What is the primary focus of the ICCRPBS?

The conference focuses on exchanging insights and advancing effective strategies for resolving conflicts and fostering sustainable peace globally.

What kind of participants are expected at this event?

The conference is designed for academics, practitioners, and policymakers involved in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Strategies (ICCRPBS) 2026

Name: International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Strategies (ICCRPBS) 2026
Start: 2026-06-24T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-06-24T00:00:00Z
Location: Riyadh

Jun 24, 2026Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaIn-person

Registration open

The International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Strategies (ICCRPBS) is set to convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This event serves as a critical forum for academics, practitioners, and policymakers to exchange insights and advance the discourse on effective strategies for resolving conflicts and fostering sustainable peace globally. Participants will delve into various aspects of peacebuilding, from theoretical frameworks to practical applications in diverse geopolitical contexts. The conference aims to bridge the gap between research and practice, offering a platform for presenting novel research findings, discussing innovative approaches, and sharing lessons learned from peacebuilding initiatives worldwide. It is designed to facilitate collaboration and networking among professionals dedicated to addressing complex international and regional conflicts.

Committees & topics

Topics
Strategies for Effective Conflict Resolution · The Role of Communication in Peacebuilding · Cultural Considerations in Conflict Resolution · Media's Impact on Conflict Dynamics · Innovative Mediation Techniques in Conflict Resolution · Negotiation Strategies for Sustainable Peacebuilding · Community Engagement in Peace Initiatives · Conflict Analysis: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Applications

Why it matters

The ICCRPBS holds significant importance in a world grappling with persistent and evolving conflicts. By focusing on conflict resolution and peacebuilding strategies, the conference directly addresses the urgent need for more effective mechanisms to prevent, manage, and transform violent conflicts. The gathering of diverse perspectives, particularly in a city like Riyadh, SAU, which is situated in a region frequently at the nexus of international geopolitical dynamics, provides a unique opportunity to examine these challenges through a multifaceted lens.

The insights generated from this conference can inform policy development, enhance diplomatic efforts, and strengthen the capacity of organizations and individuals involved in peace processes. The emphasis on both theoretical understanding and practical implementation means that the outcomes can contribute to more robust and adaptable peacebuilding frameworks, ultimately fostering greater stability and human security across different regions. The exchange of ideas on topics such as engagement strategies and understanding motivations is crucial for developing comprehensive and context-specific solutions.

How to prepare

Delegates preparing for the ICCRPBS should focus on current global and regional conflict hotspots, considering how various peacebuilding strategies have been applied and their effectiveness. Research into the specific geopolitical context of the host city, Riyadh, SAU, and its role in regional peace initiatives would be particularly beneficial. Understanding the historical and contemporary dynamics of conflict resolution in the Middle East will provide valuable context for discussions.

Participants should also familiarize themselves with key theoretical frameworks in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, alongside practical case studies. Preparing to discuss topics such as the role of various stakeholders, including those often overlooked or considered 'hidden stakeholders', and the importance of gender dynamics across cultures in peace processes will enrich contributions. Consideration of different engagement strategies and methods for understanding motivations of conflicting parties will also be vital for meaningful participation.

Country perspectives

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

Saudi Arabia

As the host nation, SAU is keen to showcase its growing role in regional stability and its commitment to fostering dialogue on peacebuilding, particularly within the Middle East.

Role in topic

SAU has increasingly engaged in diplomatic efforts and humanitarian aid in various regional conflicts, positioning itself as a significant actor in peace and security discussions. Hosting this conference allows SAU to highlight its contributions and facilitate broader international engagement on these critical issues.

United States

The USA maintains a strong interest in global conflict resolution, often advocating for multilateral approaches and supporting peace processes through diplomatic and financial means.

Role in topic

The USA is a major global actor in conflict resolution, providing significant resources and diplomatic engagement in numerous peacebuilding initiatives worldwide. Its perspective often emphasizes democratic principles, human rights, and the rule of law as foundations for lasting peace.

Norway

NOR is renowned for its long-standing tradition of peace mediation and its commitment to facilitating dialogue in complex international conflicts.

Role in topic

NOR has a distinguished history as a neutral mediator in various international conflicts, often playing a crucial role in backchannel communication and facilitating peace talks. Its expertise in negotiation and conflict transformation will be highly relevant to the conference discussions.

Switzerland

CHE is a traditional neutral state that actively promotes peace through humanitarian aid, good offices, and support for international law.

Role in topic

CHE's neutrality and strong humanitarian tradition make it a consistent contributor to peacebuilding efforts. It often hosts peace negotiations and provides expertise in international law and humanitarian assistance, offering a valuable perspective on impartial engagement.

China

CHN is increasingly asserting its role in global governance and conflict resolution, often emphasizing non-interference and economic development as pathways to stability.

Role in topic

CHN's growing global influence means its approach to conflict resolution, which often prioritizes economic cooperation and state sovereignty, is increasingly important. Its perspective on multilateralism and development as tools for peace will be a key point of discussion.

Topics & background

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

Strategies for Effective Conflict Resolution

Modern conflict resolution practice grew out of the post-World War II effort to institutionalize peaceful dispute settlement, codified in Chapter VI of the UN Charter, which obliges parties to seek solutions through negotiation, inquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, or judicial settlement. Over subsequent decades, scholars and practitioners — from Johan Galtung's distinction between negative and positive peace to John Burton's human-needs theory — broadened the field beyond interstate diplomacy to encompass intrastate, ethnic, and identity-based disputes, which now account for the overwhelming majority of armed conflicts tracked by datasets such as UCDP and PRIO. Contemporary strategies span preventive diplomacy, Track I state-led negotiation, Track II civil society dialogue, peacekeeping, transitional justice, and integrated peacebuilding under the UN's Sustaining Peace agenda adopted in 2016. Notable test cases — Colombia's 2016 peace accord with the FARC, the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and the stalled Minsk processes — illustrate how sequencing of ceasefires, power-sharing, security sector reform, and reconciliation determines durability. Recurrent failures in Libya, Yemen, and South Sudan have prompted debate over the limits of liberal peacebuilding and the need for locally legitimate, context-sensitive approaches. Today the field confronts a sharp rise in conflict deaths, fragmented mediation landscapes with competing regional brokers, and shrinking consensus among permanent UN Security Council members. Practitioners increasingly emphasize inclusion of women and youth (UNSCR 1325 and 2250), hybrid models combining international and indigenous mechanisms, and data-driven early warning to make resolution efforts more adaptive.

Key players

The Role of Communication in Peacebuilding

Communication has been recognized as a foundational element of peacebuilding since the establishment of UNESCO in 1945, whose constitution famously notes that 'wars begin in the minds of men.' Strategic communication — encompassing dialogue facilitation, public information campaigns, hate speech mitigation, and narrative transformation — underpins virtually every peace process, from radio-led reconciliation efforts in post-genocide Rwanda to dialogue platforms convened by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva. Research from organizations such as Search for Common Ground and International Alert has shown that how conflicts are framed shapes whether parties view each other as adversaries to be defeated or as stakeholders in shared futures. The 2013 UN Plan of Action on Hate Speech, the Rabat Plan of Action, and the Christchurch Call have sought to address the inverse problem: the role of incendiary communication in fueling violence, as seen in the Balkans in the 1990s, Rwanda's RTLM broadcasts, and more recently in Myanmar's Rohingya crisis where Facebook content amplified atrocity risk. Today peacebuilders grapple with a fragmented information environment in which artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and platform algorithms can rapidly inflame disputes, while shrinking civic space restricts independent journalism in many conflict zones. Multilateral attention is shifting toward digital peacebuilding, strategic narrative work, and protections for mediators' confidential communications in an era of mass surveillance.

Key players

Cultural Considerations in Conflict Resolution

The recognition that culture shapes conflict and its resolution emerged forcefully in the 1990s as Western-led peacebuilding interventions in Somalia, Bosnia, and elsewhere encountered difficulty translating liberal templates into local realities. Anthropologists and practitioners including Kevin Avruch and John Paul Lederach argued that conflict behavior, conceptions of justice, time, and reconciliation are culturally embedded, and that effective resolution requires elicitive rather than prescriptive approaches that draw on local knowledge systems. This insight has produced a growing body of practice integrating indigenous mechanisms — Rwanda's gacaca courts, South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission rooted in ubuntu, Afghan jirgas, Somali xeer, and Pacific kastom dialogues — alongside international frameworks. The UN's 2020 policy on transitional justice and the AU's Transitional Justice Policy of 2019 explicitly call for hybrid approaches blending customary and formal mechanisms. UNESCO's work on intangible cultural heritage and the Alliance of Civilizations initiative likewise treat cultural diversity as a peacebuilding asset. Debates persist over how to reconcile cultural specificity with universal human rights, particularly regarding gender, minority protections, and accountability for grave crimes. Critics warn against romanticizing tradition or instrumentalizing culture to legitimize exclusion, while proponents argue that legitimacy and durability of peace depend on rooting agreements in the moral vocabularies of affected communities.

Key players

Media's Impact on Conflict Dynamics

Media have long influenced the course of conflicts, from the propaganda apparatuses of the World Wars to the 'CNN effect' theorized in the 1990s, when graphic coverage of Somalia and Bosnia was credited with shaping Western intervention decisions. Conversely, partisan or state-controlled broadcasters have actively incited violence, most infamously Rwanda's Radio Mille Collines in 1994, whose presenters were later convicted by the ICTR for incitement to genocide. The digital era has multiplied these dynamics. Social platforms accelerated mobilization during the Arab Spring, but also enabled coordinated disinformation in Ukraine, Ethiopia's Tigray war, and the Israel-Hamas conflict, where competing narratives and synthetic media complicate humanitarian access and ceasefire diplomacy. UNESCO's Windhoek+30 Declaration (2021), the EU's Digital Services Act, and the Global Forum for Media Development have sought to defend press freedom and information integrity, while attacks on journalists in conflict zones — documented by CPJ and RSF — have reached record highs. Current debates center on platform accountability, the regulation of generative AI in conflict reporting, protection of journalists under international humanitarian law, and the role of state media and influence operations conducted by countries including Russia, China, and Iran. Peace mediators increasingly treat the information environment as a distinct track requiring dedicated strategy.

Key players

Innovative Mediation Techniques in Conflict Resolution

Mediation has evolved substantially from its classical model of a single high-level envoy shuttling between heads of state. The UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) Mediation Support Unit, established in 2006, alongside the UN Guidance for Effective Mediation (2012), has codified standards while encouraging experimentation. Recent processes — including Colombia's 2016 accord, the Yemen consultations, and the Sudan talks — have piloted inclusive design, digital consultations, and the use of technical experts on issues from constitutional drafting to natural resource sharing. Innovation has accelerated across multiple fronts: digital tools such as the UN's e-Analytics and DPPA's Innovation Cell support real-time conflict analysis; AI-assisted scenario planning and sentiment analysis are being trialed by ETH Zurich's CSS and the HD Centre; insider mediators and women's situation rooms broaden participation; and 'mediation coalitions' bring together states, regional organizations, and NGOs in coordinated tracks. The 2022 launch of the Global Alliance of Regional Women Mediator Networks reflects growing attention to inclusion as both a normative imperative and an effectiveness multiplier. Challenges remain significant. Geopolitical competition has fragmented the mediation field, with multiple actors offering competing venues — for example in Sudan, where Saudi-US, IGAD, and AU tracks have run in parallel. Mediators must also navigate sanctions regimes, designated terrorist groups, and the ethical complexities of engaging non-state armed actors in an era of transnational insurgencies.

Key players

Negotiation Strategies for Sustainable Peacebuilding

Negotiation theory has shaped peacemaking since Roger Fisher and William Ury's 1981 work 'Getting to Yes' popularized interest-based bargaining, complementing earlier realist traditions of positional negotiation. Sustained peace, however, requires more than reaching an agreement: research by scholars such as Barbara Walter and Caroline Hartzell has shown that roughly half of negotiated peace agreements collapse within five years, and that provisions on power-sharing, security guarantees, and implementation mechanisms strongly affect durability. The UN's 2016 twin resolutions on Sustaining Peace and the World Bank-UN 'Pathways for Peace' study emphasized prevention and inclusive negotiation across the conflict cycle. Recent agreements illustrate the spectrum: Colombia's 2016 accord with FARC included an unprecedented gender focus and transitional justice mechanism, while the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement in Sudan attempted broad inclusion but stalled amid coup and war. Ceasefire deals in Tigray (2022) and ongoing Yemen talks highlight the importance of phased confidence-building, monitoring, and economic incentives. Key contemporary debates concern how to negotiate with armed groups designated as terrorist organizations, how to integrate climate and resource dimensions into peace agreements, the role of sanctions as leverage versus obstacle, and how to ensure agreements are implementable in fragmented political environments where spoilers proliferate.

Key players

Community Engagement in Peace Initiatives

Local and community-led peacebuilding has moved from the margins to the center of international policy since the early 2000s, propelled by recognition that externally imposed peace often fails to take root. Adam Curle, John Paul Lederach, and Séverine Autesserre have argued that durable peace is built from the bottom up, through restored relationships and local agency. UN Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), 2250 (2015), and 2419 (2018) institutionalized women's and youth participation, while the Peacebuilding Fund channels resources to civil society partners. Field experience supports the emphasis on community engagement: local peace committees in Ghana, Kenya, and Nepal have de-escalated electoral and intercommunal violence; insider mediators have brokered humanitarian access in Syria and Yemen; and community-based reintegration has shaped DDR programs from Liberia to Colombia. The 'localization' agenda advanced at the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit and the Grand Bargain commitments seeks to shift more funding and decision-making to local actors, though progress has been uneven. Obstacles persist: shrinking civic space in many fragile states, donor risk aversion, short funding cycles incompatible with the long timescales of social repair, and tensions between elite-level political settlements and community priorities. Hybrid approaches that link Track I diplomacy with Track III community work are increasingly seen as essential to sustainable outcomes.

Key players

Conflict Analysis: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Applications

Conflict analysis as a discipline crystallized in the mid-twentieth century with the founding of the Journal of Conflict Resolution (1957) and pioneering work by Kenneth Boulding, Johan Galtung, and Edward Azar, who introduced concepts including structural violence, protracted social conflict, and the conflict triangle. These frameworks moved analysis beyond interstate war toward an understanding of conflict as rooted in unmet human needs, identity, governance failures, and political economy. Operational tools have proliferated: the World Bank's Risk and Resilience Assessments, the UN/EU Conflict Analysis frameworks, USAID's Conflict Assessment Framework, and the Fund for Peace's Fragile States Index inform programming in fragile contexts. Datasets such as UCDP, ACLED, and PRIO enable empirical testing of theories on the causes and dynamics of violence, while emerging methods including machine learning, satellite analysis, and social media monitoring expand early warning capabilities. The UN-World Bank 'Pathways for Peace' study (2018) synthesized evidence that inclusive politics, addressing grievances, and tackling exclusion are central to prevention. Debates continue over the predictive value of quantitative models, the politicization of fragility classifications, the integration of climate and environmental drivers into conflict analysis, and the risk that technical assessments crowd out local political judgment. Practitioners increasingly stress that analysis must be continuous, participatory, and tied directly to decision-making rather than producing static reports.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Strategies (ICCRPBS) 2026.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Actor Vijay's Political Move

US Job Openings at 6.7M

Trump's Impact on GOP

Mejia vs. Hathaway

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Engagement Strategies

Gender Dynamics Across Cultures

Understanding Motivations

Hidden Stakeholders

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Media & Press Relations

Cross-Cultural Communication

Advanced Negotiation

Saudi Arabia June 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Strategies (ICCRPBS) 2026

Jun 24, 2026Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Strategies for Effective Conflict Resolution · The Role of Communication in Peacebuilding · Cultural Considerations in Conflict Resolution · Media's Impact on Conflict Dynamics · Innovative Mediation Techniques in Conflict Resolution · Negotiation Strategies for Sustainable Peacebuilding · Community Engagement in Peace Initiatives · Conflict Analysis: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Applications

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.

Saudi Arabia

As the host nation, SAU is keen to showcase its growing role in regional stability and its commitment to fostering dialogue on peacebuilding, particularly within the Middle East.

Role in topic

United States

The USA maintains a strong interest in global conflict resolution, often advocating for multilateral approaches and supporting peace processes through diplomatic and financial means.

Role in topic

Norway

NOR is renowned for its long-standing tradition of peace mediation and its commitment to facilitating dialogue in complex international conflicts.

Role in topic

Switzerland

CHE is a traditional neutral state that actively promotes peace through humanitarian aid, good offices, and support for international law.

Role in topic

China

CHN is increasingly asserting its role in global governance and conflict resolution, often emphasizing non-interference and economic development as pathways to stability.

Role in topic

Topics & background

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

Strategies for Effective Conflict Resolution

Key players

The Role of Communication in Peacebuilding

Key players

Cultural Considerations in Conflict Resolution

Key players

Media's Impact on Conflict Dynamics

Key players

Innovative Mediation Techniques in Conflict Resolution

Key players

Negotiation Strategies for Sustainable Peacebuilding

Key players

Community Engagement in Peace Initiatives

Key players

Conflict Analysis: Theoretical Perspectives and Practical Applications

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding Strategies (ICCRPBS) 2026.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Actor Vijay's Political Move

US Job Openings at 6.7M

Trump's Impact on GOP

Mejia vs. Hathaway

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Engagement Strategies

Gender Dynamics Across Cultures

Understanding Motivations

Hidden Stakeholders

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Media & Press Relations

Cross-Cultural Communication

Advanced Negotiation

Saudi Arabia June 2026

By committee

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

Saudi IT Security Summit 2026

International Conference on Governance and Public Policy (ICGPP-2026)

Global Students Research Conference

International Conference on Historical Sociology and Political Economy (ICHSPE)

International Conference on War, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East (ICWCPME-2026)

IEF17 International Energy Forum Ministerial

Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

Saudi IT Security Summit 2026

International Conference on Governance and Public Policy (ICGPP-2026)

Global Students Research Conference

International Conference on Historical Sociology and Political Economy (ICHSPE)

International Conference on War, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East (ICWCPME-2026)

IEF17 International Energy Forum Ministerial

Frequently asked questions