Where is the conference being held?

The conference is scheduled to take place in Vienna, AUT.

What is the format of the conference?

The event is structured as a conference, focusing on discussions related to war, conflict, and peacebuilding.

How long does the conference last?

The conference is a single-day event.

International Conference on War, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East

Name: International Conference on War, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East
Start: 2026-11-25T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-11-25T00:00:00Z
Location: Vienna

Nov 25–25, 2026Vienna, AustriaIn-person

Registration open

The International Conference on War, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East, held in Vienna, AUT, offers a critical platform for examining the multifaceted challenges and opportunities for stability in the region. This single-day event brings together experts to discuss the complex dynamics of conflict, the humanitarian consequences, and the strategies for fostering sustainable peace. The conference aims to facilitate a deeper understanding of the historical, political, and socio-economic factors that contribute to ongoing instability, while also exploring innovative approaches to conflict resolution and post-conflict reconstruction.

Committees & topics

Topics
The Dynamics of War and Conflict in the Middle East · Peacebuilding Initiatives and Challenges in the Middle East · Security Dilemmas in a Turbulent Region · Civil Wars and Their Aftermaths · The Legacy of Colonialism and Its Impact on Contemporary Conflicts · Violence and Human Rights in Conflict Zones · State Formation and Governance in Conflict-Affected Areas · Resistance Movements and Their Strategies

Why it matters

The Middle East remains a focal point of global geopolitical interest, marked by protracted conflicts that have profound humanitarian and security implications. Understanding the root causes of these conflicts, from internal governance issues to external interventions, is crucial for developing effective peacebuilding strategies. This conference provides an essential forum for analyzing these complexities, moving beyond superficial narratives to address the underlying drivers of violence and instability.

Discussions at the conference are particularly relevant given the ongoing humanitarian crises, displacement, and regional power struggles that characterize the Middle East. By convening diverse perspectives, the event seeks to identify actionable insights and collaborative frameworks that can contribute to reducing suffering and promoting long-term stability. The insights generated can inform policy decisions, humanitarian efforts, and diplomatic initiatives aimed at de-escalating tensions and building resilient societies.

How to prepare

Delegates preparing for this conference should focus on developing a comprehensive understanding of the various actors and their interests within the Middle East. This includes not only state actors but also non-state groups, civil society organizations, and international bodies. A thorough "Stakeholder Mapping Workshop" and understanding "What Is Stakeholder Mapping?" can be invaluable in identifying key players and their influence on conflict and peacebuilding processes. Consider the diverse motivations and objectives that drive different groups, as these often complicate resolution efforts.

Furthermore, participants should be prepared to engage in discussions about the effectiveness of different "Engagement Strategies" in conflict zones. This involves critically evaluating past interventions and considering how future approaches can be more inclusive and sustainable. Understanding "Hidden Stakeholders" – those whose voices are often marginalized but who hold significant influence or are disproportionately affected by conflict – is also vital. This includes considering "Gender Dynamics Across Cultures" and the specific impacts of conflict on women and other vulnerable populations, ensuring that peacebuilding efforts are equitable and representative.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Austria

As the host nation, AUT provides a neutral and diplomatically significant venue for discussions on international peace and security.

Role in topic

AUT, through its capital Vienna, frequently serves as a hub for international diplomacy and peace negotiations. Its role as a neutral host facilitates open dialogue among diverse stakeholders on sensitive topics like conflict and peacebuilding in the Middle East.

Topics & background

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

The Dynamics of War and Conflict in the Middle East

The modern Middle East has been shaped by a layered set of conflicts rooted in the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the post-World War I mandate system, and Cold War-era proxy competition. The 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-1988, the 1990-1991 Gulf War, and the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq each reset the regional balance, producing new fault lines along sectarian, ethnic, and ideological axes. The 2011 Arab uprisings then triggered or intensified civil wars in Syria, Libya, and Yemen, while empowering transnational non-state actors including ISIL and various Iran-aligned militias. Contemporary conflict dynamics are defined by overlapping rivalries: Israel and Iran, Saudi Arabia and Iran, and Turkey's assertive posture across northern Syria and Iraq. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and the ensuing war in Gaza, along with Israeli operations in Lebanon and exchanges with Iran in 2024, have demonstrated how local flashpoints can escalate into region-wide confrontations. Drone warfare, missile proliferation, and cyber operations have lowered the threshold for direct state-on-state strikes. Today the region is characterized less by classical interstate war than by hybrid conflicts blending state militaries, proxy forces, and transnational armed groups, with humanitarian consequences that strain neighboring states and the international refugee regime.

Key players

Peacebuilding Initiatives and Challenges in the Middle East

Peacebuilding in the Middle East has produced a mixed record. Landmark agreements include the 1979 Egypt-Israel Treaty, the 1994 Israel-Jordan Treaty, the Oslo Accords of 1993-1995, the Taif Agreement ending Lebanon's civil war in 1989, and the 2020 Abraham Accords normalizing Israel's ties with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan. UN-led tracks have included UNSCO for the Israeli-Palestinian file, UNSMIL in Libya, the Office of the Special Envoy for Yemen, and the Geneva-based Syrian Constitutional Committee. Track-II diplomacy, often hosted in Oman, Qatar, or Norway, has periodically opened channels between adversaries. The challenges are structural. Peace processes are frequently elite-driven and fragile to leadership change, as seen after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the collapse of Camp David in 2000. Spoilers, both state and non-state, can derail agreements through violence. Donor fatigue, fragmented authority in post-conflict states, and the politicization of humanitarian aid complicate reconstruction. The 2023 Beijing-brokered Saudi-Iranian rapprochement showed that new mediators are emerging beyond the traditional Western framework. Current debates center on whether peacebuilding should prioritize state-level normalization, inclusive political settlements that incorporate non-state actors, or grassroots reconciliation, and on how to sequence ceasefires, transitional justice, and economic recovery.

Key players

Security Dilemmas in a Turbulent Region

The Middle East exhibits one of the world's most acute security dilemmas: defensive measures by one state are consistently read as offensive by its neighbors, fueling arms races and proxy competition. Iran's nuclear program, constrained but not eliminated by the 2015 JCPOA and destabilized by the U.S. withdrawal in 2018, sits at the center of regional threat perceptions. Israel maintains an undeclared nuclear capability and a doctrine of preemption, while Gulf states have invested heavily in missile defense, advanced air power, and, increasingly, indigenous drone production. Proliferation pressures extend to ballistic missiles and uncrewed systems, with Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping since late 2023 demonstrating how relatively cheap drones and anti-ship missiles can threaten global trade. Turkey's drone exports, Israel's strikes on Iranian assets in Syria, and direct Iran-Israel exchanges in April and October 2024 have eroded prior thresholds against open state-to-state strikes. Cybersecurity and space-based surveillance add new dimensions to traditional deterrence. Regional security architectures remain thin. The Gulf Cooperation Council, the Arab League, and ad hoc maritime coalitions such as Operation Prosperity Guardian provide partial frameworks, but there is no inclusive regional security organization comparable to the OSCE, leaving crisis management heavily dependent on outside powers.

Key players

Civil Wars and Their Aftermaths

Civil war has been a defining feature of the modern Middle East. Lebanon's 1975-1990 conflict, Algeria's 1990s insurgency, Iraq's post-2003 sectarian war, and the post-2011 wars in Syria, Libya, and Yemen each produced enduring legacies of displacement, institutional decay, and contested sovereignty. Syria's war, which escalated in 2011 and saw a dramatic shift with the fall of the Assad government in December 2024, displaced more than 13 million people at its peak. Yemen's war since 2014-2015 produced what the UN repeatedly described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, while Libya remains divided between rival governments in Tripoli and the east. Post-war trajectories diverge sharply. Lebanon's consociational settlement preserved sectarian power-sharing at the cost of recurring paralysis and the entrenchment of armed groups, notably Hezbollah. Iraq rebuilt formal institutions but has struggled with militia influence and contested federalism, particularly with the Kurdistan Region. Transitional justice has been uneven: the ICC investigation into Libya and the IIIM mechanism on Syria offer accountability avenues, but most perpetrators remain beyond reach. Reconstruction is now entangled with geopolitics. Sanctions regimes, refugee return debates in Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan, and competition among Gulf, Iranian, Turkish, and Russian patrons over post-war influence shape whether settlements consolidate or unravel.

Key players

The Legacy of Colonialism and Its Impact on Contemporary Conflicts

Many contemporary Middle Eastern conflicts trace structural roots to the late-Ottoman and European colonial period. The 1916 Sykes-Picot Agreement between Britain and France, the 1917 Balfour Declaration, and the League of Nations mandates over Palestine, Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon imposed borders and political arrangements that often cut across ethnic, sectarian, and tribal lines. The denial of Kurdish statehood after the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne, the partition of Greater Syria, and the unresolved status of Palestine following the end of the British Mandate in 1948 each generated grievances that remain active. Decolonization in the 1940s-1960s produced formally sovereign states, but often with militarized regimes, rentier economies tied to hydrocarbons, and security services inherited from colonial policing models. Cold War alignments reinforced authoritarian bargains. Critics argue that subsequent Western interventions, including in Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011, extended a pattern of externally imposed political orders, while defenders point to indigenous agency in shaping outcomes. Today these legacies inform debates over self-determination for Kurds and Palestinians, the legitimacy of existing borders, the design of power-sharing arrangements, and demands for reparative justice and the return of looted cultural property.

Key players

Violence and Human Rights in Conflict Zones

Conflict zones across the Middle East have generated some of the most extensively documented human rights violations of the past two decades. UN Commissions of Inquiry on Syria, Yemen, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, OHCHR field missions, and bodies such as the IIIM for Syria and the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the OPT have catalogued patterns including unlawful killings, torture, enforced disappearances, sieges, sexual and gender-based violence, and attacks on hospitals and schools. The ICC has opened investigations covering Libya and the Situation in the State of Palestine, and in 2024 issued arrest warrants in connection with the Gaza conflict; the ICJ is hearing South Africa's genocide case against Israel and has issued an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israeli policies in the OPT. Non-state armed groups, including ISIL, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and various militias in Iraq, Syria, and Libya, have also been implicated in serious violations, complicating accountability frameworks built primarily around state responsibility. Civilian protection in urban warfare, the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, and humanitarian access remain persistent flashpoints. Key debates focus on the application of international humanitarian law to asymmetric warfare, the responsibilities of arms-exporting states, the protection of journalists and aid workers, and the prospects for credible accountability given political constraints on the UNSC and selective state cooperation with international courts.

Key players

State Formation and Governance in Conflict-Affected Areas

State formation in the Middle East has often proceeded under conditions of conflict, producing hybrid orders in which formal institutions coexist with armed groups, tribal authorities, and external patrons. Iraq's post-2003 reconstruction, the Kurdistan Regional Government, Lebanon's confessional system, the Palestinian Authority's limited self-rule under Oslo, the de facto authorities of the Houthis in Sanaa and the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, and Libya's rival governments illustrate the range of governance arrangements that emerge from contested sovereignty. Common challenges include integrating armed groups into security sectors, generating legitimate revenue beyond oil rents and aid, delivering services in contested territory, and managing relations with diaspora communities. Externally driven state-building, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan-adjacent contexts, has had mixed results, prompting renewed interest in locally led approaches and 'good enough' governance frameworks. The post-2024 Syrian transition raises fresh questions about constitution-making, transitional justice, and inclusion of minorities and women. Member states and UN missions, including UNAMI in Iraq, UNSMIL in Libya, and the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, are debating how to support inclusive political processes without entrenching warlord politics or freezing illegitimate de facto authorities into place.

Key players

Resistance Movements and Their Strategies

Resistance movements have been a continuous feature of Middle Eastern politics, drawing on anticolonial, nationalist, leftist, and Islamist traditions. Early examples include the Algerian FLN's war against France from 1954 to 1962 and the Palestinian national movement's evolution from the PLO's founding in 1964 through the Intifadas of 1987 and 2000. The 1979 Iranian Revolution recast resistance in Shia Islamist terms and inspired the formation of Hezbollah in Lebanon in the early 1980s. Sunni Islamist currents produced organizations ranging from the Muslim Brotherhood to al-Qaeda and ISIL, while Kurdish movements such as the PKK and its Syrian affiliates have pursued armed and political strategies for autonomy. Strategies vary widely: conventional insurgency, urban guerrilla warfare, suicide bombing, rocket and drone strikes, cyber operations, civil disobedience, lawfare in international courts, and transnational advocacy. The Houthis' Red Sea campaign since 2023 illustrates how a movement can leverage geography and inexpensive weapons to project influence globally. Non-violent movements, including elements of the 2011 uprisings and Iranian protest waves in 2009, 2019, and 2022-2023, have also reshaped politics, often at high human cost. Debates center on the legal and ethical line between resistance and terrorism, the role of external sponsorship, the conditions under which armed movements transition to political parties, and the impact of designations and sanctions on conflict resolution.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on War, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Actor Vijay's Political Move

Supreme Court's Voting Rights Impact on 2026

Trump's Federal Election Strategy

Supreme Court VRA Ruling Empowers GOP 2026

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Engagement Strategies

Gender Dynamics Across Cultures

Hidden Stakeholders

Dynamic Analysis

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Austria November 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

International Conference on War, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East

Nov 25–25, 2026Vienna, AustriaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
The Dynamics of War and Conflict in the Middle East · Peacebuilding Initiatives and Challenges in the Middle East · Security Dilemmas in a Turbulent Region · Civil Wars and Their Aftermaths · The Legacy of Colonialism and Its Impact on Contemporary Conflicts · Violence and Human Rights in Conflict Zones · State Formation and Governance in Conflict-Affected Areas · Resistance Movements and Their Strategies

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 1 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Austria

As the host nation, AUT provides a neutral and diplomatically significant venue for discussions on international peace and security.

Role in topic

Topics & background

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

The Dynamics of War and Conflict in the Middle East

Key players

Peacebuilding Initiatives and Challenges in the Middle East

Key players

Security Dilemmas in a Turbulent Region

Key players

Civil Wars and Their Aftermaths

Key players

The Legacy of Colonialism and Its Impact on Contemporary Conflicts

Key players

Violence and Human Rights in Conflict Zones

Key players

State Formation and Governance in Conflict-Affected Areas

Key players

Resistance Movements and Their Strategies

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on War, Conflict, and Peacebuilding in the Middle East.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Actor Vijay's Political Move

Supreme Court's Voting Rights Impact on 2026

Trump's Federal Election Strategy

Supreme Court VRA Ruling Empowers GOP 2026

Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Engagement Strategies

Gender Dynamics Across Cultures

Hidden Stakeholders

Dynamic Analysis

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Conflict Resolution

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Austria November 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

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Frequently asked questions