Switzerland promotes dialogue and mediation at the Geneva Peace Forum
Bern, 09.10.2026 — The Geneva Peace Forum will take place at the Geneva International Conference Centre from 12 to 15 October 2026. The event, taking place this year under the motto ‘Choose Peace’, brings together representatives from politics, international organisations, civil society and academia. The FDFA is one of the forum’s strategic partners, as the promotion of peace and prosperity is a foreign policy priority for Switzerland. State Secretary Alexandre Fasel will speak at the opening and take part in a high-level panel discussion on peace mediation.
The Geneva Peace Forum serves as a platform for high-level political discussions and exchanges on practical approaches to civil society engagement in peacebuilding, including mediation, humanitarian demining and Switzerland’s good offices. On 12 October, Mr Fasel will open the forum’s proceedings with a discussion on the importance of standard-setting for peace mediation, alongside the president of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, the Qatari minister of state, Mohamed Al-Khulaifi, and specialists in the field.
Focus on mediation
One of the key topics is the ‘Mediation in Focus’ event series, which the FDFA's Peace and Human Rights Division is involved in organising. As part of the Geneva Peace Forum, there will be seven sessions on current issues affecting peace mediation, including the role of international law, the importance of inclusive peace processes and the long-term implementation of peace agreements.
FDFA representatives will also take part in additional panel discussions during the forum, covering topics such as women in peace processes, humanitarian diplomacy and conflict prevention. All of these discussions further highlight Geneva’s continuing importance as an international hub dedicated to the peaceful resolution of conflicts and civil society engagement in peacebuilding.
The forum builds on the twelve-year history of Geneva Peace Week in a new format. It is organised by the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform in collaboration with a consortium of Geneva-based institutions and their partners worldwide, and with the support of the Swiss government, the Canton of Geneva and the City of Geneva. Participating institutions include the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining and the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance.
The Geneva Peace Forum is taking place both online and in-person. The event is free to attend although registration is required. The programme can be viewed online.