On the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the Kurdistan Independence Referendum, the Kurdish Institute of Lausanne held a conference on independence in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The conference, titled "The Kurdish Quest for Independence and Regional Peace," took place on 27 September 2026 in the conference hall of the Mövenpick Hotel.
Speakers included Dr. Salar Osman, author and ministry official of the Kurdistan Regional Government; Necat Zanyar, President of the Kurdish Institute; and Nazile Afkhami, Vice-President of the Institute.
The conference opened with the national anthem and a moment of silence in honour of the martyrs of Kurdistan. The Institute's Secretary, jurist Şehmus Özdemir, delivered the welcome address and highlighted the mission of the Kurdish Institute of Lausanne.
The first speaker, Dr. Salar Osman, divided his talk into two parts. In the first, he addressed the impact of the Kurdistan independence referendum on the past, present and future. Dr. Salar stressed that the referendum should be assessed from a broad perspective and not be limited to its political dimension alone. In the second part, he answered participants' questions about the referendum.
In her speech, Nazile Afkhami assessed the situation in Eastern Kurdistan, drawing attention to the women's movement and to the support for the Kurdistan Independence Referendum. Afkhami described how the Kurds of Eastern Kurdistan took to the streets with a sense of being one nation and one homeland, and expressed their support for Kurdistan's independence.
Necat Zanyar gave a talk on the Kurdistan cause in international law. Zanyar focused on the foundations of the modern state and on United Nations law. In this context, the right to self-determination and the rights of indigenous peoples were examined. Zanyar emphasized that President Barzani had inscribed his name in the history of Kurdistan through independence, and that the existence of nations endures through the idea of independence.
The conference continued with speeches by Nvar Maley, Aso Piroti, Gul Sairan and Abdi Çadır. Participants then shared their views on the referendum and the question of independence.
Two video presentations were screened during the conference.
In addition to Kurds, Swiss guests also attended the conference.
