Mediation in Focus
The 2026 Geneva Peace Forum (GPF26) will host a dedicated track to a new initiative: Mediation in Focus, bringing together a series of events on mediation across the Forum programme.
What is Mediation in Focus ?
How can mediation adapt to an era of protracted conflicts, geopolitical fragmentation and growing pressure on multilateral action? At the 2026 Geneva Peace Forum, Mediation in Focus will bring together practitioners, policymakers, researchers and partners to examine the choices, dilemmas and practical approaches shaping mediation today.
Through a connected series of events, Mediation in Focus will provide space to exchange experience, test ideas and explore how mediation can remain effective, principled and responsive in complex conflict environments. The conversation will continue beyond the Forum through a dedicated podcast series, connecting live discussions in Geneva with audiences around the world.
Discover the Mediation in Focus events in the GPF programme (select Mediation in Focus from the left hand filter).
The Peacemakers Podcast
Produced by Gianluca Allaria and Pierre Hazan, the podcast will open a space for in-depth conversations on peace mediation, drawing on the people, questions and experiences featured across the Focus Track. The first episode will be launched ahead of GPF26. Two additional episodes are expected to be recorded during the Forum, with releases continuing across 2026 and 2027.
The series will allow listeners to revisit key insights from the Forum, hear directly from mediation practitioners and follow the conversation after the in-person programme has concluded.
The Peacemakers / Les Faiseurs de paix" is a podcast hosted by Dr. Pierre Hazan, mediation practitioner and author, in conversation with negotiators, mediators, and the practitioners involved in conflict prevention and peace processes. Recorded in Geneva, the series brings listeners inside the practice of mediation itself.
About Dr. Pierre Hazan
Mediation in Focus and podcast are coordinated by Dr. Pierre Hazan, a practitioner and author working at the intersection of armed conflict mediation, transitional justice and international affairs in collaboration with the GPF. He is a senior adviser with the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue and has advised international organisations, governments and armed groups on questions including justice, amnesty, reparations, truth commissions, forced disappearances and international humanitarian law..
A former diplomatic correspondent for Liberation and Le Temps, Pierre Hazan is the author of Negotiating with the Devil: Inside the World of Armed Conflict Mediation (Hurst, 2nd 2026). His work brings together direct experience of peace processes with a sustained examination of the political, legal and ethical dilemmas faced by mediators.