Geneva Peace Forum High-Level Opening

Building on the legacy of the Geneva Peace Week, the inaugural edition of the Geneva Peace Forum will open under the overarching theme “Choose Peace”, bringing together senior representatives from International Geneva, Switzerland and Africa to reflect on the choices required to sustain peace in an increasingly fragmented world. At a time of growing geopolitical tensions, protracted conflicts, declining trust and interconnected global challenges, peace cannot be taken for granted. It requires deliberate political choices, sustained investment in prevention and dialogue, strong institutions, inclusive societies and renewed commitment to international cooperation. 

Through institutional remarks and a keynote address by H.E. Dr Julius Maada Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and former Chair of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, the high-level opening will explore what it means to choose dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over fragmentation, and prevention over crisis response. The session will set the tone for four days of exchange, collaboration and practical engagement around a simple but urgent proposition: peace is a choice, and it is a shared responsibility. So make that choice and choose peace.