About
What it is about…
The international order that emerged in the aftermath of the Second World War is currently experiencing significant challenges. Institutions established to collectively promote international peace and security are encountering difficulties in incorporating emerging actors and fostering a more diverse range of voices. Simultaneously, the United States, Russia, and other actors are increasingly pursuing national objectives through unilateral military, diplomatic, and economic coercion rather than sustained multilateral cooperation. The period following the Cold War, which was characterised by a presumed unity of international society, has given way to a period of intensified competition for regional and global influence. This shift has been compounded by the frequent immobilisation of the UN Security Council due to vetoes and geopolitical rivalries. Moreover, human-induced dynamics of non-human character, including climate change, global pollution, and the reduction of biodiversity, are exacerbating the underlying causes of armed conflict by increasing the number of vulnerabilities of political communities worldwide.
These dynamics are fundamentally reshaping the global state of peace. Armed conflicts are becoming more transnational, often along a multipolar gravity emerging from the cracks of waning US hegemony. Accordingly, conflicts are managed to contain risks rather than resolved to address root causes, contributing to the highest number of armed confrontations after the end of the Second World War.
The symposium seeks to discuss whether and how the international post-war order can accommodate the current changing environment.
Experts and Speakers
Peter Riedl
Eva-Maria Holzleitner
Elke Kahr
Gabriele Schmölzer
Jürgen Pirker
Maximilian Laktisch
Milja Kurki
Cedric de Coning
Xinyu Yuan
Sandra Pogodda
Marsha Henri
Judith Vorrath
Anna Jarstad
Benedikt Harzl
Lisa Heschl
Josef Mühlbauer
Program
16 November 2026
17:30 – 18:00: Reception, registration & welcome
18:00 – 18:10: Official opening – Welcome address by the Rector of the University of Graz
18:10 – 18:30: Welcome addresses: Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner & Mayor Elke Kahr
18:30 – 18:40: Welcome address by the Dean
18:40 – 18:55: Presentation of our vision: Maximilian Lakitsch & Jürgen Pirker – presenting the vision of the Peace Dialogue
18:55 – 20:00: Keynote Speech – Milja Kurki (Aberystwyth University)
20:00 – 22:00: Reception hosted by the City of Graz
17 November 2026
08:45-09:00: Arrival
09:00-11:00: Panel 1: Pursuing Peace in times of multipolar power politics
How can the international community still effectively pursue its goal of maintaining peace and security under the conditions of multipolar power politics?
Panelists
Cedric de Coning (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs)
Xinyu Yuan (Peace Research Institute Frankfurt)
Sandra Pogodda (University of Manchester)
Moderation: Bendedikt Harzl
1:00-11:15: Introduction Peace of Art
11:15-12:30: Coffee Break, Art of Peace, and Network “Agora”
12:30-13:30: Lunch Break
13:30-15:30: Panel 2: Reconsidering UN Peace Operations
Under current conditions—and considering the sobering record of several missions, including MINUSMA and MONUSCO, which have raised questions about mandate design, effectiveness, host-state consent, and the UN’s authority, as well as instances of serious misconduct by UN personnel — what is the future of UN peace operations? Can UN peace missions be maintained as a viable tool for international peace and security? Should they be, and under what circumstances?
Panelists
Marsha Henri (London School of Economics and Political Science)
Judith Vorrath (Deutsches Institut für Internationale Politik und Sicherheit)
Anna Jarstad (University of Uppsala)
Moderation: Lisa Heschl
15:30-16:00: Recap – Prof. Erika de Wet
16:00-16:15: closing remarks from the Organisation Team
Registration
Registration Deadline: 16 October 2026
Please note that photos and videos will be taken during this event. These may be used for promotional purposes (e.g., on websites, on social media, in press releases). By attending, you consent to being photographed and recorded. If you do not wish to appear in such materials, please inform the event organizer.
Graz Peace Dialogues 