Where will the conference take place?

The conference will be held in the city of Oslo, NOR.

What is the format of the conference?

The conference is a physical event, offering an in-person format for participants.

International Conference on Global Politics and International Relations (ICGPIRS-26)

Name: International Conference on Global Politics and International Relations (ICGPIRS-26)
Start: 2026-09-26T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-09-27T00:00:00Z
Location: Marseille

Sep 26–27, 2026Marseille, FranceIn-person

Registration open

The International Conference on Global Politics and International Relations (ICGPIRS-26) offers a platform for scholars, researchers, and policymakers to engage with contemporary issues in global affairs. Hosted in Oslo, NOR, this event aims to foster dialogue and present research findings across various sub-fields of international relations. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing discourse on global political dynamics and their implications.

Committees & topics

Topics
Global Politics in an Era of Multipolar Competition · The Evolution and Practice of International Relations · Historical Perspectives on Global Governance · The Dynamics of International Security · Geopolitics in a Globalized World · Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution · Regional Politics and Global Implications · Foreign Policy and National Interests

Why it matters

In an increasingly interconnected world, understanding the nuances of global politics and international relations is paramount. Events like ICGPIRS-26 provide a critical forum for the exchange of ideas that can shape future policy and academic inquiry. The discussions held here can illuminate emerging trends, challenge existing paradigms, and contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the forces driving international interactions.

The conference's focus on global politics underscores the importance of examining power structures, governance, and cooperation at a transnational level. This is particularly relevant as states navigate complex challenges ranging from climate change to economic interdependence. By bringing together diverse perspectives, the conference facilitates a deeper analysis of these issues, which is essential for effective diplomatic engagement and conflict resolution.

How to prepare

For those preparing to participate, a strong understanding of current geopolitical landscapes is essential. Consider how your research or insights contribute to the broader themes of global politics and international relations. Engaging with concepts such as "dynamic analysis" and "stakeholder mapping workshop" can provide a robust framework for presenting your work and understanding the contributions of others.

Participants should also consider the specific context of the host city, Oslo, NOR, which is known for its contributions to peace processes and international mediation. Reflect on how the Norwegian approach to international relations might influence the discussions and the types of solutions proposed. Preparing to engage with a diverse audience, potentially including representatives from various countries, will enhance the overall experience and the impact of your contributions.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Norway

A proponent of multilateralism and peace mediation, Norway often plays a constructive role in international relations.

Role in topic

As the host nation, NOR provides a backdrop known for its commitment to international cooperation and peace, influencing the tone and focus of discussions on global politics.

United States

A global superpower with significant influence on international political and economic systems.

Role in topic

The United States' foreign policy decisions and its role in international institutions are central to many discussions in global politics and international relations.

China

An emerging global power with increasing economic and political influence, often advocating for a multipolar world order.

Role in topic

China's growing economic might and its strategic initiatives, such as the Belt and Road, are key topics in contemporary international relations, impacting global power dynamics.

Russia

A major power with a focus on maintaining its sphere of influence and challenging perceived Western dominance.

Role in topic

Russia's actions in its near abroad and its engagement with global security issues are critical areas of study within international politics.

Topics & background

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

Global Politics in an Era of Multipolar Competition

Global politics in the post-Cold War period was initially characterized by a unipolar moment dominated by the United States and the liberal international order built around the UN, Bretton Woods institutions, and expanding democratic norms. That consensus has eroded over the past two decades, as China's economic rise, Russia's revisionist posture, and the assertiveness of regional powers such as India, Brazil, and Turkey have produced what scholars increasingly describe as a multipolar or 'multiplex' system. Crises including the 2008 financial collapse, the 2014 annexation of Crimea, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine have each accelerated the fragmentation of shared rules and institutions. Today, global politics is shaped by overlapping contests: the US-China strategic rivalry, the weaponization of trade and technology, contested norms in cyberspace and outer space, and the resurgence of identity-based and populist politics within democracies. Major powers increasingly pursue 'minilateral' arrangements (AUKUS, BRICS+, the Quad, the SCO) rather than working exclusively through universal bodies. The central debate is whether the existing order can be reformed to accommodate new powers and transnational challenges such as climate change, or whether the system is drifting toward bloc-based confrontation.

Key players

The Evolution and Practice of International Relations

International relations as a discipline and a practice emerged from the catastrophes of the twentieth century: the failure of the Concert of Europe in 1914, the collapse of the League of Nations, and the construction of the United Nations system after 1945. Realism, liberalism, and later constructivist and critical schools each attempted to explain why states cooperate or conflict, and how norms, institutions, and identities shape outcomes. The Cold War institutionalized bipolar bloc politics, while decolonization vastly expanded the membership of the international system and introduced new agendas around sovereignty, development, and non-alignment. Contemporary international relations is defined by the diffusion of power beyond states to corporations, NGOs, and transnational networks, even as states remain the principal legal actors. Issues such as climate governance, pandemic preparedness, migration, and artificial intelligence cut across traditional categories of 'high' and 'low' politics. The core question facing practitioners and scholars is how to manage interdependence in a system where strategic distrust between major powers is rising, multilateral institutions face legitimacy challenges, and emerging technologies are reshaping diplomacy itself.

Key players

Historical Perspectives on Global Governance

Global governance has deep roots in nineteenth-century efforts to manage interdependence, from the Concert of Europe (1815) to functional bodies such as the International Telegraph Union (1865) and the Universal Postal Union (1874). The League of Nations, created in 1920, was the first comprehensive attempt at collective security, but its inability to prevent Japanese, Italian, and German aggression in the 1930s exposed the limits of voluntary compliance without great-power consensus. The United Nations, established in 1945, sought to remedy these flaws by combining a universal General Assembly with a Security Council in which the victors of the Second World War held veto rights. Over the following decades, global governance expanded into trade (GATT/WTO), finance (IMF, World Bank), health (WHO), human rights (UDHR, ICCPR, ICESCR), and the environment (UNFCCC). The end of the Cold War briefly produced ambitious agendas such as the Responsibility to Protect, the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals, and the ICC. Yet governance arrangements have repeatedly struggled to adapt to shifts in power, as seen in stalled UN Security Council reform, WTO dispute settlement paralysis, and divisions over pandemic and climate financing. The historical record offers both cautionary tales and templates for redesigning institutions to remain legitimate and effective.

Key players

The Dynamics of International Security

International security long centered on inter-state war and nuclear deterrence, frameworks shaped by the experience of two world wars and the US-Soviet rivalry. The end of the Cold War broadened the agenda to include intra-state conflict, terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and 'human security' concerns such as displacement and pandemics. Landmark frameworks such as the NPT (1968), the Chemical Weapons Convention (1993), and UN peacekeeping doctrine attempted to constrain violence, while the post-9/11 era introduced sweeping counter-terrorism architectures and debates over preventive force. The current security environment combines old and new threats. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 returned large-scale conventional war to Europe; the Israel-Hamas war and regional escalation involving Iran, Hezbollah, and the Houthis have destabilized the Middle East; and tensions in the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and Korean Peninsula keep Indo-Pacific flashpoints active. At the same time, cyber operations, autonomous weapons, space-based assets, and AI-enabled disinformation are reshaping escalation dynamics. Arms control regimes including New START and the CFE Treaty have unraveled, raising fundamental questions about how international security can be managed without renewed great-power cooperation.

Key players

Geopolitics in a Globalized World

Globalization in the late twentieth century, propelled by trade liberalization, container shipping, and digital communications, was widely expected to dilute traditional geopolitics by binding states into interdependent supply chains and shared institutions. Instead, the past fifteen years have demonstrated that economic interdependence can be weaponized: sanctions on Russia and Iran, US-China export controls on advanced semiconductors, and disputes over critical minerals and energy corridors have made commerce a central arena of strategic competition. Initiatives such as China's Belt and Road, the EU's Global Gateway, and the US-led Partnership for Global Infrastructure illustrate how connectivity itself has become contested geopolitical terrain. Key flashpoints today include the South China Sea, the Arctic, the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, the Black Sea, and contested digital and space domains. States increasingly pursue 'de-risking' strategies, friend-shoring, and industrial policy to reduce strategic vulnerabilities, while Global South actors seek to preserve room for maneuver among competing blocs. The central tension is whether globalization will fragment into competing technological and economic spheres or be reorganized around new rules that reflect both interdependence and security concerns.

Key players

Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution

Modern diplomatic practice traces its lineage to the Westphalian system (1648) and the codification of diplomatic immunities in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (1961). The twentieth century institutionalized multilateral diplomacy through the League of Nations and the UN, and elaborated mechanisms of conflict resolution including mediation, good offices, peacekeeping, arbitration, and adjudication before bodies such as the ICJ. Landmark settlements — Camp David (1978), the Oslo Accords (1993), the Dayton Agreement (1995), the Good Friday Agreement (1998), and the Colombian peace process (2016) — illustrated both the potential and the fragility of negotiated outcomes. Contemporary diplomacy faces a more crowded and contested landscape. Mediation is increasingly conducted by regional organizations (AU, ASEAN, OSCE, ECOWAS), Gulf states, and Türkiye and Norway, alongside traditional UN envoys. Yet several long-running conflicts — Israel-Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Ukraine, and Sudan — have proven highly resistant to settlement, while UN Security Council deadlock has limited collective enforcement. Debates focus on inclusive mediation (women, civil society), the role of digital and back-channel diplomacy, the relationship between accountability and peace, and how to keep diplomatic channels open in an era of polarization.

Key players

Regional Politics and Global Implications

Regional orders have always shaped global politics, from the European balance of power that produced two world wars to the Cold War's regional proxy conflicts. The proliferation of regional organizations — the EU, ASEAN, the African Union, the Arab League, the Organization of American States, the SCO, and Mercosur — reflects an effort to manage politics close to home while interfacing with global institutions. Regional dynamics often determine whether global norms on trade, human rights, or security are actually implemented, and crises that appear local frequently reverberate worldwide, as illustrated by the Arab Spring, the Sahel's cascading coups, and the spillover from the war in Ukraine. Today, several regional theaters carry outsized global significance. The Indo-Pacific is the center of US-China competition and houses the world's busiest trade routes. Europe is reorganizing its security architecture in response to Russia's war on Ukraine and NATO enlargement. The Middle East is undergoing realignment around Iranian-Israeli confrontation and Gulf normalization initiatives. Africa is the site of contested influence among Western, Chinese, Russian, and Gulf actors, while Latin America navigates polarization and migration pressures. Understanding regional politics is therefore essential to interpreting global trends.

Key players

Foreign Policy and National Interests

Foreign policy has traditionally been understood as the pursuit of national interests — security, prosperity, and prestige — through diplomacy, economic statecraft, and, when necessary, force. Classical formulations from Thucydides to Morgenthau emphasize survival and power, while liberal and constructivist traditions stress how domestic institutions, values, and identities shape what states define as their interests. Doctrines such as containment, non-alignment, Ostpolitik, and the 'pivot to Asia' illustrate how foreign policy responds to shifts in the international environment and in domestic politics. In the current period, foreign policymaking is increasingly entangled with domestic polarization, economic security, and emerging technologies. Governments must balance traditional alliance commitments with industrial policy, climate obligations, migration pressures, and public skepticism of overseas engagement. Concepts such as strategic autonomy (EU, India), 'dual circulation' (China), and 'foreign policy for the middle class' (US) reflect attempts to align external strategy with domestic priorities. Key debates concern the trade-offs between values and interests, the appropriate role of sanctions and conditionality, and how to define national interest in an era of transnational threats.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Global Politics and International Relations (ICGPIRS-26).

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Rahul Gandhi Defends Tamil Nadu's Autonomy

India's 131st Amendment Bill

Actor Vijay's Political Move

West Bengal 2026 Election

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Gender Dynamics Across Cultures

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Media & Press Relations

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

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France September 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

International Conference on Global Politics and International Relations (ICGPIRS-26)

Sep 26–27, 2026Marseille, FranceIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Global Politics in an Era of Multipolar Competition · The Evolution and Practice of International Relations · Historical Perspectives on Global Governance · The Dynamics of International Security · Geopolitics in a Globalized World · Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution · Regional Politics and Global Implications · Foreign Policy and National Interests

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Norway

A proponent of multilateralism and peace mediation, Norway often plays a constructive role in international relations.

Role in topic

As the host nation, NOR provides a backdrop known for its commitment to international cooperation and peace, influencing the tone and focus of discussions on global politics.

United States

A global superpower with significant influence on international political and economic systems.

Role in topic

The United States' foreign policy decisions and its role in international institutions are central to many discussions in global politics and international relations.

China

An emerging global power with increasing economic and political influence, often advocating for a multipolar world order.

Role in topic

China's growing economic might and its strategic initiatives, such as the Belt and Road, are key topics in contemporary international relations, impacting global power dynamics.

Russia

A major power with a focus on maintaining its sphere of influence and challenging perceived Western dominance.

Role in topic

Russia's actions in its near abroad and its engagement with global security issues are critical areas of study within international politics.