Peace is linked with global governance
Peace is not just the suspension of war. It is made up of all the solutions that help minimize international tensions: cooperation to fight climate change and resource scarcity, institutions to channel power rivalries and administer global public goods, justice to assuage grievances and frustration, regulation to address inequalities and abuses of power.
An international system in crisis : the case for fighting back
International cooperation is slowing down. States are competing hard for advantage and populism is undermining global governance. Military expenditures are growing fast while the UN budget is cut. International norms, in particular human rights, are disregarded and international justice is questioned. Globalization suffers from a lack of common standards and regulation. Once a tool of emancipation, the Internet is becoming a jungle dominated by abusive corporations, propagandists and hackers. And we are losing the race against global warming.
The Paris Peace Forum was created to counter these tendencies – and to convene all those among States and civil society that still believe that collective action, multilateralism and the good stewardship of common public goods are our best chance to address common challenges and maintain peace.
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An initiative by French President Emmanuel Macron
“The first Paris Forum, which you are invited to attend on November 11, will offer the opportunity to reflect on world governance while we commemorate the end of World War I and recognize our collective responsibility... Let us never be sleepwalkers in our world, let us always be vigilant. I would like to extend my wishes for the New Year with a plea for a determined and enduring collective action.”
Emmanuel Macron, 4 January 2018.
The Paris Peace Forum is an independent NGO, formed in 2018 after the original impetus came from President Macron in the summer of 2017. The first edition of the Paris Peace Forum (11-13 November 2018) will be inaugurated by Heads of State and Government, or their representatives, from the 84 countries invited by the President of the French Republic to participate in the commemorations alongside other political leaders invited for the occasion.
La Grande Halle de La Villette, the venue of the first edition of the Paris Peace Forum
The Paris Peace Forum will take place at La Grande Halle de La Villette, a beautiful building of glass and steel, one of the gems of 19th-century French architecture. The Forum will be centered around concrete projects of governance and will feature three interlinked areas where different activities will be carried out simultaneously:
- a Space for Debate, where new ideas and initiatives will be presented and discussed, with particular attention to innovative discussion formats that should systematically produce operational conclusions;
- a Space for Solutions, to be accessible to any organisation wishing to communicate on a project, initiative or reform relating to one of the Forum’s five themes;
- a Space for Innovation, which will host an annual hackathon on global governance issues.