Keynote debates and plenary dialogues at the ICRD 2017 brought together the conference participants twice a day to reflect on an overall daily theme. The keynote debates offered stimulating inputs from keynote speakers and debaters and provided a platform for interdisciplinary exchange. The dialogues focused on interaction between the debaters and the audience and provided a platform for jointly creating shared understandings.

> Videos of ICRD keynote debates

Tuesday, 5 September

16:00 Opening and Keynote Debate: Science-policy partnerships for transformation

Opening: Thomas Breu, Tatjana von Steiger, and Angelika Kalt

Speakers: Esther Mwangi and Esther Turnhout

Moderation: Jürg Pfister

Debaters: Hester du Plessis and Farooq Ullah

Wednesday, 6 September

09:00 Keynote Debate: Financing sustainable development to end poverty

Speakers: Dina Pomeranz and Michael Gerber

Moderation: Isabel Günther

Debaters: Mina Baliamoune, Mark Herkenrath, and Heinzpeter Znoj

16:00  Plenary Dialogue

Moderation: Sabin Bieri

Debaters: Eliud Birachi, Michael Gerber, and Solène Morvant-Roux

Thursday, 7 September

09:00 Keynote Debate: Governance of contested natural resources

Speakers: Jun Borras and  Erle Ellis

Moderation: Carin Smaller

Debaters: Pascal Peduzzi and Dzodzi Tsikata

16:00 Plenary Dialogue

Moderation: Carin Smaller

Debaters: Gilles Carbonnier, Stellah Mikalitsa Mukhovi, and Vanja Westerberg

Friday, 8 September

09:00 Keynote Debate: Health, migration, and global justice

Speakers: David E. Chiriboga and Koko Warner

Moderation: Urs Wiesmann

Debaters: Antonio Hautle and Martin Leschhorn Strebel

14:00 Plenary Dialogue and Closing

Moderation: Urs Wiesmann

Debaters: David E. Chiriboga, Willem Fourie, Elizabeth Jimenez Zamora, Dirk Messner, and Koko Warner

Closing: Peter Messerli