Amb. Nobuyasu Abe

Diplomat

Japan

Ambassador Nobuyasu Abe is a senior fellow with the Project on Managing the Atom at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. He is the former commissioner of the Japanese Atomic Energy Commission and former director of the Center for the Promotion of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation at Japan Institute of International Affairs. Abe has had a long career of diplomatic service. He has served as consul general at the Japanese consulate in Boston, as ambassador to Austria and Saudi Arabia and as a diplomat for the Japanese government, the United Nations and other international organizations in Washington, Geneva, Tel Aviv, New York, Manila and Bern.

Between 2003 and 2006, he was under-secretary-general of the United Nations for disarmament affairs, and he was also a member of the advisory board to the International Commission on Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament and director-general for arms control and science affairs in Tokyo. Abe has taught international relations and arms control at Sophia and Tokyo Universities and has published numerous papers on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.

Dr. Sameh Aboul-Enein

Diplomat

Egypt

Dr. Sameh Aboul-Enein is the assistant foreign minister of Egypt for disarmament, international security and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. He also holds several academic positions, including professor of international relations & organisations at the Geneva School of Diplomacy & International Relations, and adjunct assistant professor for Disarmament and Security Studies and senior lecturer at the School of Business at The American University in Cairo. Dr. Aboul-Enein previously served as Egypt’s alternative representative to the Conference on Disarmament and the UN Office at Geneva and participated in the 2005 and 2010 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Review Conferences as an expert delegate.

Dr. Aboul-Enein earned his Ph.D. in international relations and foreign policymaking with a specialization in the Middle East from the American University in London and the University of London. He also holds an M.S. in politics and government of the Middle East from the School of African and Oriental Studies in London. He is an associate fellow in disarmament and security policies from the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, and a member of the UN Group of Governmental Experts on Cybersecurity.

Hon. Mani Shankar Aiyar

Political Leader

India

The Honorable Mani Shankar Aiyar is a former member of Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Parliament of India. He is a former three-time elected representative to the Lok Sabha, lower house, where he received the ‘Outstanding Parliamentarian Award’ for 2006. Aiyar spent more than twenty years as a diplomat after joining the Indian Foreign Service in 1963. Before retiring from the service in 1989, he held posts as consul-general in Karachi and joint secretary of the ministry of external affairs to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Mr. Ryosei Akazawa

Political Leader

Japan

Mr. Ryosei Akazawa is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, currently serving as member of the House of Representatives in the National Diet. Prior to being elected in 2005, Akazawa worked in the Ministry of Transport.

Amb. Zamir Akram

Diplomat

Pakistan

Ambassador Zamir Akram is the former permanent representative of Pakistan to the United Nations office in Geneva. Prior to his appointment, Akram served as additional secretary for foreign affairs in the prime minister’s office and additional secretary for disarmament and arms control. He was Pakistan’s ambassador to Nepal from 2002 to 2005.

A career diplomat, Akram’s foreign postings include Washington, New Delhi, Geneva and Moscow. His posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad include director general for South Asia, director for Afghanistan, and selection officer for the Soviet Union. He joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan in 1978.

His Highness Prince Karim Al-Husseini

Civic Leader

United Kingdom

His Highness Prince Karim Al-Husseini, commonly known as the Aga Khan, is the Imam (Spiritual Leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims. As chairman of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) and in accordance with ethical tradition, the Aga Khan works to improve the quality of life in the Islamic community and society at large. His commitment to development for over 50 years has led to the establishment of a number of AKDN agencies including the Aga Khan Foundation.

The Aga Khan graduated from Harvard in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in Islamic History. Over the years, the Aga Khan has been awarded honorary degrees from universities throughout the world, including Brown University and the University of Wales.

Rt. Hon. Douglas Alexander

Political Leader

United Kingdom

The Right Honorable Douglas Alexander was a member of the British Parliament from 1997 to 2015. He has held numerous cabinet positions, including minister of state for Europe, and secretaries of state for Scotland, transport, and international development. He has also headed several election campaigns. Currently, he is a senior fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs and a visiting professor at King’s College London’s Policy Institute. He is also senior advisor to U2 frontman Bono on development initiatives, and strategic advisor at Pinsent Masons LLP — an international law firm.

Hon. Syed Babar Ali

Civic Leader

Pakistan

The Honorable Syed Babar Ali is CEO of Packages Limited, a Pakistani company selling packaging materials and paper products. He is also a member of the advisory council at Acumen Fund, and has worked internationally in business and education. He has advocated on behalf of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), where he served in various capacities, both in Pakistan and internationally, from 1972 to 1996. He was international president of WWF from 1996 to 1999, succeeding HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. He is now vice president emeritus of the WWF International, and president emeritus of the WWF Pakistan. Ali served as Pakistan’s minister of finance, economic affairs and planning in 1993.