Oslo Forum: When peace becomes the gateway to sustainable development
Oslo Forum: When peace becomes the gateway to sustainable development
What is noticeable in the past few years is that the world is facing an escalation in conflicts and a complication in geopolitical crises, as achieving peace has become an urgent humanitarian and development necessity, and a necessity to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the sixteenth goal concerned with peace, justice and strong institutions. Therefore, theOslo Forum comes to play a pivotal role in promoting international dialogue and building constructive partnerships.
From this standpoint,Earth Guardsin this article focuses on reviewing the various dimensions addressed by the Oslo Forum, and its close relationship to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), while carefully considering Egypt’s participation within this international event, as a model that embodies the intersection between effective diplomacy and sustainable development. Overall.
A History of Global Mediation
Since its launch in 2003, the Oslo Forum has become a leading international platform that brings together global leaders, international mediators, and experts to assess crises, support dialogue, and build paths toward comprehensive peace. It also provides - organized by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - safe spaces for constructive discussion, enabling participants to exchange visions and discuss controversial issues at the regional and global levels.
In addition to the annual meetings in Norway, the last of which was in 2024 under the slogan “Mediation Despite All Challenges,” with the participation of more than 150 international figures from 60 countries; The Forum holds regional events in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East, the most prominent of which is the workshop on mediation and preventive diplomacy for the Security Council in January 2022, then the Muscat meeting in November 2023.
For two decades, this forum has been able to host senior decision-makers, from heads of state and foreign ministers to international mediators, and thus contributed to bringing together conflict parties from multiple regions, such as Afghanistan, Syria, and Colombia, with its influential work - internationally - in the field of developing political, digital and climate contexts, and its continuing efforts towards expanding the scope of international partnerships. In order to support mediation as an effective tool for building sustainable peace around the world.
Today - June 11 - in the heart of the Norwegian capital, dozens of foreign ministers, diplomats, and mediation experts are meeting; Those who have vision and courage, trying to rethink what the world is going through, and explore new paths by which the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be achieved; Under the slogan “All Hands on the Table: Mediation in a Changing World”.
This year’s edition of the Oslo Forum will be attended by high-level participants; Among them are: Dr. Badr Abdel Ati, “Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration,” Mr. Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, “Saudi Foreign Minister,” Mr. Badr al-Busaidi, “Omani Foreign Minister,” and Mr. Kao Kim Horn, “Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.”
This is in addition to figures representing international mediation institutions such as the Global Dialogue Initiative, the German Berghof Center, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Norwegian Institute for International Relations (NUPI).
Oslo Forum interlocutors
The themes of this year’s Oslo Forum are based on a deep understanding of the interconnectedness between security and sustainable development. Discussions will also address how geopolitical rivalries are evolving in emerging areas, such as outer space, and why sustainable mediation is essential during the implementation of peace agreements.
For Egypt, its presence this year at the Oslo Forum will strengthen its position as a regional model capable of combining political solutions with development visions. In a time when countries compete for diminishing resources, those who have the ability to produce stability become a desirable partner.
Therefore, the Minister of Foreign Affairs - Dr. Badr Abdel Aty - will hold a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the forum, in which he will discuss ways to strengthen bilateral relations between Egypt and Norway. The Egyptian Minister will also exchange visions with ministers and international officials regarding various regional and international developments.
In the end, what the Oslo Forum puts on the negotiating table, the peoples will reap in the form of a comprehensive and just peace, in accordance with the Sustainable Development Plan; That ambitious global vision for a world without conflicts and a land with available resources.
