Forum of Latvian professionals working in international organizations to take place in Riga

RIGA - The National History Museum of Latvia will host the launch of the 4th Forum of Latvian Professionals Working for International Organizations next Monday, with Foreign Minister Baiba Braze (New Unity) scheduled to open the event, LETA was told at the Foreign Ministry.

According to the ministry, the forum aims to strengthen the connection between Latvian professionals working in international organizations and Latvia, to foster the sharing of experience, and to facilitate the representation of Latvia's national interests in international environment.

The thematic areas of this year's forum are the application of international experience to modern public governance, security and societal resilience, Latvia's membership of the United Nations Security Council, matters of current importance for the EU, and the international contribution and challenges of civil society organizations (NGOs).

More than 100 professionals of Latvian descent employed at the United Nations, institutions of the European Union, NATO, the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and other international bodies have applied for participation.

Introductory remarks for the event will be delivered by its organizer, Ambassador-at-Large for Diaspora Affairs, Zanda Grauze.

At the first panel discussion, "Mobilising international experience for modern public governance in Latvia", their perspectives will be shared by the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Zanda Kalnina-Lukasevica, the Secretary-General of the European Commission, Ilze Juhansone, the Director of the State Chancellery, Raivis Kronbergs, and the Senior Policy Advisor at the OECD, Martins Krievins. The discussion will be moderated by Elina Pinto from the association Economic Cooperation and Investments for Latvia (#esiLV).

The second panel discussion, "Security and Defense, Social Cohesion and Resilience", will feature the participation of the representative of the NATO International Staff, Brigadier General Ilmars Atis Lejins, the Advisor to the President on National Security Issues, Ilze Milta, the Head of the Latvian Federation of Security and Defense Industries, Elina Egle, and the Head of the University of Latvia Livonian Institute, representative of Latvia at the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Valts Ernstreits. The exchange will be moderated by the Advisor to the Foreign Minister on Security and Societal Resilience, Tomass Pildegovics.

The forum will then continue on the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where three discussions are to be held. The discussion on "Latvia's benefits from membership in the UN Security Council", featuring the Judge of the Court of Justice of the European Union, Ineta Ziemele, the Chair of the UN Commission on International Law, Martins Paparinskis, and the Latvian Youth Delegate to the UN, Nikola Kleinberga, will be moderated by Katrina Kaktina-Kalnina, Director of the Department of International Organizations and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The panel titled "Current EU Issues" will bring together experts working in the European Commission and the European External Action Service, including Zaneta Vegnere, Eduards Stiprais and Mara Steinberga, and it will be moderated by the Director of the Department of EU Coordination and Policies at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Reinis Brusbardis.

The discussion on "International Contribution and Challenges of Civil Society Organizations" will feature the founder of International NGO Day, Marcis Liors Skadmanis, the Director of the Latvian Platform for Development Cooperation, Inese Vaivare, and the Chair of the Board of the With World Experience in Latvia association, Mara McLaughlin-Taylor. This session will be moderated by the Head of the Communications at the Nobel Women's Initiative, Daina Rudusa.

Concluding remarks for the forum will be delivered by the Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Artjoms Ursulskis.

The first part of the forum held at the National History Museum of Latvia will be live-streamed on the websites and social media of the State Chancellery and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Every year since 2022, the Forum of Latvian Professionals Working for International Organizations has been bringing together Latvian professionals with experience in international organizations to strengthen cooperation with Latvia, promote the exchange of experience, and build a sustainable dialogue between diaspora experts and public administration.