Türkiye has taken on a leading role in the peaceful resolution of conflicts since the establishment of the “Mediation for Peace” initiative at the UN in 2010. As the only country to simultaneously co-chair Contact Groups/Groups of Friends on Mediation at the UN, the OSCE, and the OIC, Türkiye has been hosting the İstanbul Mediation Conferences since 2012. The Conferences have become one of the world’s leading platforms in the field of conflict resolution and mediation.

The 8th İstanbul Mediation Conferences will take place on 10 March 2022, under the patronage of H.E. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, as a prelude to the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), and at the same venue, under the theme of: “Spotlight on Mediation in a Changing Peace Landscape.” The aim is to create a synergy between the two events, and to address the issues of preventive diplomacy and mediation as a contribution to the broader ADF theme: “Recoding Diplomacy”.

The Conference will begin with the “High-Level Opening Session” hosted by H.E. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu. The Foreign Ministers of Kuwait and the State of Palestine will speak at this session where Secretaries-General of the UN and the OSCE will join with video messages.

The Conference will continue with “Masters’ Stage”, where prominent figures in mediation will share their insights, and then with a panel on “Women and Youth in Peace Mediation”, where the importance of women and youth inclusion in mediation processes will be discussed.

As was the case with the previous Conferences, the 8th İstanbul Mediation Conference will bring together leaders, diplomats, experts, representatives of international organizations, academia, and representatives of think tanks from the world. Representatives from 6 international/regional organizations and 25 think-tanks will be at the Conference, where around 200 people from more than 40 countries will attend.

The Conference will be livestreamed on our Ministry’s official YouTube channel.