With the number of conflicts rising in recent years, there has been a significant scale-up of political commitment and resources for efforts to sustain peace with traction among an increasingly diverse constituency of actors. This scale-up is supported by ever more robust evidence on the impacts of climate change, exclusion and the marginalization of women on sustainable peace.

Yet as violence has become more complex and protracted, rising internationalization and growing divergence over responses since 2011 have brought into question the role of the multilateral system and, arguably, the rules based international world order.

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has accentuated these trends. The spread of the pandemic has highlighted the divergence of capacities and resources available to manage global risks, and underscored that, in an interdependent world, effective responses to global challenges cannot be conducted in isolation. From climate change to food insecurity to pandemics, collective action must be part of the solution. This is particularly true for conflict-affected states and populations. With millions of people around the world already faced with growing inequality and precarity, the pandemic is a test of our shared humanity and our commitment to international cooperation.

The 2020 Virtual Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development will provide a forum to discuss the opportunities and challenges facing efforts to sustain peace in the time of COVID-19.

In recognition of the declaration of a public health emergency of international concern, for the first time ever, in 2020, the Stockholm Forum will convene in a virtual format, bringing together humanitarian, development and peacebuilding communities to explore what works to address these challenges.

REGISTRATION  REQUIRED: To access the Stockholm Forum you need to register here, and set up your personal Twebcast account.

Key questions:

• What are the central challenges to the multilateral system’s ability to build peace in an increasingly complex geopolitical world order?
• How has the COVID-19 pandemic impacted conflict-affected countries, and how can peacebuilding efforts support their recovery?
• How will the multilateral system need to change to prevent further crises, from climate change to violent extremism?
• How can we ensure that human rights are at the centre of our response and increase the inclusion of women in decision making? What is the role of young people in promoting change?

Format

The virtual Stockholm Forum will move from a single event, to a series of partner-led discussions and exchanges that leverage innovation and cutting-edge technology to bring together communities virtually to explore what works, in open exchange with the wider peacebuilding community.

The virtual Stockholm Forum will host three different kinds of sessions:

High-level Interactive Dialogues:Working with the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and partners, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) will convene and host a limited number of Open Day panels, with a plenary session on the 13 May. These sessions will be accessible to all registered participants and will be recorded for further dissemination.

Public Panels: Working with partner institutions, the Stockholm Forum will host a limited number of public virtual panels on issues of importance to the public. These sessions will be accessible to all registered participants.

Partner-led Sessions: The Stockholm Forum offers partners the possibility to organize sessions and interactive discussions on topics that lie at the centre of international peace and development policy and practice. These sessions will be partner-led in substance, technology and format. Participation in partner-led sessions is by invitation only.

In order to make the sessions interactive there will be moderated chats, questions and polling.

[This description was extracted from the event’s homepage.]