SIPRI’s 2025 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development will be held by invitation only at Münchenbryggeriet in Stockholm. The plenary sessions will be live-streamed on SIPRI’s YouTube channel.
The Future of Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding
With global military expenditure reaching $2443 billion in 2023, the current trend towards militarization is unmistakable. Geopolitical divides are deepening. The wars in Gaza, Sudan and Ukraine have undermined both the trust in and the capability of the international peace and security architecture. Beyond the headlines sit an array of devastating yet neglected conflicts in places like Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Myanmar.
Both state and non-state actors are becoming more emboldened to take what they want by force. Diplomacy is faltering under political entrenchment, and the international community seems powerless to stop the infliction of deep human suffering. Indeed, the last negotiated end to a conflict happened nearly 10 years ago in Colombia.
Where has it gone wrong? What does the future hold for conflict prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding? What opportunities do new regional actors or new technologies bring? And how can ‘peace practices’ be effective and relevant in a context of war, disinformation and democratic decline?
Despite the scale of the challenge, there are glimmers of hope—democratic processes prevailing in the face of disruption, autocratic regimes weakening and innovative peacebuilding and stabilization programming taking root on the ground. Engaging in reflection, dialogue and creative discussions about how to navigate new realities is essential to addressing current and future challenges and building a more secure future.
The Stockholm Forum: Format and background
The Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development is a multi-day conference featuring a series of high-level panels and roundtables as well as a range of workshops, spotlights, exhibitions and fireside chats. The Forum creates a bridge between the global policy, research and practitioner spheres, and provides a neutral platform and safe space for sharing knowledge, practice and solutions.
The Stockholm Forum 2025 is hosted by SIPRI, co-convened with the Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) and with the Swedish International Development Agency (Sida).
Individual sessions will be led, designed and organized by the Stockholm Forum partners. As 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the UN Security Council Resolution on the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda, this year’s Forum will pay particular attention to the role of young people, youth voices and intergenerational dialogue in shaping the future of peacebuilding. There will also be a special focus on encouraging private sector participation in the Forum, including through (co)organization of sessions.
Like previous iterations of the Stockholm Forum, the 2025 Stockholm Forum will convene participants from around the world, with emphasis on representation of policymakers, civil society leaders and practitioners from the Global South.
Please contact SthlmForum@sipri.org with any questions.