Civil Society’s Crucial Contribution to Promoting and Protecting Human Rights, September 21st
This year’s Trygve Lie Symposium focused on recognizing the contributions of civil society to strengthening and protecting human rights. It addressed urgent issues of our time such as the global democratic recession, disinformation campaigns, anti-rights movements, including the pushback against women’s rights, and the challenges posed by new technologies. It also examined how individuals challenging the status quo are increasingly subjected to intimidation, reprisals, brute force, and authoritarian tactics. Speakers addressed how the international community can further protect and promote human rights and human rights defenders in order to create a more peaceful and equitable world for all. Read more>>

Innovations in Implementing the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, September 20th
This year’s 7th Annual Symposium event built upon the work of the Governments of Ireland, Mexico, and Kenya, that initiated “The Presidency Trio for Women, Peace and Security” during their time as elected members of the UN Security Council. The aim of this initiative was to put forth tangible actions that could be taken during their consecutive Council presidencies to prioritize the WPS Agenda. Building on the activism of these three countries, efforts to advance the WPS Agenda within the UN Security Council have evolved into the “Shared Commitments on WPS.” Since the start of the original Presidency Trio, as of 2023, sixteen past and present UN Security Council members have joined the Shared Commitments. Read more>>

IPI Hosts Foreign Ministers, Officials at 18th Annual Middle East Dinner, September 17th
On Sunday, September 17, 2023, IPI held its eighteenth annual Ministerial Working Dinner on the Middle East in its Trygve Lie Center for Peace, Security, and Development. The event was chaired by IPI President Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein and co-hosted by Qatar and the European Union, represented respectively by Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, and Josep Borrell, Vice President and High Representative of European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Participants had a frank discussion on regional issues held under the Chatham House Rule. Read more>>

Multilateralism by the Numbers: What People Want and How to Deliver It, September 12th
This event provided an opportunity for reflection on the current health of the multilateral system and identify ways to strengthen inclusive multilateralism for sustainable peace. The discussion drew on the results of a new global poll by the Open Society Foundations, which represents the views of more than 5.5 billion people on global priorities, global solidarity, financing for climate change and debt, and human rights. The discussion also drew on the findings of the Multilateralism Index, produced in 2022 by IPI and the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP). Read more>>