Program and speakers

08:30 – 09:00: Registration and Networking
Welcome refreshments and participant check-in (open all day)

09:00 – 10:15: 2nd meeting of the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience
Closed session for Advisory Body Members

10:15 – 10:45: Coffee Break

10:45 – 12:00: 2nd meeting of the International Advisory Body on Submarine Cable Resilience (continuation)
Closed session for Advisory Body Members

12:00 – 13:30: Lunch

13:30 – 14:00: Summit Opening Session
Welcome Address: H.E. Minister Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nigeria
Opening Remarks: Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Secretary-General, ITU
Keynote Speech: Prof. Sandra Maximiano, Chair of ANACOM’s Board of Directors, Portugal

14:00 – 15:00: Panel 1 – The State of Submarine Cable Resilience Today
Overview of key risks, current challenges, and resilience measures
Introduction – Mr. Kent Bressie IAB Co-Executive Secretary

Panel:
H.E. Mr. Mustafa Yaasin Sheik, Director General of National Communications Authority of Somalia (Somalia)
Mr. Zhiguo Zhao, Chief Engineer of Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China (China)
Mr. Vincent Lemaire, VP Special Projects of Alcatel Submarine Networks
Ms. Funke Opeke, Managing Director of MainOne

Moderator: Mr. John Omo, Secretary General of the African Telecommunications Union (ATU)

15:00 – 15:30: Coffee Break

15:30 – 17:00: Panel 2 – Responding to Disruptions: Crisis Management and Recovery
Best practices and case studies for rapid response and recovery from disruptions

Panel:
Ms. Nonkqubela Thathakahle Jordan-Dyani, Director-General of Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (South Africa)
Mr. Michael Cunningham, CEO of Crosslake Fibre
Mr. Xiaowei Luan, Executive Vice President of China Telecommunications Co., Ltd.
Ms. Jo Conroy, Technical Programme Manager of Google
Mr. Andy Palmer-Felgate, Acting President of North American Submarine Cable Association-NASCA

Moderator: Mr. John Wrottesley, Executive Director of the European Subsea Cables Association (ESCA)

18:00 Gala Dinner

09:30 – 10:30: Panel 3 – Innovations in Submarine Cable Technology and Maintenance
Exploring advancements in cable design, deployment, and repair strategies

Panel:
Prof. Sandra Maximiano, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Communications Authority of the Republic of Portugal (ANACOM)
Mr. Sigurd Zhang, Executive Vice President of HMN Tech Co. Ltd.
Dr. Youssouf Hamidou Issoufa, Director General of Comores Cables
Dr. Eduardo Mateo, Director, Head of Technology Strategy of Submarine Network Division, NEC Corporation

Moderator: Mr. Andy Palmer-Felgate, Acting President of North American Submarine Cable Association-NASCA

10:30 – 11:00: Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:30: Panel 4 – Legal and Regulatory Frameworks for Cable Protection
Discussion on enhancing international and national laws to safeguard submarine cables

Panel:
H.E. Amb. Ernst Noorman, Ambassador-at-Large for Cyber Affairs of Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Netherlands)
Mr. Luke Slattery, Director of Telecommunication Policy at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government (Australia)
Dr. Anna Butchart, Subsea Telecoms Cables Security Policy Lead, Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (United Kingdom)
Mr. Douglas Njenga – Director, Regulatory & Strategic Affairs of WIOCC
Dr. Jane Munga, Fellow of Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Moderator: Dr. Robert Pepper, Researcher Global Impact (Global Digital Inclusion)

12:30 – 14:00: Lunch

14:00 – 15:30: Panel 5 – Ensuring Digital Resilience: Linking Submarine Cables to Broader Resilience Goals
Analyzing the Economics of Submarine Telecom Cables: A focus on the economic case for under-served communities and island states and regions.
Integrating submarine cable resilience into broader connectivity and digital inclusion agendas

Panel:
Mr. Sangbu Kim, VP Digital of World Bank
Mr. Yongbo Tang, Senior Vice President of China United Network Communications Group Company Limited
Ms. Nomsa Muswai Mwayenga, Co-Founder of Africa Subsea Ecosystem Forum- ASEF-Africa
Mr. Rodney Taylor, Secretary-General – Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU)

Moderator: Mr. Koji Ono, Company Executive Director, Submarine Cable Networks of KDDI

15:30 – 16:00: Coffee Break

16:00 – 17:00: Closing Session
Closing Session: Key Takeaways. Co-Chairs (Mr. Tomas Lamanauskas and Mr. Kent Bressie, IAB Co-Executive Secretaries)
Call to Action: Prof. Sandra Maximiano, Chair of ANACOM’s Board of Directors, Portugal
Closing Remarks: Summit Declaration: H.E. Minister Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nigeria

17:00 – 18:00: Networking Reception