What is the primary focus of the ICPHSGD?

The conference focuses on the interconnected themes of peacebuilding, human security, and global development.

What is the format of the conference?

The conference is an academic forum designed for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers.

International Conference on Peacebuilding, Human Security, and Global Development (ICPHSGD)

Name: International Conference on Peacebuilding, Human Security, and Global Development (ICPHSGD)
Start: 2026-09-16T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-09-16T00:00:00Z
Location: Alajuela

Sep 16, 2026Alajuela, Costa RicaIn-person

Registration open

The International Conference on Peacebuilding, Human Security, and Global Development (ICPHSGD) is an academic forum held in Alajuela, Costa Rica. This event brings together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss critical issues at the intersection of peace, security, and global development. The conference aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and present research findings that can inform effective strategies for addressing complex global challenges.

Committees & topics

Topics
Peacebuilding and Health Outcomes · Human Security and Public Health · The Role of Health in Conflict Resolution · Community Resilience in Post-Conflict Settings · Health Systems Strengthening for Peace · Mental Health and Peacebuilding Efforts · Impact of Violence on Health Systems · Collaboration Between Health and Peace Sectors

Why it matters

In an era marked by persistent conflicts, humanitarian crises, and growing inequalities, understanding the intricate connections between peacebuilding, human security, and global development is paramount. The ICPHSGD provides a vital platform for examining these interconnected themes, recognizing that progress in one area often depends on advancements in the others. For instance, sustainable development cannot be achieved without a foundation of peace and security, and conversely, human security is undermined by underdevelopment and instability.

The conference's focus on these areas is particularly relevant given ongoing global events. Discussions at the ICPHSGD can contribute to refining approaches to conflict resolution, strengthening human rights protections, and promoting inclusive development models. By convening diverse perspectives, the event facilitates the exchange of knowledge and the generation of innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing problems, impacting regions from AFG to SYR.

How to prepare

Participants preparing for the ICPHSGD should consider how their research or work contributes to the broader understanding of peacebuilding, human security, or global development. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, framing contributions to highlight connections between these fields will be beneficial. For example, exploring how development initiatives can prevent conflict or how peace agreements can foster human security would be highly relevant.

Engaging with the conference's themes requires a nuanced understanding of various contexts and actors. Reviewing lessons such as "Engagement Strategies" and "What Is Stakeholder Mapping?" can help in preparing to engage with the multifaceted nature of these global issues. Additionally, considering the "Gender Dynamics Across Cultures" lesson can provide valuable insights into an often-overlooked aspect of human security and peacebuilding efforts. Understanding the diverse perspectives and roles of different stakeholders, as outlined in "Stakeholder Mapping Workshop," will also be crucial for effective participation.

Country perspectives

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

Costa Rica

As the host nation, CRI offers a unique perspective on peacebuilding, having famously abolished its army and championed neutrality and environmental protection.

Role in topic

CRI's history as a demilitarized nation provides a compelling case study for discussions on peacebuilding and human security, demonstrating an alternative path to national stability and development. Its commitment to environmental sustainability also links to broader global development goals.

Switzerland

CHE is a long-standing proponent of humanitarian aid, peace mediation, and the promotion of international law.

Role in topic

CHE's robust diplomatic tradition and its role as a hub for international organizations make it a significant actor in global peacebuilding efforts. Its expertise in humanitarian assistance and conflict mediation offers valuable insights into practical approaches to human security and development.

Norway

NOR is recognized for its active role in peace mediation and its substantial contributions to international development assistance.

Role in topic

NOR has a strong track record of facilitating peace processes in various conflicts and is a leading donor in development aid. Its experience provides critical lessons on how development initiatives can support peacebuilding and enhance human security, particularly in fragile states.

United States

The USA is a major global actor with significant influence on peace, security, and development through its foreign policy, military, and aid programs.

Role in topic

The USA's involvement in international conflicts and its extensive development assistance programs mean its policies have a profound impact on peacebuilding and human security worldwide. Discussions at the conference could analyze the effectiveness and implications of US engagement in various regions.

Japan

JPN is a significant contributor to international development and humanitarian aid, often focusing on post-conflict reconstruction and human security.

Role in topic

JPN's post-war constitution renouncing war and its subsequent focus on economic development and humanitarian assistance provide a distinct model for peacebuilding. Its contributions to infrastructure development and capacity building in developing nations are central to global development discussions.

Topics & background

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

Peacebuilding and Health Outcomes

The relationship between peacebuilding and health outcomes has been a growing focus of international policy since the WHO's 1980s 'Health as a Bridge for Peace' initiative, which posited that health cooperation could serve as a neutral entry point in divided societies. Empirical evidence from post-conflict settings—Mozambique, Rwanda, Liberia, and Sierra Leone—has shown that armed conflict drives down life expectancy, reverses gains in child mortality, and damages immunization coverage, often for a generation after fighting ends. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly SDG 3 (health) and SDG 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions), formally linked these two agendas at the multilateral level. Recent crises in Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza have demonstrated that even modern, relatively developed health systems collapse rapidly under sustained violence, with downstream effects on disease surveillance, maternal health, and chronic care. The UN Peacebuilding Commission and WHO have increasingly coordinated on integrating health indicators into peacebuilding metrics, though donors continue to silo humanitarian, development, and peace funding. The current debate centers on whether health investments should be treated as core peacebuilding instruments rather than parallel humanitarian responses.

Key players

Human Security and Public Health

The concept of human security emerged from the 1994 UNDP Human Development Report, which reframed security around individuals rather than states and identified health as one of its seven core dimensions. The 2003 Commission on Human Security, co-chaired by Sadako Ogata and Amartya Sen, further argued that protecting people from critical and pervasive threats—including disease—was inseparable from broader security. This framing gained renewed traction after the 2014–16 West African Ebola outbreak, which the UN Security Council declared a threat to international peace and security in Resolution 2177. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of this consensus: states defaulted to nationalist responses, vaccine inequity widened, and the International Health Regulations proved inadequate. Negotiations over the WHO Pandemic Agreement, adopted in May 2025, reflect ongoing disputes over sovereignty, pathogen sharing, and equitable access to countermeasures. Today the debate centers on operationalizing human security in public health—balancing state-centric biosecurity concerns with universal access, surveillance with privacy, and emergency powers with rights protection.

Key players

The Role of Health in Conflict Resolution

Health interventions have historically served as confidence-building measures in conflict resolution, dating back to the 'Days of Tranquility' negotiated by UNICEF and WHO in El Salvador in 1985 to permit polio vaccination during civil war. Similar humanitarian ceasefires have been brokered in Afghanistan, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and most recently in Yemen and Gaza, where polio vaccination pauses were negotiated in 2024. The principle is that disease eradication and child immunization can create rare zones of agreement between warring parties. The operational reality is more contested. Attacks on healthcare workers and facilities have risen sharply, with the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition documenting record incidents in Ukraine, Sudan, and Gaza. UN Security Council Resolution 2286 (2016) condemned such attacks but enforcement has been weak. The contemporary debate asks whether health can still function as neutral ground when health infrastructure itself is increasingly targeted, and whether multilateral bodies can develop stronger compliance mechanisms to protect medical neutrality under international humanitarian law.

Key players

Community Resilience in Post-Conflict Settings

Community resilience emerged as a central concept in post-conflict recovery during the 2000s, particularly after the UN's 2009 review of peacebuilding architecture acknowledged that top-down state-building had often failed to translate into local stability. The Peacebuilding Fund and UNDP's resilience frameworks shifted attention to local institutions, social cohesion, livelihoods, and psychosocial recovery as the bedrock for sustainable peace. Cases such as northern Uganda after the LRA insurgency, post-Taliban Afghanistan, and post-genocide Rwanda illustrated both the potential and limits of community-driven recovery. Current debates focus on how to measure and sustain resilience amid layered shocks—conflict, climate stress, displacement, and economic crisis. In contexts like the Sahel, eastern DRC, and northeast Syria, communities face simultaneous insecurity and service collapse, complicating linear recovery models. Donors and the UN are increasingly examining the 'humanitarian-development-peace nexus' (HDP nexus) to align programming, though coordination, financing windows, and political ownership remain persistent obstacles.

Key players

Health Systems Strengthening for Peace

Health systems strengthening (HSS) gained prominence after the 2007 WHO framework defined the six building blocks of health systems and the 2008 Ouagadougou Declaration on primary health care. In fragile and conflict-affected states, HSS has been recognized as both a development priority and a peace dividend—visible improvements in service delivery can bolster state legitimacy, while exclusionary or corrupt health systems can fuel grievance. The 2014–16 Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone exposed how weak health systems can themselves become security threats. Donor architecture has evolved through Gavi, the Global Fund, and the World Bank's Global Financing Facility, but coordination in conflict-affected states remains fragmented. The WHO's work in 'fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings' (FCV) explicitly frames HSS as peace-relevant, and the 2025 Pandemic Agreement reinforces the need for resilient national systems. The contemporary debate concerns financing mechanisms suitable for protracted crises, the role of non-state providers, and how to align HSS with locally legitimate governance.

Key players

Mental Health and Peacebuilding Efforts

Mental health was largely absent from peacebuilding agendas until the early 2000s, when research on Rwanda, Bosnia, and Cambodia documented widespread trauma, PTSD, and intergenerational psychological harm in post-conflict populations. The WHO's mhGAP programme (2008) and the inclusion of mental health under SDG target 3.4 marked a shift toward integrating psychosocial support into humanitarian and recovery responses. The Inter-Agency Standing Committee's 2007 guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) became the operational standard. Despite progress, mental health remains under-resourced in peacebuilding budgets, with WHO estimating that less than 2% of national health budgets globally go to mental health, and far less in conflict-affected states. Recent crises in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan have highlighted both acute trauma needs and the link between unaddressed psychological harm and cycles of violence, including in disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants. The current debate addresses scaling community-based MHPSS, integrating it into transitional justice, and sustaining funding beyond emergency phases.

Key players

Impact of Violence on Health Systems

Armed violence damages health systems through direct attacks on facilities and personnel, disruption of supply chains, displacement of workers, and diversion of public resources. WHO's Surveillance System for Attacks on Health Care (SSA), launched in 2018, has documented thousands of incidents annually, with the highest concentrations in Ukraine, the occupied Palestinian territory, Syria, Sudan, Myanmar, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Such attacks violate international humanitarian law and Security Council Resolution 2286 (2016), yet accountability remains rare. Beyond direct attacks, conflict drives indirect mortality—often exceeding battlefield deaths—through collapsed immunization, maternal care, and treatment for non-communicable and chronic diseases. The Lancet and other research consortia have shown that excess mortality from health system collapse in protracted conflicts (e.g., Yemen, Tigray) can dwarf direct casualties. The contemporary policy debate centers on stronger enforcement of IHL protections, dedicated financing for health continuity in conflict, and integrating health impact assessments into Security Council deliberations and sanctions regimes.

Key players

Collaboration Between Health and Peace Sectors

Formal collaboration between the health and peace sectors has roots in the WHO's 'Health as a Bridge for Peace' initiative (1997) and has expanded through the UN's 2016 'Sustaining Peace' resolutions (A/RES/70/262 and S/RES/2282), which called for integrated approaches across the UN system. The 2019 reform creating the UN Resident Coordinator system and the operationalization of the HDP nexus aimed to break silos between humanitarian, development, and peace actors—of which health is a cross-cutting component. Joint analyses now increasingly inform UN Cooperation Frameworks in conflict-affected countries. In practice, sectoral collaboration is constrained by divergent funding streams, mandates, and timelines: humanitarian health actors prioritize neutrality and immediate response, while peacebuilders engage political dynamics that aid agencies often avoid. Recent initiatives—such as WHO's Health and Peace Initiative launched in 2020, and Geneva Peace Week's health tracks—seek to build evidence and practitioner networks. The current agenda focuses on shared metrics, conflict-sensitive health programming, and ensuring that pandemic preparedness and climate-health investments reinforce rather than undermine peace.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Peacebuilding, Human Security, and Global Development (ICPHSGD).

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Trump's Legal Battles Impact 2026 Elections

Trump's Economic Reset

Mifepristone Ruling Sparks 2026 Political Tug

GOP Conservative Factions Clash Over Trump

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Costa Rica September 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

International Conference on Peacebuilding, Human Security, and Global Development (ICPHSGD)

Sep 16, 2026Alajuela, Costa RicaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Peacebuilding and Health Outcomes · Human Security and Public Health · The Role of Health in Conflict Resolution · Community Resilience in Post-Conflict Settings · Health Systems Strengthening for Peace · Mental Health and Peacebuilding Efforts · Impact of Violence on Health Systems · Collaboration Between Health and Peace Sectors

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.

Costa Rica

As the host nation, CRI offers a unique perspective on peacebuilding, having famously abolished its army and championed neutrality and environmental protection.

Role in topic

Switzerland

CHE is a long-standing proponent of humanitarian aid, peace mediation, and the promotion of international law.

Role in topic

Norway

NOR is recognized for its active role in peace mediation and its substantial contributions to international development assistance.

Role in topic

United States

The USA is a major global actor with significant influence on peace, security, and development through its foreign policy, military, and aid programs.

Role in topic

Japan

JPN is a significant contributor to international development and humanitarian aid, often focusing on post-conflict reconstruction and human security.

Role in topic

Topics & background

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

Peacebuilding and Health Outcomes

Key players

Human Security and Public Health

Key players

The Role of Health in Conflict Resolution

Key players

Community Resilience in Post-Conflict Settings

Key players

Health Systems Strengthening for Peace

Key players

Mental Health and Peacebuilding Efforts

Key players

Impact of Violence on Health Systems

Key players

Collaboration Between Health and Peace Sectors

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Peacebuilding, Human Security, and Global Development (ICPHSGD).

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Trump's Legal Battles Impact 2026 Elections

Trump's Economic Reset

Mifepristone Ruling Sparks 2026 Political Tug

GOP Conservative Factions Clash Over Trump

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Costa Rica September 2026

By committee

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

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Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Related conferences

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Frequently asked questions