12 Oct – 15 Oct 2026
Across the world, the foundations of peace are under growing strain. Armed conflicts continue to devastate communities, geopolitical tensions are reshaping global relations, and new risks, from climate pressures to digital disruption, are transforming how insecurity emerges and spreads. At the same time, inequality, exclusion, and declining trust within and between societies are weakening the social fabric that sustains peace.
These challenges are increasingly interconnected. Humanitarian crises, economic shocks, environmental pressures, and rapid technological change are creating complex environments where traditional responses to conflict are no longer sufficient. In this context, dialogue, cooperation, and preventive action are more important than ever. Sustainable peace requires inclusive governance, respect for human rights, economic resilience, and renewed commitment to multilateral solutions.
Geneva plays a unique role in advancing these efforts. Beyond hosting a diverse ecosystem of international organisations, diplomatic missions, civil society actors, and academic institutions, the city actively contributes to shaping multilateral responses to global challenges. Geneva is a place where norms are negotiated, partnerships are built, and practical solutions to global problems are developed.
The Geneva Peace Forum reflects this spirit of collaboration. Each year, it brings together practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and communities from across the world to exchange ideas, share experiences, and explore practical approaches to sustaining peace.
While the challenges facing the international community are significant, they do not define our collective future. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict, it is the result of deliberate choices, sustained effort, and shared responsibility.
In a world marked by uncertainty and division, the international community still has agency. Governments, organisations, communities, and individuals can choose dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over fragmentation, and prevention over crisis response.
In 2026, the Geneva Peace Week becomes the Geneva Peace Forum and invites participants to make that choice.
Choose Peace.
Organisations are invited to submit applications under one of the following six thematic keywords. To help guide discussions, the consortium has identified a number of suggested sub-themes for each keyword. Applicants are welcome to propose additional topics, provided they clearly fall within one of the thematic areas.
1. Conflict Prevention & Sustaining Peace
Early warning & risk analysis
Preventive diplomacy & mediation
Addressing structural drivers
Local peace infrastructures
Peace agreement implementation
Compliance with international law
Disarmament and trust-building
2. Inclusive Governance & Political Processes
Inclusive political dialogue
Women’s meaningful participation
Youth participation in decision-making
Foreign interference in governance and social movements
Civic space & accountability
Democratic institutions & legitimacy
Electoral integrity & peaceful political transitions
3. Social Cohesion, Justice & Human Rights
Transitional justice & dealing with the past
Access to justice & rule of law
Protection of civilians & human rights defenders
Community reconciliation & trust-building
Countering discrimination & exclusion
Human rights as foundations for sustainable peace
Safeguarding fundamental freedoms in times of crisis
4. Climate, Environment & Resource Governance
Climate-related security risks
Natural resource management
Environmental cooperation
Disaster risk reduction & resilience
Climate adaptation in fragile settings
Impact of militarism on the environment
Climate justice & peacebuilding
5. Economic Resilience & Peace Dividends
Livelihoods & job creation
Tackling economic inequality
Social protection systems
Post-conflict recovery
Pipelines of harm
Humanitarian–development–peace nexus
Responsible investment in fragile and conflict-affected settings
6. Global Cooperation, Technology & Future Risks
Peace architecture
Sustainable financing for peace
Regional & cross-border cooperation
Digital governance & emerging technologies
Countering disinformation & hate speech
Countering escalating military spending
Data, foresight & evidence for peacebuilding
Before applying to the Geneva Peace Forum 2026, please carefully review the application requirements.