Where is the Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse 2026 being held?

The conference is being held in Oslo, NOR.

What is the primary focus of the Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse?

The conference focuses on the most important themes for NOR's foreign policy.

When does the Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse 2026 take place?

The conference begins in late January.

Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse 2026

Name: Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse 2026
Start: 2026-01-27T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-01-27T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Oslo

Jan 27, 2026Oslo, NorwayIn-person

Registration open

The Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse 2026, held in Oslo, NOR, serves as a pivotal forum for dissecting the critical issues shaping Norwegian foreign policy. This conference brings together experts and policymakers to engage in robust discussions on the nation's international standing and its responses to global challenges. It is an essential event for understanding the strategic considerations that guide NOR's diplomatic efforts and its role in the broader international arena.

Committees & topics

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
Diplomacy in an Age of Uncertainty · Managing Geopolitical Tensions · Protracted Conflicts and the Limits of UN Action · Shifting International Alliances · Maintaining International Peace · Security in a Multidimensional Threat Environment · Humanitarian Cooperation in a Strained System

Why it matters

The conference is significant because it provides a dedicated platform for a comprehensive review of NOR's foreign policy priorities and challenges. In an increasingly interconnected and volatile world, the decisions made by nations like NOR have ripple effects that extend far beyond their borders. By fostering dialogue among key stakeholders, the conference helps to refine NOR's approach to international relations, ensuring that its policies are both effective and aligned with its national interests.

Furthermore, the discussions at this event often highlight emerging geopolitical trends and their potential impact on smaller, yet influential, states. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for anyone seeking to comprehend the complexities of contemporary international affairs. The insights generated from this conference can inform analyses of how countries navigate power shifts, economic pressures, and security concerns on a global scale.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the themes of the Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse, participants should undertake a thorough review of NOR's current foreign policy doctrines and its historical diplomatic engagements. This includes understanding NOR's relationships with major global powers and its involvement in multilateral institutions. A strong grasp of these foundational elements will enable a more nuanced appreciation of the discussions.

Consider employing a <a href="/learn/lessons/dynamic-analysis">dynamic analysis</a> approach to anticipate potential policy shifts or areas of contention that might arise during the conference. Researching the stated positions of key NOR foreign policy figures and institutions on current international events will also be beneficial. Additionally, familiarizing oneself with the concept of <a href="/learn/lessons/hidden-stakeholders">hidden stakeholders</a> in international relations can provide a deeper understanding of the various influences on NOR's foreign policy decisions.

Country perspectives

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

Norway

Actively shapes and adapts its foreign policy in response to global challenges.

Role in topic

As the host nation, NOR is the central focus of the conference, with its foreign policy being the primary subject of discussion and analysis. The conference provides a platform for NOR to articulate its international priorities and engage with global perspectives.

United States

A key strategic partner and influential actor in global security and economic affairs.

Role in topic

The United States is a significant ally and economic partner for NOR, and its foreign policy decisions often have direct implications for NOR's security and economic interests. Discussions at the conference will likely consider the impact of USA's global posture on NOR's strategic choices.

Russia

A neighboring power whose actions significantly influence NOR's security and regional stability.

Role in topic

Russia's geopolitical actions and its presence in the Arctic region are critical considerations for NOR's foreign and security policy. The conference will likely address how NOR navigates its relationship with RUS and manages regional security concerns.

China

An emerging economic and political power with growing global influence.

Role in topic

China's increasing economic and political clout globally presents both opportunities and challenges for NOR. Discussions may explore how NOR balances economic engagement with CHN against concerns regarding human rights and geopolitical competition.

Topics & background

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

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Diplomacy in an Age of Uncertainty

The post-Cold War assumption that liberal multilateralism would steadily expand has eroded over the past decade. Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the war in Gaza since October 2023, escalating US-China strategic competition, and repeated paralysis of the UN Security Council through vetoes have undermined confidence in the rules-based order that the UN Charter codified in 1945. At the same time, transnational challenges — climate change, pandemics, AI governance, and mass displacement — increasingly demand coordinated responses that current institutions struggle to deliver. The 2024 Summit of the Future and its Pact for the Future attempted to reinvigorate multilateral cooperation, but implementation remains contested. Middle powers, including Norway and other Nordic states, have argued for a 'diplomacy of the possible' that combines principled defense of international law with pragmatic coalition-building across blocs. The General Assembly, where every member has a vote, has reasserted itself through mechanisms such as Uniting for Peace and the veto-initiative resolution (76/262) requiring debate after any Security Council veto. Delegates must consider how diplomacy adapts when great-power rivalry, domestic polarization in democracies, and the rise of non-Western forums such as BRICS+ reshape the negotiating environment. The core question is whether the UN system can remain the primary venue for managing uncertainty, or whether it will be supplemented — or supplanted — by overlapping minilateral arrangements.

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Managing Geopolitical Tensions

Geopolitical tensions in the 2020s are defined by the return of great-power competition. The US-China rivalry spans trade, technology (notably semiconductors and AI), Taiwan, and the South China Sea, where Chinese maritime claims continue to clash with the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling. Russia's war in Ukraine has fractured the European security architecture built after 1990 and prompted Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024) to join NATO. In the Middle East, the Gaza war, Israel-Iran exchanges in 2024-2025, and the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria have reshaped regional alignments. These tensions play out in the General Assembly through resolutions on Ukraine (ES-11), Gaza (ES-10), and repeated debates on unilateral coercive measures. Sanctions regimes, export controls, and 'de-risking' strategies have become tools of statecraft, while many Global South states resist being forced to choose sides and instead pursue 'strategic autonomy' or 'multi-alignment.' The agenda item asks delegates to identify mechanisms — confidence-building measures, crisis hotlines, arms control dialogues, and mediated diplomacy — that can de-escalate flashpoints without resolving underlying disputes. The Norwegian tradition of back-channel mediation, from Oslo to Colombia to the Horn of Africa, offers one model for managing tension short of resolution.

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Protracted Conflicts and the Limits of UN Action

Protracted conflicts — those lasting more than a decade with no durable settlement — now account for the majority of humanitarian need worldwide. Syria entered its fifteenth year of war before the December 2024 fall of the Assad government opened a fragile transition. Yemen's war, active since 2014, continues despite the 2022 truce. Sudan's civil war between the SAF and RSF, ignited in April 2023, has produced the world's largest displacement crisis with over 11 million displaced. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's eastern provinces, Myanmar since the 2021 coup, and the Sahel insurgencies all share patterns of fragmented armed actors, external sponsorship, and stalled mediation. The UN's tools — peacekeeping, special political missions, humanitarian appeals, and Security Council sanctions — have shown diminishing returns. MINUSMA's withdrawal from Mali in 2023 and MONUSCO's drawdown in the DRC reflect host-state pushback and shifting peacekeeping doctrine. Veto deadlock on Syria and Gaza has pushed the General Assembly to use emergency special sessions and 'Uniting for Peace' procedures more frequently. Delegates should examine why settlements fail to consolidate, how regional organizations (AU, ASEAN, Arab League, IGAD) might share burdens with the UN, and how humanitarian access can be protected when conflict parties weaponize aid.

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Shifting International Alliances

The alliance landscape is in flux. NATO has expanded northward with Finland and Sweden, refocused on collective defense, and increased defense spending commitments after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. In the Indo-Pacific, AUKUS (2021), the Quad, and trilateral coordination among the US, Japan, and South Korea (Camp David, 2023) have deepened, while China has strengthened ties with Russia through the 'no limits' partnership declared in February 2022. BRICS expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE, signaling growing demand for non-Western coordination platforms. Middle powers are hedging. Saudi Arabia and the UAE pursue ties with both Washington and Beijing; India maintains the Quad while buying Russian oil and chairing the SCO; Türkiye balances NATO membership with independent diplomacy on Ukraine and Syria. African and Latin American states increasingly resist binary alignment, seeking development partnerships across blocs. The 2023 Saudi-Iran rapprochement brokered by China and the 2024-2025 reconfiguration of Sahel security arrangements after French withdrawal illustrate the fluidity. For the General Assembly, the question is how shifting alliances affect coalition-building on resolutions, UN budgeting, and reform of bodies like the Security Council. Delegates should weigh whether overlapping minilaterals strengthen or fragment global governance.

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Maintaining International Peace

Article 1 of the UN Charter sets the maintenance of international peace and security as the Organization's first purpose. Yet the number of state-based armed conflicts is at its highest level since 1945, according to PRIO and Uppsala data, and battle deaths have surged since 2022. Security Council vetoes on Ukraine (Russia) and on Gaza ceasefire resolutions (United States) have repeatedly blocked binding action, pushing the General Assembly to act through emergency special sessions and the 'veto initiative' resolution 76/262. The peacebuilding architecture established by the 2005 World Summit — the Peacebuilding Commission, Peacebuilding Fund, and Peacebuilding Support Office — has struggled with chronic underfunding. The 2024 Pact for the Future and its New Agenda for Peace, advanced by the Secretary-General, call for prevention-centered approaches, greater inclusion of women and youth (in line with Resolutions 1325 and 2250), and adaptation of peace operations to hybrid threats including disinformation and cyber operations. Delegates should consider how the General Assembly can complement a deadlocked Security Council, finance prevention, and support mediation by states such as Norway, Qatar, Switzerland, and Oman that maintain credibility across divides.

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Security in a Multidimensional Threat Environment

Security in the General Assembly's contemporary debate extends well beyond interstate war. Cyber operations against critical infrastructure, the militarization of outer space, the proliferation of armed drones, climate-driven instability, transnational organized crime, and pandemic risks are all on the agenda. The Open-Ended Working Group on ICTs has produced annual progress reports on responsible state behavior in cyberspace, while the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems continues to debate meaningful human control. The 2023 ASAT test moratorium, championed by the United States and joined by dozens of states, signals fragile progress on space norms. Nuclear risk has risen for the first time since the Cold War. New START expires in February 2026 with no successor agreed, Russia has suspended participation, and China is expanding its arsenal. The DPRK continues missile testing, and Iran's nuclear program has advanced following the 2018 US withdrawal from the JCPOA. The TPNW, which entered into force in 2021, now has over 70 states parties but no nuclear-weapon states. Delegates should consider how the General Assembly can advance norms across these domains when the Security Council is constrained, and how to integrate human security, climate security, and traditional military security in a coherent framework.

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Humanitarian Cooperation in a Strained System

Global humanitarian needs are at record levels. OCHA's Global Humanitarian Overview for 2025 estimated some 300 million people in need of assistance, driven by conflicts in Sudan, Gaza, Ukraine, Myanmar, the DRC, the Sahel, and Yemen, compounded by climate shocks and economic crises. Funding gaps have widened: appeals are routinely funded at less than half of requirements, and major donors including the United States and several European states have reduced or restructured aid budgets. Humanitarian access is increasingly contested. Attacks on humanitarian workers reached record highs in 2023 and 2024, and parties to conflict in Gaza, Sudan, and elsewhere have been accused of obstructing aid in violation of International Humanitarian Law and Security Council resolutions such as 2417 (on conflict and hunger) and 2730 (on protection of humanitarian personnel). The 2016 Grand Bargain process aimed at localizing aid and reducing transaction costs remains only partially implemented. The General Assembly, through ECOSOC's humanitarian segment and resolutions on the coordination of UN humanitarian assistance, sets the normative framework. Delegates should consider how to protect humanitarian space, diversify financing (including from Gulf and Asian donors), strengthen anticipatory action for climate disasters, and uphold the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse 2026.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Arming an archipelago: Is time running out for Europe's oldest DMZ? | Euronews

Foreign Minister: Bahrain’s membership in UNSC (2026 – 2027) affirms its diplomatic leadership and global role in promoting peace and sustainable development

Comprehensive approach to security: Federal Council launches consultation on Switzerland's security policy strategy

India Rebukes Pakistan at UNSC on Kashmir

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

Multilateral Negotiation

Advanced Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

Frequently asked questions

Free account

Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free.

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Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse 2026

Jan 27, 2026Oslo, NorwayIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
Diplomacy in an Age of Uncertainty · Managing Geopolitical Tensions · Protracted Conflicts and the Limits of UN Action · Shifting International Alliances · Maintaining International Peace · Security in a Multidimensional Threat Environment · Humanitarian Cooperation in a Strained System

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

Actively shapes and adapts its foreign policy in response to global challenges.

Role in topic

United States

A key strategic partner and influential actor in global security and economic affairs.

Role in topic

Russia

A neighboring power whose actions significantly influence NOR's security and regional stability.

Role in topic

China

An emerging economic and political power with growing global influence.

Role in topic

Topics & background

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

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Diplomacy in an Age of Uncertainty

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Managing Geopolitical Tensions

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Protracted Conflicts and the Limits of UN Action

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Shifting International Alliances

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Maintaining International Peace

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Security in a Multidimensional Threat Environment

Key players

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Humanitarian Cooperation in a Strained System

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for Norsk utenrikspolitisk konferanse 2026.

Recent reporting to ground your prep

Arming an archipelago: Is time running out for Europe's oldest DMZ? | Euronews

Foreign Minister: Bahrain’s membership in UNSC (2026 – 2027) affirms its diplomatic leadership and global role in promoting peace and sustainable development

Comprehensive approach to security: Federal Council launches consultation on Switzerland's security policy strategy

India Rebukes Pakistan at UNSC on Kashmir

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

Multilateral Negotiation

By committee

Frequently asked questions

Free account

Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free.

Create free account

Already a member? Log in

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

Frequently asked questions

Committees & topics

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Topics & background

Resources

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Frequently asked questions

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