens Democracy Forumis convened in cooperation with theUnited Nations Democracy Fund, theCity of Athens, andKathimerini. The event is supported by headline sponsors Sekyra Group, Google and Open Society Foundations.

Keep up to date with further program developments by following@NYTLiveon Twitter. The hashtag for the conference is #NYTADF.

Media accreditation

Media accreditation for the Athens Democracy Forum is currently open. Accreditation requests must be submitted topress@athensdemocracyforum.combyFriday, September 1. Please note that there will be no on-site accreditation. All accreditation requests are subject to final confirmation by The New York Times.

About The New York Times Company

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Contact:Christopher Kang (London), +44 207 061 3525,ckang@nytimes.com