International Religious Freedom Summit on Global Commitments

The plenary session at the International Religious Freedom Summit 2026 is held at 9:45 a.m. on Feb. 2, exploring how democratic nations can lead global efforts to protect individuals from religious persecution through concrete leadership commitments.

Moderator

• Knox Thames, former U.S. special adviser for religious minorities

Panelists

• Melissa Rogers, distinguished scholar in residence in faith, law, and public policy at the Wake Forest University School of Divinity & Wake Washington Center, nonresident senior scholar at the Brookings Institution
• Jordan Sekulow, executive director of the American Center for Law and Justice
• Ahmed Shaheed, professor of international human rights law at the University of Essex and former United Nations special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief