The fourteenth Oslo Forum (14–15 June 2016) convened one hundred of the world’s leading peacemakers, conflict actors and decision-makers. They included John Kerry, United States Secretary of State; Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran; Micheline Calmy-Rey, former President of Switzerland; Bertie Ahern, former Prime Minister of Ireland; Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; and Børge Brende, Foreign Minister of Norway. 43 nationalities were represented.
The overarching theme of the Forum was ‘Adapting to a new conflict landscape’, reflecting the emergent challenges mediators face in responding to war. Increasingly, conflicts trace their roots to sectarian tensions, geopolitical upheaval and regional rivalries, which give rise to unconventional scenarios for peacemakers, such as the seizure of territory by extremist groups, state collapse, and challenges to the principle of state sovereignty. Peacemakers must keep refining their tools to respond to these new demands.