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.
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".
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.
Lecture - 10th February 2009
Rt Hon the Lord Robertson of Port Ellen
Lord Robertson of Port Ellen, Secretary-General of NATO from 1999-2004, was our guest lecturer in February. In answer to the question, 'Does NATO have a future?', he believed that it did, but that its future depended on collective political willpower, concluding: 'I believe [NATO] has a future. Of course it has a future - if it does not have a future, we will not have a future either. But we have got to want it to have a future and we have got to be able to give it the right resources and the political support to make sure that it can do the job that we all know it needs to do in the future.'
Sir David Manning GCMG, CVO, former UK Ambassador to the United States
Sir David Manning GCMG, CVO, and the Rt Hon Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC MP
On the day of Barack Obama's inauguration, Sir David Manning GCMG, CVO, Britain's Ambassador to the United States from 2003-2007, gave an incisive and wide-ranging lecture on the challenges ahead for the US, both in terms of foreign policy and domestic issues. The event was chaired by GSF Board Member Sir Malcolm Rifkind QC MP. The transcript is available by clicking above.
