What is the primary focus of this event?

The event focuses on the challenges, shifts, and future directions of diplomacy in an age of conflict, exploring how diplomatic practices must adapt to contemporary global instability.

When does the conference begin?

The conference is scheduled to start in the spring.

Attending Diplomacy in the Age of Conflict: Challenges, Shifts, and Future Directions

Name: Attending Diplomacy in the Age of Conflict: Challenges, Shifts, and Future Directions
Start: 2026-04-09T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-04-09T00:00:00Z
Location: Vienna

Apr 9, 2026Vienna, AustriaIn-person

Registration open

The conference "Diplomacy in the Age of Conflict: Challenges, Shifts, and Future Directions" convenes in Vienna, AUT, to explore the evolving landscape of international relations. This event focuses on how traditional diplomatic practices are being reshaped by contemporary conflicts and geopolitical shifts. Participants will engage in discussions aimed at identifying innovative approaches to diplomacy in an increasingly complex global environment.

Committees & topics

Topics
Safeguarding Human Rights Amid Global Conflict and Emerging Technologies · Protection of Civilian Rights in Ongoing Conflict Zones · Freedom of Movement, Basic Services, and Human Dignity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory · Strengthening International Peace and Security in a Multipolar World · Reforming UN Peacekeeping for Modern Conflicts · Nuclear Proliferation Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions · Building Resilient Global Health Systems for Future Pandemics · Mental Health as a Global Health Priority

Why it matters

In an era marked by persistent global instability and the emergence of new forms of conflict, the efficacy of traditional diplomacy is under scrutiny. This conference provides a crucial platform for examining how diplomatic strategies must adapt to address challenges ranging from interstate rivalries to non-state actor threats. Understanding these shifts is vital for maintaining international peace and security, fostering cooperation, and preventing further escalation of conflicts.

The discussions will delve into the changing nature of power dynamics, the rise of new diplomatic actors, and the impact of technological advancements on international negotiations. By analyzing these factors, attendees can gain insights into the future trajectory of diplomacy and develop more robust frameworks for engagement. The insights generated will be particularly relevant for policymakers, academics, and practitioners seeking to navigate the complexities of modern conflict resolution and international statecraft.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the themes of this conference, participants should consider a multi-faceted approach to preparation. Familiarity with the principles of Dynamic Analysis will be beneficial for understanding the fluid nature of contemporary conflicts and their impact on diplomatic efforts. Additionally, a review of Engagement Strategies will provide a foundation for discussing effective diplomatic interventions in challenging environments.

Attendees should also prepare to analyze the roles of various state and non-state actors, considering how Hidden Stakeholders can influence conflict dynamics and diplomatic outcomes. Understanding the broader geopolitical context, including regional tensions and global power shifts, will enhance contributions to the discussions. Given the focus on future directions, participants might also reflect on how emerging technologies and evolving societal norms are likely to shape diplomatic practices in the coming decades.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Austria

As a historically neutral nation and host city for numerous international organizations, Austria advocates for multilateralism and dialogue as primary tools for conflict resolution.

Role in topic

Austria (AUT) provides a neutral and established venue for international diplomacy, often facilitating discussions on peace and security. Its diplomatic tradition emphasizes the importance of international law and cooperative security frameworks, making it a natural host for a conference on the future of diplomacy in conflict.

United States

The United States often employs a mix of diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions, and military deterrence to manage conflicts, frequently leading international coalitions.

Role in topic

The United States (USA) plays a significant role in global conflict dynamics, often engaging in high-stakes diplomacy to address international crises. Its perspective will likely highlight the challenges of coordinating international responses and the need for adaptable diplomatic tools in an era of complex threats.

China

China emphasizes non-interference in internal affairs and promotes economic diplomacy, increasingly asserting its influence in global governance and conflict mediation.

Role in topic

China (CHN) represents a rising power whose diplomatic approach often prioritizes economic development and non-interference. Its participation would offer insights into how emerging global powers are reshaping traditional diplomatic norms and contributing to conflict resolution through alternative frameworks.

Russia

Russia frequently challenges Western-led diplomatic initiatives, advocating for a multi-polar world order and asserting its interests through both traditional and assertive diplomatic means.

Role in topic

Russia (RUS) is a key player in several ongoing conflicts and often adopts a more assertive diplomatic posture. Its perspective is crucial for understanding the challenges to consensus-building in international forums and the complexities of engaging with states that hold divergent geopolitical views.

Germany

Germany champions multilateralism and humanitarian diplomacy, often acting as a mediator and significant contributor to international peacebuilding efforts.

Role in topic

Germany (DEU), as a major European power, often advocates for multilateral solutions and plays a constructive role in diplomatic efforts to de-escalate conflicts and promote stability. Its experience in post-conflict reconstruction and humanitarian aid provides valuable insights into comprehensive diplomatic strategies.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Safeguarding Human Rights Amid Global Conflict and Emerging Technologies

The post-Cold War human rights consensus has come under sustained pressure from two converging forces: a resurgence of inter-state and intra-state armed conflict, and the rapid diffusion of dual-use technologies such as artificial intelligence, biometric surveillance, and autonomous weapons. Conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and the Sahel have produced documented violations of international humanitarian law, while authoritarian and democratic states alike have expanded digital surveillance, often invoking national security. The 2024 OHCHR report on AI and human rights, together with the UN Global Digital Compact adopted in 2024, signaled that existing instruments—the ICCPR, ICESCR, and Geneva Conventions—require interpretive updating for the algorithmic age. The core dispute centers on whether emerging technologies should be governed by binding international rules grounded in human rights law, or by softer, sector-specific norms shaped by states with leading technology sectors. Western democracies generally favor risk-based regulation rooted in existing treaty obligations; China and Russia emphasize state sovereignty over digital space; many Global South states demand technology transfer, equitable access, and accountability for cross-border harms caused by major platforms and military contractors. Debates over spyware (Pegasus), generative AI content moderation, and AI targeting systems in Gaza and Ukraine have sharpened these divisions. Today, the Human Rights Council, the GGE on Lethal Autonomous Weapons, and the Ad Hoc Committee on Cybercrime are working in parallel but without a unifying framework. Member states must decide whether to consolidate standards, create new mandates (such as a Special Rapporteur on AI), and how to ensure that wartime applications of emerging technology do not erode the universality of human rights.

Key players

Protection of Civilian Rights in Ongoing Conflict Zones

The protection of civilians (PoC) regime rests on the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949), its Additional Protocols, and UN Security Council Resolution 1265 (1999), which formally placed civilian protection on the Council's agenda. Subsequent resolutions established frameworks for protecting women (1325), children (1612), humanitarian workers, and medical facilities (2286). Yet the past decade has seen a marked erosion of these norms: sieges and starvation tactics in Syria, attacks on hospitals in Ukraine and Gaza, ethnic violence in Sudan's Darfur and Tigray, and forced displacement at historic highs—UNHCR recorded over 120 million forcibly displaced people in 2024. The core disputes concern enforcement and access. Humanitarian corridors are routinely blocked or weaponized; UN-mandated investigations face non-cooperation; and ICC arrest warrants—against leaders in Russia, Israel, and Sudan—have exposed deep fissures over universal jurisdiction. Refugee protection is further strained by restrictive asylum policies in Europe, the United States, and frontline host states such as Lebanon, Jordan, Türkiye, Bangladesh, and Colombia, raising questions about responsibility sharing under the 2018 Global Compact on Refugees. Today, member states face a credibility crisis: the legal framework is largely intact, but compliance, accountability, and funding are not. Debate focuses on strengthening monitoring mechanisms, securing humanitarian access, addressing the financing gap for UN agencies, and ensuring durable solutions for protracted refugee populations.

Key players

Freedom of Movement, Basic Services, and Human Dignity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

The question of Palestine has been on the UN agenda since 1947. The West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip have been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 Six-Day War, a status the International Court of Justice reaffirmed in its July 2024 advisory opinion, which found the occupation unlawful and called for its end. Movement restrictions—checkpoints, the West Bank barrier (subject of the 2004 ICJ opinion), the permit regime, and the closure of Gaza since 2007—have shaped daily life, alongside settlement expansion that UN bodies and most member states consider illegal under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and the ensuing Israeli military operation in Gaza have produced catastrophic humanitarian conditions: tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths, mass displacement, destruction of health and water infrastructure, and findings by UN experts and the ICJ (in the South Africa v. Israel case) of plausible risks of genocide. UNRWA, the principal service provider for Palestinian refugees, has faced funding suspensions and Israeli legislation restricting its operations. In the West Bank, settler violence and military operations have intensified. The core dispute pits Israel's security rationale and rejection of UN mechanisms against a broad international consensus—reflected in GA resolutions and the 2024 ICJ opinion—demanding an end to occupation, unimpeded humanitarian access, and accountability. Member states must address immediate humanitarian needs, the future of UNRWA, freedom of movement, and the political horizon for a two-state outcome.

Key players

Strengthening International Peace and Security in a Multipolar World

The international security order built around the UN Charter, Bretton Woods institutions, and US-led alliances is undergoing its most significant restructuring since 1945. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, US–China strategic competition, the expansion of BRICS+, and the assertiveness of middle powers such as India, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil have produced a genuinely multipolar landscape. Security Council paralysis—driven by P5 vetoes on Ukraine, Syria, and Gaza—has pushed deliberation toward the General Assembly (via the 2022 veto-initiative resolution) and regional organizations. The core dispute concerns whether the existing rules-based order should be reformed from within or replaced by a more pluralist framework. Reform proposals include expanding the Security Council (the L.69 group, the African Common Position/Ezulwini Consensus, and the G4), constraining the veto, and strengthening Chapter VIII regional arrangements. Competing visions—articulated in the 2024 Pact for the Future—range from incremental institutional updates to fundamental rebalancing of voice between the Global North and South. Today, conflicts in Europe, the Middle East, the Sahel, and the Indo-Pacific are stress-testing crisis management tools, while arms control architectures (New START, INF) have eroded. The committee must consider how to preserve core Charter principles—sovereign equality, non-use of force, peaceful dispute settlement—while adapting institutions to a world no longer organized around a single hegemon.

Key players

Reforming UN Peacekeeping for Modern Conflicts

UN peacekeeping has evolved from the lightly armed interpositional missions of the Cold War (UNEF, UNFICYP) to complex multidimensional operations with protection-of-civilians mandates (MONUSCO, MINUSMA, UNMISS). The 2000 Brahimi Report, the 2008 Capstone Doctrine, and the 2015 HIPPO review successively pushed for clearer mandates, more robust posture, and political primacy. Yet recent years have seen a sharp contraction: MINUSMA withdrew from Mali in 2023 at the host government's demand, MONUSCO is drawing down in the DRC, and missions in Sudan and the Central African region face hostile operating environments and disinformation campaigns. The core disputes concern mandate scope, rules of engagement, financing, and accountability. Troop-contributing countries—predominantly from South Asia and Africa—argue for better equipment, training, and reimbursement, while major financial contributors (the US, China, Japan, and European states) push for performance standards and exit strategies. Persistent allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse, and incidents such as the 2010 cholera outbreak in Haiti, have damaged the institution's credibility despite reforms under the Secretary-General's zero-tolerance policy. Today, peacekeeping confronts asymmetric threats, the spread of private military contractors (notably the Africa Corps, formerly Wagner), and resistance from host governments asserting sovereignty. The committee must consider mandate modernization, intelligence and technology integration, partnership with regional organizations (especially the African Union under Resolution 2719 financing), and stronger accountability mechanisms.

Key players

Nuclear Proliferation Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions

The 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) rests on three pillars: non-proliferation, peaceful uses, and disarmament. After three decades of relative progress—including the Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA) in 2015 and the New START treaty in 2010—the regime is now under severe strain. The 2022 NPT Review Conference failed to adopt an outcome document, the US withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018 (with Iran subsequently enriching uranium to near weapons-grade), and the 2026 expiration of New START looms with no successor in sight. Russia has suspended its participation, and China is rapidly expanding its arsenal. North Korea, which withdrew from the NPT in 2003, has conducted six nuclear tests and continues ICBM development, while deepening military cooperation with Russia. Iran's program has advanced significantly, and Israeli and US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2024–2025 have raised questions about the future of IAEA safeguards. Meanwhile, all nine nuclear-armed states are modernizing their arsenals, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW, in force 2021) has created a parallel normative track that nuclear-weapon states reject. The committee must address verification and compliance, the credibility of negative security assurances, regional proliferation pressures in the Middle East and East Asia, and whether disarmament obligations under NPT Article VI can be revived in a context of great-power rivalry.

Key players

Building Resilient Global Health Systems for Future Pandemics

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed deep fractures in the global health architecture: delayed information sharing, inequitable vaccine access (only around 30% of low-income populations were vaccinated by end-2022), supply chain fragility, and weak health workforces. In response, WHO member states negotiated amendments to the International Health Regulations (adopted 2024) and the WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted at the World Health Assembly in May 2025. The Agreement establishes a Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system, commitments on technology transfer, and a coordinating financial mechanism, but key operational annexes remain under negotiation. The core disputes pit countries hosting major pharmaceutical industries—the US, EU members, the UK, and Switzerland—against a Global South coalition led by South Africa, India, Brazil, and Indonesia demanding enforceable equity provisions, including compulsory licensing and real-time technology transfer during emergencies. Sovereignty concerns, amplified by US withdrawal from WHO announced in early 2025, have complicated implementation, while parallel debates on antimicrobial resistance, climate–health linkages, and One Health approaches add complexity. Today, the committee must address financing (the Pandemic Fund remains underfunded), surge manufacturing capacity in developing regions (notably the mRNA hub in Cape Town), strengthening primary health systems as the foundation of resilience, and aligning the Pandemic Agreement with the revised IHR.

Key players

Mental Health as a Global Health Priority

Mental health has historically been the neglected dimension of global health, receiving on average less than 2% of national health budgets despite accounting for a substantial share of the global burden of disease. WHO's Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan, first adopted in 2013 and extended to 2030, set targets for service coverage, suicide reduction, and integration into primary care. The 2022 World Mental Health Report documented that nearly a billion people live with a mental disorder and that the treatment gap exceeds 70% in low-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the crisis: WHO estimated a 25% rise in anxiety and depression in the first year, with young people and women disproportionately affected. Adolescent mental health has emerged as a flashpoint, with rising rates of self-harm and suicide linked—debate continues over causation—to social media use, educational disruption, and economic precarity. Conflict, climate displacement, and humanitarian emergencies have further compounded psychosocial needs in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere. The core disputes concern financing, the human rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities (under the CRPD, including the contested question of involuntary treatment), regulation of digital platforms affecting youth, and integration of mental health into universal health coverage. The committee must consider workforce expansion, stigma reduction, school- and community-based interventions, and how to embed mental health in pandemic preparedness and climate response.

Key players

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Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

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Austria April 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

Attending Diplomacy in the Age of Conflict: Challenges, Shifts, and Future Directions

Apr 9, 2026Vienna, AustriaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Safeguarding Human Rights Amid Global Conflict and Emerging Technologies · Protection of Civilian Rights in Ongoing Conflict Zones · Freedom of Movement, Basic Services, and Human Dignity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory · Strengthening International Peace and Security in a Multipolar World · Reforming UN Peacekeeping for Modern Conflicts · Nuclear Proliferation Amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions · Building Resilient Global Health Systems for Future Pandemics · Mental Health as a Global Health Priority

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Austria

As a historically neutral nation and host city for numerous international organizations, Austria advocates for multilateralism and dialogue as primary tools for conflict resolution.

Role in topic

United States

The United States often employs a mix of diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions, and military deterrence to manage conflicts, frequently leading international coalitions.

Role in topic

China

China emphasizes non-interference in internal affairs and promotes economic diplomacy, increasingly asserting its influence in global governance and conflict mediation.

Role in topic

Russia

Russia frequently challenges Western-led diplomatic initiatives, advocating for a multi-polar world order and asserting its interests through both traditional and assertive diplomatic means.

Role in topic

Germany

Germany champions multilateralism and humanitarian diplomacy, often acting as a mediator and significant contributor to international peacebuilding efforts.

Role in topic