The 19th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, titled “A Post-Hegemonic World: Justice and Security for Everyone” will be held on October 24-27, 2022 in Moscow.

The meeting will be attended by 111 experts, politicians, diplomats and economists from 41 countries, including Afghanistan, Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the United States, Uzbekistan, and others. Traditionally, more than half of the participants in the Valdai Club meeting are representatives of foreign countries, and this year is no exception.

Programme of the 19th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club

“A Post-Hegemonic World: Justice and Security for Everyone”

Moscow, October 24-27, 2022

October 24, Monday

09:30 – 09:40   Opening of the 19th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club (LIVE)

09:40 – 11:10   “A World Without Superpowers”: Presentation of the Valdai Discussion Club’s Annual Report (LIVE)

One of the main consequences of the events of 2022 is a change in the global geopolitical structure. And it's not just the ultimate emergence of the polycentric world, it actually happened earlier. Now we can talk about another phenomenon taking shape: the concept of “superpower" has disappeared. No country, even the most powerful one, can determine the course of events in the world. World politics is formed in the process of complex interaction of different players. The Valdai Club’s annual report explains what this means in practice.

11:30 – 13:00   Session 1. The Past and the Future. How the Pandemic and the Military-Political Crisis Have Affected the International Situation

Valdai is one of the most representative international discussion platforms, and it is unique in terms of the geographical and ideological diversity of its participants. During the first thematic session of this year, the Club's guests will share their views on what is happening in the world and what development scenarios are possible.

General discussion

14:30 – 16:00   Session 2. Cuban Missile Crisis After Sixty Years: Is Nuclear Deterrence Still in Place?

The story sometimes rhymes oddly. Just in time for the anniversary of the most dangerous military-political crisis, when the world was on the verge of a nuclear collision, this topic is back on the agenda. Fear of the nuclear threat, which served as an important deterrent sixty years ago, has now subsided, and does not force opponents to engage in a serious conversation about mutual guarantees and restraint. What does it take to get back on track with threat reduction negotiations? And will the current crisis prompt this?

16:30 – 18:00   Meeting with the leadership of the executive and legislative authorities of the Russian Federation

19:30 – 21:00   Special session. The Ukrainian Question – Its Origins and Consequences

October 25, Tuesday

09:30 – 11:00  Meeting with the leadership of the executive and legislative authorities of the Russian Federation

11:30 – 13:00  Session 3. Economic Warfare as a Defining Trend in Global Development (LIVE)

This year, the word “sanctions” has probably become the most common topic in the world's political and economic discussions, although it is incorrect to say that what is happening today is merely sanctions activity. A full-scale economic war has broken out in the world. Its main target is Russia, but the consequences for the entire planet are difficult to assess. Moreover, the mechanisms that are being worked out will be applied elsewhere.

14:30 – 16:00  Session 4. Energy and Food Security: Man-Made Challenges of Global Significance

Global problems are usually understood as something that arises from a combination of many objective, natural factors, with human activity being only one of them. Today, a new situation is emerging, when acute global problems are the result of political decisions made in specific countries. The situation on the world markets of raw materials and food is a vivid example. The military-political crisis and economic war create a force majeure around the world.

16:30 – 18:00  Session 5. One World in a New Way: Universal Connectivity Without Global Governance

Globalization, as we knew it since the 1980s, is coming to an end. The world does not lose its economic integrity – universal interconnectedness remains, but it will be organized differently now. Instead of a centralized system based on a single set of norms, a much more distributed and flexible system is emerging. It focuses on regional economic cooperation and optimization of logistics and production chains. Will this help correct the shortcomings that the previous wave of globalization has created, first of all, the extremely high level of inequality?

19:30 – 21:00   Meeting with the leadership of the executive and legislative authorities of the Russian Federation

October 26, Wednesday

09:30 – 11:00   Session 6. Values in the Modern World. What Is Their Balance for Genuine Equality? (LIVE)

The modern political map of the world was formed in the second half of the twentieth century, decolonization being the single most important event that shaped it. However, although many decades have passed since the collapse of the colonial empires, the balance of interests between the former colonialists and those who were freed from their oppression has not been established. The West still dominates, albeit by other means. But genuine equality in terms of mutual respect and mutual opportunities has not yet arrived. How can we ensure a fair balance in the new world – not only political and economic, but also cultural and ideological?

11:30 – 13:00   Session 7. Crooked Mirror or Last Hope? Communications in a Chaotic World

A world in which there are no generally accepted rules of conduct, and the "red lines" are constantly blurred, is extremely dependent on communications. They can be a tool for manipulation and scaremongering, or they can be a way to preserve at least some meaningful interaction. However, most often all these functions are intertwined. How can we neutralize the destructive potential of communications by strengthening their creative role? Is this possible at all?

14:30 – 16:00   Session 8. Technological Warfare: How Russia Will Develop Under the Western Blockade

Technological rivalry today is the most severe form of confrontation. Science and technology were considered an area that, by definition, requires international collaboration, and therefore strengthens cooperation. In fact, it is this strategy that is used to undermine the competitor's position as much as possible. How can we achieve technological sovereignty and maintain international cooperation despite the growing conflict?

16:30 – 18:00   Session 9. Russia in Times of Mobilization: The Reassembly

The year 2022 was a test for the Russian Federation – not only for its military organization and economy, but also for its society and political system. Mobilization in a broad sense is the reconstruction of the country not only for its survival, but also for advanced development in extremely unfavourable external conditions. To what extent were the state and society prepared for this?

19:30 – 21:00   Special Session. Russia’s Image in the World: Myths and Reality

Reality and the idea of it can live completely independent lives in the modern world without even contacting each other. Many even believe that the virtual is more important, although life periodically reminds us of the primacy of the material. Russia has always been considered a mysterious and incomprehensible country on the world stage, which means that it was attributed properties that it might not have had: from sublime romanticism to cruel cynicism, from simplicity to perfidy, etc. How is Russia viewed in the world today and can this image be influenced?

October 27, Thursday

10:00 – 12:00   Session 10. The World That Crumbled: Lessons for the Future From the 2022 Military-Political Crisis

The institutions of world governance that were established in the second half of the twentieth century and provided a certain framework for international players are no longer working. The situation in world politics has returned to the historical norm: chaotic competition, which can only be limited by the balance of power of the opposing sides. Will there ever be a new system of rules and governance structures? What could it look like? Or has the year 2022 opened up a period of indefinite and dangerous instability?

16:00   Plenary session (LIVE)