By: Gloria Smith, Associate Editor for World Liberty TV
The 2026 Concordia Annual Summit took place in New York City from September 21 to 23, 2026, alongside the United Nations General Assembly week, drawing global media coverage for high-level panels and key geopolitical addresses.
Dr Adal with George M. Logothetis Chairman of Concordia
Reza Pahlavi’s Address: Iran’s exiled crown prince spoke at the summit on Wednesday, September 23, urging Western governments to back the Iranian people directly instead of pursuing ongoing negotiations with Tehran, and proposing the use of frozen Iranian assets to support local efforts.
Opening remarks by Co- Founders Matthew Swift & Nicholas Logothetis
Opening and Economic Panels: The summit opened on September 21 featuring remarks from Libra Group Executive Chairman and Concordia figures, balancing cautious economic optimism with conversations on global trade.
From the Ground up panel
Youth and Global Diplomacy: The Qatar Debate Center concluded its multi-day participation involving youth diplomacy, women’s leadership, and defense panels influenced by AI advancements. Officials like Majed Al Ansari also spoke on regional dynamics.
Discussions spanned innovative technology, AI, energy transition, health challenges, and public opinion shaping.
Dr Adal with Rose Mutombo wife of Dikembe Mutombo
The 2026 Concordia Annual Summit featured a prominent lineup of global heads of state, corporate C-suite executives, and civil society leaders.
Dr Adal with Ivan duque former President Colombia
Heads of State & Political Leaders: Robert Abela: Prime Minister of Malta.Luis Abinader: President of the Dominican Republic.Andy Beshear: Governor of Kentucky.Rob Bonta: Attorney General of California.Hristijan Mickoski: Prime Minister of North Macedonia.Maka Botchorishvili: Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia.Željka Cvijanović: Serb Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.Abe Hamadeh: U.S. Representative / Politician.
Dr Adal with Andy Beshear Gov Kentucky
Business Executives & Tech Leaders: Dr. Albert Bourla: Chairman & CEO of Pfizer.Ajay Banga: President of the World Bank Group.Elizabeth Kelly: Head of Beneficial Deployments at Anthropic.Hooman Shahidi: Tech executive and co-founder.Ilan Goldfajn: President of the Inter-American Development Bank.Dr. Taha Kass-Hout: Global Chief Science Officer at GE Health.Daniella Foster: Senior Vice President and Global Head of Public Affairs at Bayer.
Dr Adal with Baihas Baghdadi Chairman Baghdadi Capital
Geopolitics, Media and Civil Society: Reza Pahlavi: Exiled Crown Prince of Iran.Maria Corina Machado: Venezuelan Democratic Movement Leader.Winston Marshall: Journalist, commentator, and host.Tarana Burke: Chief Vision Officer and Co-Founder of me too. International.Dr. Ann Aerts: Head of the Novartis Foundation.Dr. Roxana Mehran: Professor of Medicine and Director at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine.
Dr Adal with Lonnie Ali wife of Muhammad Ali
The 2026 Concordia Annual Summit drew an estimated attendance of between 3,000 and above.
The audience consisted heavily of senior global figures, including heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, NGO leaders, and international diplomats.
Guests networking during breakfast
The principal programming sponsors and partners for the 2026 Concordia Annual Summit included Baghdadi Capital, Calamos Investments, and the Novartis Foundation.
Key Programming & Institutional PartnersStop TB PartnershipUnited Nations FoundationMillennium Development AuthorityWatts of LoveNational Medal of Honor Museum Foundation (for Horizon/partner programming).
Dr Adal with Wyclef Jean Rapper Singer & Humanitarian
Event & Reception Supporters Embassy of Qatar in USADLA Piper Flag Luxury GroupNubeluz by José Andrés.
The 2026 Concordia Leadership Award recognized three honorees, each chosen by the Concordia Leadership Award Committee to represent a different sector:
Private Sector: Ryan Gellert, CEO of Patagonia, honored for his leadership in reshaping corporate accountability and driving positive environmental action.
Luis Abinader President of Dominican Republic
Civil Society: Dr. Laurie L. Patton, President of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, honored for her continuous efforts and vision within civil society organizations.
Nasry Asfura President of Honduras being interviewed
Public Sector: María Corina Machado, Leader of Venezuela’s democracy movement, recognized for her courageous public service and dedication to uniting a coalition for institutional restoration and rule of law.
One of many panels in progress
Concordia is a registered 501(c)(3) nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that serves as a global convener, bringing together world leaders from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to build partnerships for social impact. Co-founded in 2011 by Nicholas M. Logothetis and Matthew A. Swift, Concordia’s core mission is to actively foster, elevate, and sustain cross-sector collaborations to tackle the world’s most pressing challenges.
Swift Podcast by Matthew Swift
It was a very well attended event, world leaders in attendance from all over the world.
See more about Concordia 2026 summit in our World Liberty TV, by clicking here.
