The Oslo Forum

The Oslo Forum is where peacemakers meet.

Since 2003, the Oslo Forum has hosted global leaders, mediators, conflict parties and experts to assess crises, support dialogue and create pathways to peace.

In a volatile world, the annual retreat in Norway and regional events provide safe, discreet spaces for diverse actors to share knowledge, discuss contentious issues and work on practical ways to address conflicts and geopolitical tensions.

Co-hosted by the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD) and Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the 21st edition of the Oslo Forum in 2024 focused on the theme “Mediation against all odds”.

Read the story here – with photos – on the risks and opportunities for mediation in many contexts from two full days of discussions with more than 150 global leaders, mediators, conflict actors and experts from 60 countries.

In addition to the gathering in Norway, the Oslo Forum has also convened regional retreats in Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, and other important events. This includes a retreat held in January 2022 on preventive diplomacy and mediation for the UN Security Council, during Norway’s presidency of the Council, and a gathering for the Middle East and North Africa region in Muscat, Oman in November 2023.

The Oslo Forum’s closed-door discussions, held under the Chatham House Rule of non-attribution, allow participants to speak openly and contribute ideas for sustainable solutions to conflicts. Attendance is by invitation only.

The Oslo Forum team shares insights and goes behind the scenes in The Mediator’s Studio – the podcast with exceptional stories and context from prominent peacemakers. Hosted by HD’s Adam Cooper and published on major podcast platforms, the series features dozens of interviews recorded at the retreats.

We also share expert guidance on mediation practice in various publications.

The Oslo Forum has been expanding and evolving as conflict landscapes shift and as the digital, environmental, and inclusion factors of peacemaking grow in importance.          

Over the past two decades, the Oslo Forum has hosted world leaders and key decision-makers of our time, including Ayman Safadi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan; Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, President of Somalia; Jimmy Carter, former President of the United States; Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia; Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former Deputy President of South Africa; António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Fatou Bensouda, former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; Catherine Ashton, former High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy; John Kerry, former United States Secretary of State; Retno Marsudi, former Foreign Minister of Indonesia; and hundreds of other senior officials, diplomats, mediators, and experts.

As a space to promote dialogue, the Forum has brought together parties across political divides in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, Colombia, Venezuela, and the Philippines, among others.