Taking Stock — Moving Forward: Opportunities and Shortcomings from the Pact for the Future’s “International Peace and Security” Actions

"Taking Stock — Moving Forward: Opportunities and Shortcomings from the
Pact for the Future’s “International Peace and Security” Actions

A conference co-organized by the Toda Peace Institute and
the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP), Geneva Graduate Institute

Geneva, 30-31 January 2025

The recently-concluded Pact for the Future, building upon the UN Secretary-General’s New Agenda for Peace, represented a rare moment of near-consensus for the international community on the most pressing challenges facing humanity. With some positive elements it is also, however, an unclear roadmap, with several vague or ambiguous commitments and a focus on voluntary actions. This is not surprising, given the broad consensus that the multilateral (both global and regional) architecture for promoting international peace and security has been in crisis for several years. On a more positive note, the Pact does include several clear entry points for concrete actions, especially in the area of “international peace and security.”

This situation presents both opportunities and challenges. Opportunities exist for promoting concrete action on some of the Pact’s commitments, and on advancing new ideas or strategies in areas where the Pact fell short or was silent. These issues include an emphasis on the “prevention agenda”, dealing with the growing burden of global military spending and militarization, promoting action to address the “climate crisis and conflict nexus,” advocating for a flexible and renewed approach to arms control and disarmament, and advancing the Women, Peace and Security agenda, among others.

This two-day conference will bring together experts and scholars to take stock of the achievements and lacunae in the process that lead to the Summit for the Future and the resulting Pact for the Future, with the overall objective of identifying entry points for innovative global, regional or national engagements on the wider peace and security agenda. Its main objectives will be to explore and promote innovative ideas, create dialogue at the interface of cutting-edge scholarship and practical action, and identify potential entry points for practical action in the years to come.

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