Where is the Istanbul Security Conference held?

The conference is held in Istanbul, TUR.

Istanbul Security Conference® 2026

Name: Istanbul Security Conference® 2026
Start: 2026-05-14T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-05-14T00:00:00Z
Location: Istanbul

May 14, 2026Istanbul, TurkeyIn-person

Registration open

The Istanbul Security Conference, held in Istanbul, TUR, serves as a significant forum for discussing contemporary security challenges. This event brings together experts and policymakers to deliberate on a wide array of issues impacting global and regional stability. Its focus is on fostering dialogue and exploring collaborative solutions to complex security dilemmas.

Committees & topics

UNHRC
Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
UNSC
United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
WHO
World Health Organization (WHO)

Why it matters

This conference is crucial for understanding the evolving landscape of international security. In a world marked by intricate geopolitical shifts and emerging threats, platforms like the Istanbul Security Conference provide essential spaces for analysis and strategic planning. The discussions held here often inform policy approaches and contribute to a more nuanced understanding of security dynamics.

The gathering in Istanbul, a city at the crossroads of continents, underscores the interconnectedness of security issues across different regions. The insights shared and the networks forged at this event can be instrumental in shaping future responses to crises and in promoting stability in volatile areas. For those engaged in diplomacy and international relations, participating in or closely following the outcomes of such conferences offers a vital opportunity to stay abreast of critical developments and to contribute to meaningful discourse.

How to prepare

To maximize engagement with the conference, participants should undertake thorough preparation. This includes familiarizing oneself with the current security challenges facing TUR and the broader region. Understanding the historical context and contemporary geopolitical sensitivities will provide a strong foundation for contributing to discussions.

Consider applying frameworks such as What Is Stakeholder Mapping? and Dynamic Analysis to anticipate the various perspectives and interests that will be represented. Reflect on how different national and organizational priorities might converge or diverge on key security topics. This strategic foresight, informed by a deep understanding of the subject matter, will enable more effective participation and networking.

Country perspectives

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

Türkiye

As the host nation, TUR is deeply invested in regional security and stability, acting as a bridge between Europe and Asia.

Role in topic

TUR plays a pivotal role in discussions concerning regional security, given its strategic geographical position and its involvement in various international security frameworks. The conference in Istanbul provides a platform for TUR to highlight its perspectives on counter-terrorism, migration, and regional conflicts.

Topics & background

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

Human Rights Council (UNHRC)

The Human Rights Council was established by General Assembly Resolution 60/251 in 2006, replacing the discredited Commission on Human Rights. Headquartered in Geneva, it brings together 47 elected member states to address human rights violations, conduct the Universal Periodic Review of every UN member, and appoint Special Procedures mandate holders. Its evolution has been shaped by recurring tensions between universalist conceptions of rights anchored in the Universal Declaration and the ICCPR/ICESCR covenants, and counter-arguments from states emphasizing sovereignty, cultural specificity, and non-interference. In recent sessions, the Council has confronted a dense agenda: accountability mechanisms for Syria, Myanmar, and the occupied Palestinian territory; the implications of the 2022 General Assembly resolution recognizing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment; and the rapid diffusion of generative artificial intelligence. The 2024 OHCHR work on technology and human rights, combined with debates over algorithmic content moderation and biometric surveillance, has pushed the Council toward considering whether existing standards under ICCPR Article 19 require new institutional support, including a possible Special Rapporteur on AI. The Council today operates under significant geopolitical strain, with bloc voting between Western, African, Latin American, and Asia-Pacific states often determining outcomes. Climate-induced displacement, digital rights, and the politicization of country-specific mandates remain core fault lines as delegates seek to translate normative commitments into operational protections.

Key players

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

The Security Council was created by the UN Charter in 1945 as the organ with primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Its structure—five permanent members with veto power (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States) and ten elected non-permanent members—reflects the post-1945 balance of power and has been the subject of reform debates for decades, including through the G4, Uniting for Consensus, and African Common Position (Ezulwini) proposals. The Council can authorize sanctions, peacekeeping operations, and the use of force under Chapter VII, but its effectiveness is shaped by the political alignment of the P5. In the current period, the Council is gridlocked on several flagship files. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 produced repeated vetoes and revived the General Assembly's Uniting for Peace procedure. The war in Gaza since October 2023 has tested ceasefire diplomacy and humanitarian access mandates. The civil war in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in April 2023, has generated the world's largest displacement crisis and exposed the limits of the Resolution 1591 arms embargo on Darfur. Parallel debates on cybersecurity norms, advanced through the Open-Ended Working Group on ICTs, are reshaping how the Council conceives of threats to international peace. Delegates face the structural challenge of producing actionable outcomes under conditions of P5 division, while managing expectations about sanctions enforcement, peacekeeping drawdowns, and the Council's relationship with the International Criminal Court and regional organizations such as the African Union and the Arab League.

Key players

World Health Organization (WHO)

The World Health Organization was established in 1948 as the UN specialized agency for international public health, with its constitution affirming the highest attainable standard of health as a fundamental human right. Its governing body, the World Health Assembly, sets norms and standards through instruments such as the International Health Regulations (2005) and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Historically, the WHO has led campaigns against smallpox, polio, and HIV/AIDS, and coordinates responses to outbreaks ranging from Ebola to Zika. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant weaknesses in the global health architecture: delayed notification, inequitable vaccine distribution under COVAX, and contested attribution of pandemic origins. In response, member states launched negotiations on a Pandemic Agreement (the so-called 'Pandemic Treaty') under Article 19 of the WHO Constitution and parallel amendments to the IHR, with provisions on pathogen access and benefit sharing (PABS), surveillance, and equitable countermeasure distribution. After missing the original 2024 deadline, the World Health Assembly adopted the Pandemic Agreement in May 2025, though several provisions remain to be operationalized through a subsequent intergovernmental working group. Alongside pandemic preparedness, the WHO faces a heavy agenda spanning antimicrobial resistance, mental health, non-communicable diseases, climate-driven disease vectors, and the health consequences of armed conflict in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. Financing reform—shifting from earmarked voluntary contributions to assessed dues—remains central to debates about the Organization's independence and capacity.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Istanbul Security Conference® 2026.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

India Rebukes Pakistan at UNSC on Kashmir

India Pushes for Global South in UNSC

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

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

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

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

By committee

Frequently asked questions

Istanbul Security Conference® 2026

May 14, 2026Istanbul, TurkeyIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

UNHRC
Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
UNSC
United Nations Security Council (UNSC)
WHO
World Health Organization (WHO)

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.

Türkiye

As the host nation, TUR is deeply invested in regional security and stability, acting as a bridge between Europe and Asia.

Role in topic