Future Africa-Europe High-Level Forum

Maryam Bukar Hassan, also known as Alhanislam, is a distinguished Nigerian poet, speaker and advocate. A dynamic voice in the global fight against systemic oppression, Alhanislam has made significant strides in amplifying the narratives of marginalised communities, particularly women. As a native of Borno State, the epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency, Alhanislam co-curated the ‘Peace Begins with Me’ campaign with UN Peacekeeping. This campaign featured prominent figures reciting a poem co- written by Alhanislam, aimed at fostering peace and reconciliation in conflict-affected regions. Alhanislam is the founder of the ‘True My Voice’ initiative, a groundbreaking platform dedicated to empowering young people through creative expression and advocacy. Additionally, Alhanislam has served as a campaign coordinator for Change.org , where she worked closely with communities to amplify their voices and connect them with decision-makers.  

Arancha González is the third Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po and the first woman to lead the world’s third school for Politics and International Studies.  Prior to joining PSIA, González served as Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation (2020-2021). She previously was Assistant-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the International Trade Centre (2013-2020). Between 2005 and 2013 she served as Chief of Staff to the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Pascal Lamy. Before that she held senior positions at the European Commission in the areas of international trade and development. González started her career as a lawyer in the private sector. She has been a member of PSIA’s Strategic Committee since 2017. A Spanish national, she holds a degree in law from the University of Navarra and a Postgraduate Degree in European Law from the University Carlos III of Madrid.

Mary Robinson is a prominent Irish politician, widely recognised as having reinvented the office of the presidency during her time as President of Ireland. Mary’s passion for human rights and gender equality have seen her in the role of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy in three roles. Through the Mary Robinson Foundation, as well as her current position at The Elders, she has been a leading voice in the climate justice debate. Mary serves as Patron of the International Science Council and Patron of the Board of the Institute of Human Rights and Business, is an Ambassador for The B Team, in addition to being a board member of several organisations including the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and the Aurora Foundation.

Mayaki leads the influential G8 pan-African socio-economic development initiative, known as NEPAD. He has served as the Executive Director of the Platform in support of Rural Development in West and Central Africa. Prior to this, he held several posts as Minister in charge of African Integration and Cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Prime Minister of Niger.

Prior to his current position as CEO of Enabel, Jean Van Wetter was the Executive Director of the NGO Humanity and Inclusion/Handicap International and lived in several countries in Africa, Europe and Asia. He is a frequent panelist on issues related to international cooperation and sustainable development goals. Van Wetter started his career as a strategy consultant for Arthur Andersen before moving into the international cooperation sector.

Samir Abdelkrim is a French entrepreneur, author and tech reporter. Passionate about all things digital, he founded EMERGING Valley as an international summit on African innovation to connect tech start-ups with investors, thinkers and decision-makers across continents. He also leads StartupBRICS, a company that provides insights on entrepreneurship in emerging economies. Abdelkrim is a former chronicler on African tech entrepreneurs for Le Monde and has also featured in Huffington Post, Le Point and Les Echos. His book, “Startup Lions”, chronicles his experience travelling the African continent in search of the most interesting and innovative tech start-ups. With French President Emmanuel Macron’s ‘Summit of the Two Shores of the Mediterranean’ initiative, Abdelkrim was amongst 10 selected to make proposals to relaunch European and Mediterranean cooperation.