Oslo Forum 2025 focuses on mediation amid global turbulence
More than 100 conflict mediators, decision-makers, diplomats, and peace actors from around the globe are gathering in Norway this week to tackle one of today’s most pressing challenges: reimagining the power of mediation and diplomacy to forge peace in an increasingly volatile world.
The two-day retreat, co-hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD), provides a discreet and informal setting for participants to share experiences, sharpen strategies, and spur ideas to resolve some of the world’s most complex and protracted conflicts.
“Mediation and diplomacy are frontline tools for global stability,” said Espen Barth Eide, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. “In an age of rising tension, fractured alliances, and weakened respect for international law, spaces like the Oslo Forum are not just helpful—they’re essential.”
Among high-level participants expected to attend are Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud; Minister of the International Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (IDCPC), Liu Jianchao; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Seyed Abbas Araghchi; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Oman, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi; Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Expatriates of Egypt, Badr Ahmed Mohamed Abdelatty; Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syria, Asaad Hasan Al-Shaibani; Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi; Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets; and Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Kao Kim Hourn.
This year’s theme, « All hands on deck: mediation in a changing world, » reflects the urgency of adapting peace efforts to today’s unpredictable and polarised environment. The agenda includes sessions on the risks and opportunities of ceasefires, the role of backchannel diplomacy, and the challenge of making negotiated peace durable amid shifting political dynamics.
Conflict contexts such as the DRC, Ukraine, Sudan, and Myanmar will be at the heart of the agenda, as mediators debate how to move the needle toward peace.
Discussions will also examine how geopolitical rivalries play out in emerging domains like outer space, and why sustained mediation is essential during the implementation of peace agreements.
Since its launch in 2003, the Oslo Forum has grown into a leading international platform for dialogue on peace and mediation. This year’s edition continues to build on its legacy of fostering candid conversations under the Chatham House Rule of non-attribution.
In today’s fractured world, traditional approaches to peacemaking are being tested by new forms of conflict, polarisation, and power competition. The Oslo Forum brings together people with the insight and courage to rethink the playbook and explore new paths to peace.
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Click here to read and download the full Oslo Forum 2024 report.
Click here for Seasons 1-6 of The Mediator’s Studio podcast series with prominent peacemakers.
NOTE TO MEDIA Attendance at the Oslo Forum is by invitation only and the Chatham House Rule applies throughout the event.