The 2026 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.
From Rupture to Repair: New Visions for Peace and Development
The global security architecture is not merely under strain, it is experiencing a systemic rupture. Conflicts are becoming more complex and international in nature. The protection of civilians, peacebuilders and humanitarian actors has been eroded. Arms control agreements have broken down, nuclear rearmament is back on the agenda and the norms that once bound the international community are being challenged with increasing impunity. Great power gridlock has left the multilateral system paralysed and struggling to offer legitimacy or trust when it is needed most.
In response to this rupture, many states are increasing their focus on hard security and national interests. Global military expenditure rose for the 10th consecutive year in 2024, reaching US$2.7 trillion. Yet such shifts overlook a fundamental reality: many modern security risks, from climate shocks to pandemics and cyber threats, do not have hard security solutions and do not stop at borders. They are, however, further exacerbated when geopolitical rivalries undermine cooperative solutions.
As current orders fracture, a space opens up for new ideas and leadership to shape what comes next. Middle powers, regional organizations and civil society are well placed to advance new visions of peace and security. This rupture, however, requires more than new alliances and new ideas: it also requires facing up to difficult truths, a fundamental reassessment of power dynamics, a genuine commitment to partnership and locally driven solutions, and a willingness to learn from past mistakes.
The 2026 Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development will move beyond crisis management and narratives of gridlock to focus on new visions and transformative actions. It will bring together policymakers, practitioners, academics, youth leaders, peacebuilders, security actors and private sector partners to challenge, explore and find practical, forward-looking solutions for today’s global peace, security and development challenges.
Background to the Stockholm Forum
Held annually, the Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development is a leading platform for global dialogue. It convenes donors, government representatives, policymakers, practitioners, researchers and civil society actors to exchange ideas and develop practical responses to contemporary challenges in the development, humanitarian, peacebuilding and security spheres.
The Stockholm Forum is a multi-day conference featuring high-level panels, roundtables and workshops. It creates a bridge between policy, research and practice, and provides a neutral platform and safe space for sharing knowledge, challenges and solutions.
Individual sessions are led, designed and organized by Forum partners. As in previous iterations, the 2026 Stockholm Forum will convene participants from around the world, with an emphasis on the representation of diverse stakeholders from the Global South.
Please contact SthlmForum@sipri.org with any questions.
