Events

On June 25, 2020, Arab Center Washington DC (ACW) hosted a virtual briefing titled “The Way Forward in Libya: Assessing Regional and International Initiatives.” Subject matter experts with extensive diplomatic experience were Stephanie Williams, Acting Special United Nations Representative in Libya; Tarek Mitri, former Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya; and Jonathan Winer, former Special US Envoy for Libya. ACW Executive Director Khalil E. Jahshan introduced the speakers and moderated the event.

On June 19, 2020, Arab Center Washington DC (ACW) hosted James M. Dorsey for a virtual discussion titled “Political and Economic Competition in the Eastern Mediterranean.” Dorsey is a scholar and award-winning journalist who covers the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia. ACW Executive Director Khalil E. Jahshan introduced the speaker and moderated the discussion.

On June 3, 2020, Arab Center Washington DC (ACW) held a virtual event in cooperation with the Institute for Palestine Studies (IPS) titled “The Threat of Israeli Annexation: Regional and International Implications.” Participant panelists included Rashid Khalidi, President of IPS-USA and Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University; Nasser Al-Kidwa, former Palestinian Representative to the United Nations; Raef Zreik, Associate Professor of Law, Tel Aviv University; Noura Erakat, a human rights attorney and Assistant Professor at Rutgers University; Leila Farsakh, Associate Professor of Political Science at University of Massachusetts Boston; and Khalil E. Jahshan, ACW Executive Director. Tamara Kharroub, ACW Assistant Executive Director and Senior Fellow, moderated the event.

When and how will a coronavirus vaccine be developed and made available to the public?

Arab Center Washington DC is organizing a webinar to explore the role and mandate of international law and organizations in managing pandemics and global public health emergencies. Have international bodies responded adequately? What are the gaps in the responses by individual states that must be addressed by international law? In light of the United States' position on cutting WHO funding and failing to attend the international virtual conference on combatting COVID-19, what is the future of international mechanisms in dealing with public health crises? What international efforts and regulations are needed to combat the coronavirus pandemic, coordinate research, disseminate medical supplies, and facilitate the development of treatments and vaccines?

On May 6, 2020, Arab Center Washington DC Executive Director Khalil E. Jahshan conducted an interview with Dr. Jihad Azour, Director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Middle East and Central Asia Department.

Arab Center Washington DC’s upcoming webinar focuses on the threat of the coronavirus pandemic in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip as well as for the Palestinian citizens of Israel. As Israel’s policies of occupation and settler colonialism continue in the midst of this global health crisis, what additional challenges are Palestinians facing under military occupation, apartheid, siege, and discriminatory policies?

Arab Center Washington DC is organizing a webinar to discuss the impact of COVID-19 and the plunging oil prices on the economic outlook in the Arab world, including how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting economies in the region in the short and long-term, the implications of the recent price wars on Gulf economies, and the outcomes of the OPEC+ meeting.