Geneva Peace Forum

16/10/2026

🕊️ Geneva Peace Forum 2026: Thank you for choosing peace!

Four days of inspiring discussions, meaningful exchanges and new connections, all united by a shared commitment to building a more peaceful world. 🌍

✨ Over 4,000 registrants
🤝 100+ organisations
🎤 200+ speakers

A heartfelt thank you to all our speakers, participants, partners, organisers, volunteers and everyone who contributed to making the Geneva Peace Forum 2026 a success!

Together, we have shown that peace is not just an aspiration, but a choice we make through dialogue, collaboration and collective action.

💜 Thank you for being part of this journey.

📅 See you next year, from 11 to 14 October 2027, in Geneva!

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15/10/2026

On the final day of the Geneva Peace Forum 2026, participants continued to exchange ideas, experiences and practical approaches to building more peaceful societies. 🕊️

Through panels, workshops and screenings, Day 4 explored some of the pressing questions facing peacebuilding today:

💰 Women’s economic empowerment and peace-positive finance
🕊️ Conflict prevention, sustainable peace and the relationship between peace and justice
🤝 Women’s leadership, social cohesion, faith and dialogue
🤖 Responsible AI and technology for peace
🌍 Climate, resources and conflict in a warming world
🗳️ Peaceful transitions, elections and inclusive governance

Participants also took part in workshops on women’s leadership in digital crisis environments, empathy and protection through the BEYOND game, youth-led reconciliation, and co-creating everyday peace through playback theatre.

The final Mediation in Focus sessions examined the future of state-building and pathways towards civic peace in Syria, closing a dedicated track that has explored the evolving challenges of mediation throughout the Forum.

Thank you to all organisers, speakers and participants for the meaningful conversations and practical engagement that shaped this final day.

It was also the last day of our two art exhibitions, When the Dove Arrives and The Voices of Peace, as well as our Peacebuilding Marketplace.

Photo credits: Antoine Tardy

15/10/2026

🕊️ Geneva Peace Forum 2026 | Day 3 Highlights

🎬 From Muganga to the Kofi Annan Peace Address

Yesterday, we screened Muganga – Celui qui soigne, directed by Marie-Hélène Roux and inspired by Dr Denis Mukwege’s life and work. The film highlights conflict-related sexual violence and the courage of survivors.

Following a discussion with Marie-Hélène Roux and Danaé van der Straten Ponthoz (Global Survivors Fund), moderated by Pierre Hazan, Dr Mukwege delivers the 2026 Kofi Annan Peace Address today, bringing justice, accountability and survivors’ rights to the forefront.

🌍 Mediation in Focus explored new approaches to peace negotiations, humanitarian diplomacy and civilian protection.

💬 Panels addressed women’s participation in peace processes, inclusive governance, disinformation, armed violence and environmental cooperation.

🛠️ Workshops explored AI in crisis contexts, transitional justice, and the role of art and innovation in multilateral processes.

🎨 Beyond the Sessions: Discover our exhibitions, When the Dove Arrives and The Voices of Peace, and visit the Peacebuilding Marketplace to connect with organisations working for peace.

Antoine Tardy

15/10/2026

On Thursday 15 October, the final day of the Forum will bring four days of dialogue, reflection and exchange to a close, with discussions on the challenges and opportunities shaping peacebuilding today.

The Forum will conclude with the 2026 Kofi Annan Peace Address, delivered by Dr Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, member of The Elders and internationally renowned human rights advocate. This closing ceremony will also include the presentation of the inaugural Kofi Annan Geneva Youth Peace Prize.

Across the day, panels, workshops and screenings will explore:

💰 Women’s economic empowerment and peace-positive finance
🕊️ Conflict prevention, sustainable peace and the relationship between peace and justice
🤝 Women’s leadership, social cohesion, faith and dialogue
🤖 Responsible AI and technology for peace
🌍 Climate, resources and conflict in a warming world
🎬 Peacebuilding, elections and inclusive governance
The final Mediation in Focus events will examine the future of state-building, as well as mediation, reconciliation and the path towards civic peace in Syria.

This is also the last opportunity to visit the Peacebuilding Marketplace and discover the two art exhibitions in the Espace Ruth Dreifuss: When the Dove Arrives and The Voices of Peace.

Join us from 12–15 October 2026 in Geneva to connect, reflect and Choose Peace.

🔗 Discover the programme and register: www.genevapeaceforum.ch

Peacebuilding Mediation Geneva

14/10/2026

Day 3 of the Geneva Peace Forum 2026: exploring the challenges and possibilities of peacebuilding today. 🕊️

On Wednesday 14 October, the Forum brings together practitioners, decision-makers, researchers and artists for a day of panels, workshops and screenings addressing some of today’s most pressing peacebuilding questions.

Discussions will explore:
📱 Disinformation, digital harms and the responsible use of AI in crisis contexts

🕊️ How to turn peace agreements into sustainable peace
🤝 Women’s meaningful participation in peace processes
⚖️ Transitional justice in the AI era
🛡️ Protection of civilians, armed violence and humanitarian diplomacy
🌍 Overlooked conflicts and opportunities for peacemaking
💧 Water, nature and environmental action as pathways to peace
🌐 The evolving security landscape in the Middle East
The Forum’s Mediation in Focus track continues with a discussion on Islamic jurisprudence as a framework for negotiations, examining its dilemmas and opportunities for peace mediation.

The day will conclude with the screening of Muganga : Celui qui soigne, followed by a discussion with director Marie-Hélène Roux, Danaé van der Straten Ponthoz of Global Survivors Fund, and moderator Pierre Hazan. The film tells the powerful story of Dr Denis Mukwege and his fight to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

Throughout the day, visit the Peacebuilding Marketplace and discover the Forum’s two art exhibitions in the Espace Ruth Dreifuss: When the Dove Arrives and The Voices of Peace.

Join us from 12–15 October 2026 in Geneva to connect, reflect and Choose Peace.

🔗 Discover the programme and register: https://www.genevapeaceforum.ch/en/gpf-2026/schedule

13/10/2026

13/10/2026

13/10/2026

Day 2 of the Geneva Peace Forum 2026 brought together dialogue, diplomacy and personal voices for peace. 🕊️

Across the day, participants explored key challenges shaping peacebuilding today, ranging from arms control and security governance to geopolitical fracture, regional cooperation and the pursuit of sustainable peace.

A key moment was the high-level panel Sustainable Peace in Central Asia: Lessons Learned from the Khujand Declaration on Eternal Friendship. Participants reflected on the Declaration, signed by Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and explored how sustained political dialogue, trust-building, preventive diplomacy and regional cooperation can contribute to lasting peace and stability.

The Forum’s new Mediation in Focus track also continued with an important discussion on Geneva as a Safe-Space: Identifying Opportunities and Confronting Blockages for Linking Arms Control and Peace Processes

Throughout the day, the Peacebuilding Marketplace and the two art exhibitions, "When the Dove Arrives" and "The Voices of Peace" remained open for discovery, exchange and reflection.

Thank you to all speakers, organisers and participants who made this second day of the Forum so rich in dialogue and inspiration.

Photo credits: Antoine Tardy

13/10/2026

Yesterday, we officially opened the Geneva Peace Forum 2026 with A Ceremony for Peace. 🕊️

Bringing together diplomacy, personal testimony and artistic expression, the ceremony reflected on what it means to Choose Peace in practice: making space for dialogue, investing in relationships and continuing to work towards peaceful solutions, even in the most difficult contexts.

We were honoured to hear the keynote Peace Message from David Harland, Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD). His words offered a powerful reminder of the urgency of our shared responsibility:
“Without a critical mass of people choosing peace, whichever imperfect path they choose, the trajectory of the next few years is likely to be very bad.”

We also heard reflections from Professor Marie Laure SALLES, Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute, Laura Gowen, Founding Director and Curator Gowen Gallery and Elisabeth Decrey Warner, Director of the Geneva Conventions World Tour. Guided by Dr Annyssa Bellal, Master of Ceremonies and Executive Director of the Geneva Peace Forum & Geneva Peacebuilding Platform (GPP), the evening brought together voices committed to building a more peaceful world.

Thank you to MANDELA Pilot of the Winds, presenting soul bodies, and Maryam Bukar - Hassan for their moving artistic contributions—powerful reminders of the human cost of conflict, but also of resilience, memory and hope.

Photo credits: Antoine Tardy