Paris Peace Forum 2025 | 29-30 Oct.
Paris, July 28, 2025 – Following on from the Paris Peace Forum’s civil society conference on June 13th, which produced The Paris Call for the Two-State Solution, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that France would recognize the State of Palestine, with the official announcement to come at the United Nations General Assembly in September. The Paris Peace Forum welcomes this recognition, which follows the Call drafted and presented by Israeli and Palestinian civil society groups.
June 13 saw the Paris Peace Forum convene 300 Israeli and Palestinian civil society leaders, as well as 200 personalities from the region, to work jointly on the Paris Call for the Two-State Solution which was presented to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot at a landmark civil society gathering on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict : the first gathering of this scale since the attacks of October 7th. The declaration, drafted jointly by Israeli, Palestinian, and international peacemakers, calls for immediate recognition of the State of Palestine, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and full humanitarian access to Gaza. It was formally handed to the Minister during the conference’s closing session and is a key input to the UN High-Level Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Palestinian Question of July 28-29 in New York. The participants were then welcomed at the Elysée Palace by French President Emmanuel Macron, where he addressed them on the steps of the presidential residence and took time to answer their questions.
Their call has now been heard. As the UN is welcoming a Franco-Saudi conference on the two-state solution today and tomorrow, President Macron has declared that France will recognize Palestine as a state, with the official announcement to be made during the UN General Assembly in September. This decision recognizes that beyond necessary discussions on peace, security, borders, hostages and other aspects, the Palestinian people have a fundamental right to self-determination. This is all the more crucial in the face of the ongoing humanitarian tragedy, where civilians face daily violence and hunger. We believe that civil society has a very important role to play in this process, as sustainable peace is only possible when dialogue exists not just between leaders but also populations, which is why our Call notably mentions the importance of creating an International Fund for Peace dedicated to empowering and scaling the work of civil society. We hope that other global actors will follow suit, and we will continue to play our role in bringing together all those who desire a sustainable peace, including discussions set to take place during our 8th annual Paris Peace Forum on 29-30 October.
“France’s recognition of the State of Palestine is a courageous and necessary step, and one that gives political weight to the aspirations of both peoples to live in peace, in two sovereign states, side by side. It directly responds to the appeal launched from Paris by Israeli, Palestinian, and international civil society actors, who showed on June 13 that dialogue and cooperation are still possible, even in the darkest of times,” said Justin Vaïsse, Founder and Director General of the Paris Peace Forum.
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About the Paris Peace Forum: The Forum is a platform to originate, shape & share multi-actor responses towards global peace & sustainable prosperity. By convening key decision-makers and fostering collaboration between governments, international organizations, businesses, and civil society, we ensure that diplomacy is not just discussed but reinvented to meet the demands of a changing world. For more information, visit parispeaceforum.org.
About the Paris Call for the Two-State Solution: The Paris Call was presented at a civil society conference hosted by the Paris Peace Forum at the French Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE), with drafting led by six leading civil society coalitions: the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), the Alliance for Two States, Forum 1325, Les Guerrières de la Paix, the International Peace Forum, and the Two-State Solution Coalition.
