The McCain Institute Washington Forum Agenda
December 5, 2024
Democracy, Human Rights & Leadership in Action

The McCain Institute held its inaugural Washington Forum on December 5, 2024, showcasing the McCain Institute’s work and convening government leaders, pro-democracy activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and other thought leaders focused on human rights, democracy, and global security. The event theme, “Democracy, Human Rights & Leadership in Action,” included conversations on forced labor, global security, American leadership, global power competition, and more. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs Roger Carstens, Venezuelan Opposition Leader and Pro-Democracy Activist Leopoldo Lopez, and Co-Anchor of the PBS News Hour Amna Nawaz were among more than 20 speakers at the event.
8:45 A.M.
Welcome Remarks
- Dr. Evelyn Farkas, Executive Director, McCain Institute
9:10 A.M.
Keynote
Introduction by Elisa Massimino, Executive Director, Human Rights Institute, Georgetown University Law Center
- Leopoldo Lopez, Venezuelan Opposition Leader and Pro-Democracy Activist
9:30 A.M.
U.S. Policy Towards Russia
Introduction by Corban Teague, Director, Human Rights & Freedom Program, McCain Institute
Russia remains one of the U.S. and its democratic allies’ most destructive adversaries, with Putin’s declared goal and expansionist delusions of reclaiming a “great empire.” Russia’s full-scale, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, demonstrates the devastation of Russia’s ambitions. Russia is also operating on multiple theaters simultaneously — waging non-kinetic warfare against the world’s democracies, including the U.S., through information operations, cyber-attacks, election interference, and the financing of anti-democratic domestic political activities. China, North Korea, and Iran have aided Russia’s aggression, supplying weaponry, training, technology, and even, in the case of North Korea, soldiers. These autocrats also share tactics and work in tandem to undermine our public’s faith in democratic institutions and the global world order. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance have pledged both to stop aid to Ukraine and immediately end the war, while Ukrainians have expressed deep concern that this will not deliver a just and lasting peace. Panelists will discuss how the U.S. can counter Russian aggression and build allied resiliency against further threats in this new political landscape.
- Stephen Biegun, Senior Vice President, Global Public Policy, Boeing
- David Kramer, Executive Director, George W. Bush Institute, Former Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor
- Brian Whitmore, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center
- Matt Zweig, Senior Director of Policy, FDD Action
Moderator: Karen Donfried, Director, Congressional Research Service and Former Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs
10:15 A.M.
Human Rights in an Age of Great Power Competition
The United States once again finds itself embroiled in a great power competition, this time against a hostile revisionist alliance consisting of China, Russia, Iran, and their allies. If this revisionist alliance is successful in reshaping the global order, it will have a devastating impact on fundamental human rights and freedom around the world. At the same time, it is clear that American foreign policy will have to grapple with increasingly difficult trade-offs, including on issues like human rights. This panel will grapple with how America’s human-rights policy should evolve given the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, and what a successful approach looks like in this new era of great power competition.
- Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, Former Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush, and Deputy National Security Advisor in the President George W. Bush Administration
- Peter Berkowitz, Tad and Dianne Taube Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University
- Olivia Enos, Senior Fellow Human Rights, Hudson Institute
- Dan Twining, President, International Republican Institute
Moderator: Corban Teague, Director, Human Rights & Freedom Program, McCain Institute
11:00 A.M.
Hostage Affairs Update
Given the progress that this year has brought in the release of Americans and others held abroad, Ambassador Roger D. Carstens, the special presidential envoy for hostage affairs (SPEHA) for both President Biden and President Trump, will speak with Siamak Namazi, who was held hostage in Iran for eight years about what’s next for the U.S. Hostage and Deterrence Enterprise.
- Roger Carstens, Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs, U.S. Department of State
- Siamak Namazi, Former Hostage in Iran
Moderator: Pedro Pizano, Assistant Director, Democracy Programs, McCain Institute
11:45 A.M.
Featured Speaker
- Kurt Campbell, 22nd U.S. Deputy Secretary of State
In Conversation with Amna Nawaz, Co-Anchor of the PBS News Hour
12:15 P.M.
Lunch
1:15 P.M.
Strategic Dialogue on the War in Ukraine
This conversation between Nate Mook, Special Advisor on Ukraine, and Denys Sienik, Deputy Chief of Mission from the Embassy of Ukraine will focus on the latest developments in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The two will discuss the potential impact of new deep-strike capabilities, involvement of North Korea in the conflict, and anticipated Ukraine policy changes in a Trump administration.
- Denys Sienik, Deputy Chief of Mission, The Embassy of Ukraine
In Conversation with: Nate Mook, Special Advisor on Ukraine; McCain Global Leaders Advisory Council Member
1:45 P.M.
The Next Generation of Democracy Defenders
Global challenges are developing at a rapid rate, and leaders around the world are struggling to find solutions. The next generation of leaders is preparing and eager to step into larger leadership roles. Yet, they are often sidelined in decision-making processes. This panel will highlight what the next generation of leaders has already accomplished, as well as discuss the importance of ensuring they have a voice in policies that will determine the world they inherit.
- Sunny Cheung, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Flow HK Media, McCain Global Leader from Hong Kong
- Abby Finkenauer, Special Envoy for Global Youth Issues, Office of Global Youth Issues, U.S. Department of State
- Daria Minsky, International Tech Leader and Entrepreneur, McCain Global Leader from Belarus
Moderator: Scott Nemeth, Assistant Director, Leadership Programs, McCain Institute
2:30 P.M.
Conversation on American Democracy
Join us for a compelling conversation that examines the evolving nature of the American electorate—or whether it has remained fundamentally the same over time. As we look toward back at the 2024 election, this discussion will explore what we truly understand, and what remains unclear, about the motivations, values, and priorities of voters in Arizona and across the country.
- Rusty Bowers, Former Speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives
- Sarah Longwell, Publisher of The Bulwark and Host, The Focus Group Podcast
Moderator: Paul Fagan, Director, Democracy Programs, McCain Institute
3:00 P.M.
Defenders in Action: Protecting People and the Planet
2024 has been the hottest year in recorded history, as well as the first time that global average temperatures have exceeded 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels — the threshold at which the United Nations is trying to contain global warming. In the coming years, we can expect increasingly frequent and severe heatwaves, extreme weather events, flooding, wildfires, and drought, as well as new disease vectors and threats to food sources such as fisheries and livestock. In this context, some of the most important efforts to safeguard the planet are coming not only from major international institutions, but also from local leaders — “environmental defenders” — who are advocating to protect their own communities from pollution, forest loss, and loss of property rights, but whose local efforts often have planet-wide benefits. Unfortunately, many environmental defenders find themselves in conflict with powerful interests and criminal organizations. Each year, hundreds of environmental defenders are assassinated and thousands more experience other forms of attacks. This panel will examine international efforts to protect defenders from violence, as well as lessons learned from these efforts for U.S. foreign policymaking on peacebuilding, countering corruption, and countering transnational crime.
- Alfred Lahai Gbabai Brownell Sr, Founding President, Global Climate Legal Defence, ( CLiDeF) Environmental Rights, Environmental Lawyer and Activist
- Sarah Gardiner, Senior Advocacy Lead, Front Line Defenders
- Melanie Greenberg, Managing Director, Peacebuilding, Humanity United
Moderator: Kirk Herbertson, U.S. Director of Advocacy & Campaigns, EarthRights International
3:45 P.M.
Unmasking Exploitation: How Slave Labor Distorts Markets and Degrades the Planet
The conversation will explore the intersection of human rights abuses, environmental degradation, and global governance, drawing on Ian Urbina’s groundbreaking investigative reporting. Kristen and Ian will discuss how forced labor taints global supply chains, with a deep dive into the Chinese Communist Party’s use of slave labor to distort and destabilize global markets.
- Ian Urbina, Director, Outlaw Ocean Project
In Conversation with: Kristen Abrams, Chief Program Officer, McCain Institute
4:15 P.M.
Closing Remarks
- Kristen Abrams, Chief Program Officer, McCain Institute