Welcome to the GSF web site
Global Strategy Forum is an open forum, which was founded in 2006 and which is dedicated to the promotion of fresh thinking and active debate on foreign affairs, defence and international security issues.
We are an independent, non-party political organisation.
We present commissioned work and we run a series of lectures and debates. Further details of our work are available by exploring the links to the left.
Please visit our events page for details of forthcoming events.
General Sir Richard Dannatt GCB CBE MC
Chief of the General Staff 2006-2009
General Sir Richard Dannatt gave our second February lecture, speaking on the theme of the Challenges for Defence in the Next Decade. Referring to the fact that much had changed in the world since the last Strategic Defence Review in 1998, he said that we were now at a strategic crossroads, which required an extensive review of our place in the world. He said that the debate which the SDR framed should be policy-led and not financially-driven, but that careful calibration would be required to maintain a broad range of capabilities to the extent that is affordable. He advocated a move to a quadrennial or quinquennial system of Strategic Defence Reviews, which would provide a stable framework within which these fundamental issues could be addressed. In reference to Operation Moshtarak and the future for Afghanistan, he said that ‘tomorrow would be a very uncertain place if we do not succeed [in Afghanistan] today’ but he pointed to the need to place the operation in Afghanistan on a proper warlike footing. He concluded by paying tribute to the outstanding commitment and capability of the young men and women of the armed forces and said that the ‘challenge for policymakers over the next few months [was] to ensure that those same people can go on making the same kind of commitment in the best interests of the nation in the next decade and beyond.’
'Turkey's Role in an Emerging Network World'
House of Lords, Monday 8th February 2010
On Monday 8th February, Global Strategy Forum hosted a seminar on 'Turkey's Role in an Emerging Network World'. The seminar, which was the initiative of GSF Advisory Board Member Hüseyin Gün of Avicenna Capital, took place in the House of Lords. With the participation of a high level Turkish delegation, including HE Egemen Bagis, the Turkish State Minister for EU Affairs, the event provided a series of expert perspectives on how and where Turkey can bring her influence to bear effectively on the wider international scene, focusing on Turkey’s position as a hub connecting east and west, both strategically and politically. It explored the growing influence and role of Turkey, westwards in terms of its relationship with the EU but also eastwards, in terms of its relationship with the Middle East and the broader region and the wider, constructive role that Turkey can play in regional issues and beyond, in a period of rapid change. The seminar was chaired by the Rt Hon Michael Ancram MP, Chairman of Global Strategy Forum and speakers included: HE Egemen Bagis, Turkish State Minister for EU Affairs; Dominic Grieve QC MP, UK Shadow Justice Secretary; HE Kursad Tuzmen, Former State Minister and Chairman of External Affairs, Justice and Development Party; Rt Hon the Lord Howell of Guildford, Shadow Deputy Leader of the Lords and Shadow Minister for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs; HE Yasar Yakis, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs; Lord Wallace of Saltaire, Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader, House of Lords, Spokesperson for Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs; Suat Kiniklioglu MP; AK Party Deputy Chairman of External Affairs, Chairman of the Turkish-British Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group; Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, Liberal Democrat MEP (South East Region) 1999-2009; Dr Ibrahim Kalin, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of Turkey; Lord Hannay of Chiswick, GCMG, CH, Ambassador and UK Permanent Representative to the UN (1990-1995) and Special Representative for Cyprus (1996-2003); Nursuna Memecan MP, Member of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and AK Party Deputy Chairman of Communications; and Mehmet Öğütçü, Director, International Government and Corporate Affairs, BG Energy Holding Group. A summary of the proceedings is available by clicking above and the proceedings will be published in full at a later date.
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO
Rt Hon Field Marshal The Lord Inge, KG, GCB, DL, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles KCMG LVO, Michael Ancram MP
Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, the Foreign Secretary's Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, was Global Strategy Forum's second guest lecturer in January. Speaking on 'Britain in Afghanistan' under the Chatham House Rule, he gave a compelling prediction of how success could be achieved in Afghanistan and what that success might look like.
Ambassador Chas W Freeman, Jr
US Ambassador (retired)
Ambassador Chas W Freeman, Jr, gave Global Strategy Forum's first lecture in 2010. Entitled 'China's Challenge to American Hegemony', his lecture provided a succinct and perceptive analysis, which drew on his many years of expertise to elucidate the Chinese perspective on some of the key areas of divergence with the west, as well on its attitude to hegemony and the responsibilities of global leadership. He concluded that 'the world in future will be more "democratic" and, likely, more muddled than in the past because many countries, not just the United States or China, will share power in it. There will be ample opportunities for countries with trusted relationships with Washington and Beijing to influence how they participate in global affairs. There will be no hegemon, and there will be no "G-2".
Michael Ancram QC MP
Chairman - Global Strategy Forum
At Global Strategy Forum’s Christmas Drinks Party on 8th December, GSF's Chairman, Michael Ancram, launched his new pamphlet, ‘Turkey: a New Bridge in a Network World?’ The pamphlet examines the potential of Turkey and where she might bring her influence to bear most effectively on the wider international scene, both in the region and more broadly. In it, Michael Ancram argues that Turkey is ideally placed to play a leading role in a network world and to be a force for good in the Middle East and wider region as well as in Europe and around the Mediterranean. He concludes that Turkey, if it so chooses, can become a 'real and vibrant bridge in a world that needs bridging more than ever'.
Sir Richard Dalton KCMG
UK Ambassador to Iran (2002-2006)
On 24th November, Sir Richard Dalton addressed GSF on 'Iran in 2009: how much has changed?' In a meticulous analysis, he drew on his expert knowledge of the region and the insights gained from his experience as the UK Ambassador to Iran from 2002-2006, concluding that in our policy towards Iran, we need to 'make haste slowly on sanctions and we need to continue firmly, coupled with non-interference, on Iran's internal problems.'
FW de Klerk
Former President of the Republic of South Africa
On Monday 16th November, Global Strategy Forum was honoured to welcome F W de Klerk, former President of the Republic of South Africa and Nobel Laureate. In the month which marks the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Mr De Klerk reflected on this momentous period in world affairs. His insights illuminated the ramifications of this event on a global scale and took the story of the Fall of the Berlin Wall well beyond its usual European context. He concluded that in South Africa 'the fall of the Berlin Wall showed how deeply we are influenced by events on the global stage - and helped us to break down the walls between our own people.'
Lord Howell of Guildford
Lecture - Tuesday October 27th 2009
Lord Howell opened GSF's 2009-2010 lecture series with a fascinating speech, entitled 'Britain's Foreign Policy: 'adamant for drift?', in which he argued that in this period of great change and uncertainty, it is time for a clean break and a new strategic direction in our foreign policy. Just as Winston Churchill described Britain's foreign policy as 'adamant for drift' in the 1930s, he fears that so the same could be said of our foreign policy today. The transcript of his lecture is available by clicking above.
Debate - Tuesday 14th July 2009
Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering, the Rt Hon Malcolm Rifkind QC MP, the Rt Hon Michael Howard QC MP
Ambassador Tom Pickering and Michael Howard discussed the question of whether the use of torture could ever be justified. In a cogent and detailed contribution, Ambassador Tom Pickering concluded that it could not and while Michael Howard agreed substantively with Ambassador Pickering, he argued for the need for a better definition of what constituted torture in international law and he questioned what would happen in the extreme hypothesis of the 'ticking time bomb' scenario. There followed a lively debate from the audience and the chairman, Malcolm Rifkind, concluded that it had been a fascinating exchange and invited a show of hands at the end, revealing that the vast majority of the audience were against the use of torture in any circumstances.
Lecture - Monday 13th July 2009
The Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes and Michael Ancram MP, GSF chairman
In his lecture, Lord Patten gave a comprehensive overview of what is happening in China today. In response to the question of whether the 21st century belongs to China, Lord Patten said that while he admired what China's achievements, he did not see an equivalency to 19th century Bismarckian Germany. In his view, the US remains the world's sole superpower, while increasingly understanding that its post-war period of domination is at an end and that in order to solve any serious problem in the world today, it will have to work with China and India and to some extent Brazil and others as well. Lord Patten concluded that he did not see the future as being one 'in which China is going to have to work out how it can work with the US in order to exercise global domination. The argument is still the other way round. One of the principle jobs that America has, and Europe as well, in the next years is to persuade China that as a great economic power with considerable political influence, it has a vested interest in stability.'
Lecture - Tuesday 9th June 2009
Johan Eliasch, President of Global Strategy Forum, and the Rt Hon Frank Field MP
Johan Eliasch gave a comprehensive lecture on the threats posed by climate change and the oppportunities that it presented, particularly in combating deforestion. The event was chaired by the Rt Hon Frank Field MP, who also co-founded Cool Earth together with Johan Eliasch.
Debate - Tuesday 19th May 2009
Oliver Kamm, Sir David Omand, Gideon Rachman
Oliver Kamm, leader writer and columnist for the Times, Sir David Omand GCB, Visiting Professor, Department of War Studies, King's College, London and former UK Security and Intelligence Coordinator; and Gideon Rachman of the FT, joined GSF on 19th May to debate whether the world economic crisis was our biggest security threat. The panel had different perspectives on the extent of the security threat posed, but there was general agreement that the economic crisis at the very least had indirect implications for security. The audio transcript of the debate is available by clicking above.
May Debate I - 12th May 2009
Baroness Falkner of Margravine, Dr Farzana Shaikh, Sir Hilary Synnott KCMG
Baroness Falkner of Margravine, Liberal Democrat Spokesman for the Ministry of Justice, Dr Farzana Shaikh, Associate Fellow of the Asia Programme at Chatham House and Sir Hilary Synott of the IISS and former British High Commissioner to Pakistan, spoke in our first May debate, addressing the question, 'Is Pakistan the World's Most Dangerous Place?' The audio transcript of the debate is available by clicking above.
The Rt Hon Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hambdon GCMG KBE PC
Former Leader of the Liberal Democrats
The Rt Hon Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hambdon GCMG KBE PC was our March guest lecturer. His lecture, entitled ‘Ashdown's Third Law: why the world will never be the same again and what we should do about it’, is now available as an audio transcript by clicking above. This event was chaired by Lord Wallace of Saltaire, a Liberal Democrat Deputy Leader in the House of Lords as well as a spokesperson for Home Affairs and Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
Debate - Tuesday 10th March 2009
Oksana Antonenko, Bernard Jenkin MP (in the chair) and General Sir Garry Johnson
In our March debate, Oksana Antonenko of the IISS and General Sir Garry Johnson discussed the vexed question of Georgia's NATO aspirations. The event was chaired by Bernard Jenkin MP.
Debate - Tuesday 24th February 2009
Malcolm Bruce MP, Alastair Crooke, Lorna Fitzsimons and Andrew Wilson
On Tuesday 24th February, Malcolm Bruce MP, Chairman of the International Development Select Committee; Alastair Crooke, Founder and Director of Conflicts Forum, Lorna Fitzsimons, Chief Executive of Bicom and Andrew Wilson of Sky News took part in a debate entitled 'Is the Middle East Peace Process Dead?', in the light of the recent conflict in Gaza. A The audio transcript of the debate is available.
