The global governance and multilateral conflict management system that has shaped peace mediation for the past three decades is undergoing a fundamental transformation. The emergence of a multipolar world, the return of great power competition, and the erosion of multilateral consensus are reshaping the conditions under which mediation is conceptualized, legitimized, and practiced. The challenges facing mediators have been compounded by a marked shift away from international cooperation assistance and a sharp contraction in funding for conflict prevention and peacebuilding as donors pivot to defence priorities and increased military spending. At the same time, geo-economics and technology have re-emerged as key drivers of conflict and peace, and the private sector is becoming an increasingly important player in conflict management, bringing both risks and opportunities. Local, national, and regional actors are asserting their agency, but reduced international support raises increasing risks of capacity collapse in an already under-resourced sector.
The 2025 Qatar Mediation Forum (QMF) convenes at a critical juncture, where the practice of mediation demands urgent analytical appraisal and innovation. Organized by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS) under the auspices of the Doha Forum, the QMF will bring together a diverse array of mediators, policymakers, scholar practitioners, and institutional actors for critical reflection and informed dialogue. It will examine the shifting norms and structural realignments reshaping mediation globally, the dilemmas mediators face in frontline contexts, and the challenges of navigating between principles, power, and pragmatism.
Objectives
The QMF aims to:
Examine how the retreat from multilateralism and the increasingly transactional nature of peacemaking effect the legitimacy, scope, and form of contemporary mediation.
Assess the increasing role of mediation actors from the Global South and the implications for norm development and geopolitical competition.
Explore the operational and ethical complexities of mediation in active conflict zones.
Evaluate the prospects, limitations, and structural requirements for locally led mediation in settings marked by external disengagement and governance collapse.
Contribute to a forward-looking discourse on principled, context-responsive mediation in an increasingly fragmented international system.
Structure and Format
The QMF will take place over two days, on 7 and 8 December, and will follow a hybrid structure, convening four roundtable dialogues and five high-level panels. Roundtables are designed to facilitate off-the-record, practice-oriented dialogue among key stakeholders. Panels will bring together prominent figures and experts to debate key themes from diverse perspectives, generating policy momentum to address the most pressing challenges facing peace mediation.
Important Note: This event is by invitation only