The Paris Peace Forum from 2018 to 2022

In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the third Paris Peace Forum took place digitally from 11 to 13 November 2020. Embracing the challenge of rebuilding international cooperation in times of crisis, 12,000 participants and 441 speakers from 151 countries came together to improve the collective response to the COVID-19 pandemic and reinvent multilateralism.

In a session titled “Like a Phoenix from the Ashes? Multilateralism in a (Post-)COVID World”, our speakers addressed options to turn the current crisis into an opportunity for more effective multilateral cooperation.

On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, we also discussed the public’s attitude towards international organisations such as the United Nations and the World Health Organisation.

The second Paris Peace Forum returned to the Grande Halle de La Villette from 11-13 November 2019 in order to tackle urgent global challenges through concrete solutions that strengthen multilateral mechanisms.

We designed two interactive debates in the “Space for Debates”:

The debate on the topic “Defeating the Deadlock: Towards a New Consensus for Multilateral Action” explored how multilateral approaches can be supported in the light of global geopolitical tensions. Moreover, the panellists discussed what contribution multi-stakeholder initiatives can make.

In a second debate, OSCE Secretary-General Thomas Greminger discussed the (renewed) role of borders in a seemingly borderless world with Munich Young Leaders Benedetta Berti, Head of the NATO Policy Planning Unit, and Pia Fuhrhop, Head of the Berlin Office of the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH).

In addition, we hosted three PeaceGames in cooperation with the Foreign Policy magazine. In three-hour simulations set in 2030, Forum participants and selected experts slipped into the roles of international actors. Together they worked out what peace-building measures are necessary to prevent climate and environment-related conflicts and how to tackle their causes.

The first edition of the Paris Peace Forum took place at the Grande Halle de La Villette from 11 to 13 November 2018. 100 years after the end of the First World War, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, inaugurated the Forum together with more than 70 Heads of States and Government as well as leaders of international organisations.

As part of the multifaceted programme, we curated three sessions:

• A roundtable discussion titled "Multilateralism in Danger?"
• A debate on “Restoring Faith in the UN Security Council?”
• And a discussion on the future of sanctions as a tool of international politics.