The World Mediation Report 2026, produced by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS), examines the profound crises facing international peace mediation in an era marked by the erosion of global norms and institutions. As the international system shifts toward a multipolar order driven by great-power competition, rising military spending, and a surge in violent conflicts, traditional multilateral peacemaking mechanisms are increasingly paralyzed. The report explores how this structural decay has resulted in a transition from comprehensive political settlements to transactional, short-term stabilization deals and security pacts that struggle to achieve sustainable peace.
Featuring contributions from leading international conflict analysts, the report provides deep-dive case studies on critical hotspots – including the Middle East (Syria and Israel-Palestine), the Horn of Africa, and the Great Lakes crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It analyzes the evolving roles of rising middle powers, regional actors, and non-Western mediators such as Qatar and China, assessing how their diplomatic strategies, economic influence, and proximity impact the mediation landscape. Furthermore, the volume highlights the vital, yet often overlooked, contributions of local civil society and the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda in bridging deep societal divides and fostering inclusive pathways to peace.
Ultimately, the report serves as an ongoing critical inquiry into what mediation is becoming, what it is losing, and what it must reclaim to remain effective. It challenges policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to confront the realities of a fragmenting global order directly, combining empirical data with strategic reflection to chart a course for adapting peace diplomacy to the most challenging geopolitical landscape since the mid-twentieth century.