Disagreeing Well on Diplomacy

Disagreeing Well on Diplomacy

Presented by UCL Events

As the United Nations turns 80 this year, how effective have diplomatic institutions been in resolving global crises? How useful are traditional models of diplomacy in an increasingly conflicted world?  

With war returned to Europe, tensions building in Asia, and humanitarian crises in Africa and the Middle East, questions mount about the effectiveness of our diplomatic systems to prevent catastrophe. In an era of escalating conflicts and geopolitical instability on a new scale, the relevance and authority of diplomatic institutions has never been more uncertain. 

On 3 July, the Bloomsbury Theatre will host a panel of leading experts in diplomacy and international relations. From diplomats working within the United Nations and International Courts of Justice, to critical voices from think-tanks and academia, the panel will examine the role of international diplomatic bodies in preventing, mediating, and resolving crises. 

From navigating the US administration, to emerging powers reshaping world order, this event will assess how international bodies respond to the urgent challenges of our time. Together with questions from the audience, we’ll ask: What changes are needed to restore credibility and public faith to global institutions? And ultimately, can traditional diplomacy still deliver peace in a fractured world? 

Meet the Panel

Kristin Bakke (Chair)
Professor of Political Science and International Relations, UCL 

Kristin M. Bakke is Professor of Political Science and International Relations at University College London. She is Chair of the Conflict Research Society, Associate Editor at the Journal of Peace Research, and a member of the editorial board at International Security. 

She has published widely on the dynamics and legacies of civil wars, post-war state-building, and geopolitical attitudes. 

Prof. Bakke joined UCL’s Department of Political Science in 2009, where she co-founded the Conflict & Change research cluster. Prior to joining UCL, she held posts at Leiden University and Harvard. She has also been affiliated with the Peace Research Institute Oslo. 

Helen Clark
Former Prime Minister of New Zealand and current President of Chatham House

Helen Clark is a respected global leader on sustainable development and international co-operation. She served three successive terms as Prime Minister of New Zealand between 1999 and 2008. While in government, she led policy debate on a wide range of economic, social, environmental and cultural issues, including sustainability and climate change. She was United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator for two terms from 2009 to 2017. In 2019 she became patron of The Helen Clark Foundation. She chairs a number of international organisations, including the Board of the Lancet Countdown on Climate Change.  

Miguel Berger
Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Kingdom

Miguel Berger has been Germany's Ambassador to the United Kingdom since May 2022. His international postings have included roles in Bucharest, Mexico City, New York and Ramallah - working in this last as Head of the German Representative Office with the Palestinian Authority. He has served as Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, chaired the UN 5th Committee, and led departments on Globalisation, Energy and Climate policy, Economic Affairs and the Middle East. Miguel was State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office from 2020 to 2022. With over three decades of service, he brings extensive experience in diplomacy, development, and multilateral cooperation. 

Veronika Fikfak
Professor of Human Rights and International Law, UCL

Veronika Fikfak is Professor of Human Rights and International Law at University College London and co-Director of UCL Institute for Human Rights. Veronika specialises in human rights and studies how international institutions change state behavious, what reparations are most efficient and how to improve victims' access to human rights justice. She has just completed a project looking at how states comply with human rights judgments, the results of which were presented in her inaugural lecture 'Hope in human rights and international Law'.

She serves as the Secretary General of the European Society of International Law and acts as judge ad hoc at the European Court of Human Rights. She has worked at the European Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice, and at UNESCO in Paris.

Booking information

This is an in-person only event, however a recording will be shared via the UCL Events Newsletter at a later date. If you would like to receive a copy of the recording, please sign up to the UCL Newsletter. 

Tickets are charged at £5 per person, and includes one free drink at the Bloomsbury Theatre on the day. If you are unable to pay for any reason, please reach out to events@ucl.ac.uk to request a complimentary ticket. 

This event is expected to be popular, and likely to sell out. As standard we do not offer refunds, however if you book a ticket for this event and are no longer able to attend please contact the ticketing team and you will be eligible for a refund. Refund requests must be received at least 48 hours before the start of the event, and payment will be returned to the same card you used to make your booking. Refunds may not be requested after the event itself. 

The event will begin at 6pm, but we encourage you to arrive from 5pm in order to collect your free drink and take your seats. 

About Disagreeing Well

This event is part of UCL’s Disagreeing Well series, which looks at how we can co-exist in a diverse community where many differences of opinion are passionately held and personally felt.   

Disagreeing Well is an essential life skill that brings enormous benefits to individuals and society. By approaching disagreements with respect, curiosity and a desire to find common ground, we can nurture understanding and solve shared problems.  

This event series seeks to explore what is required to help people to Disagree Well. Looking across different topics from ‘disagreeing in public life’ to ‘disagreeing across generations’, a diverse range of speakers share their insight, knowledge and personal experiences about how we can learn to disagree well, and reflect upon what happens when we do not.   

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