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 remain 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 Oslo Forum celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023 with the theme “Power, politics and peacemaking”.

Read the story here – with photos and video – on the risks and opportunities for mediation in many contexts from two full days of discussions with more than 130 senior participants from 50 countries.

In 2023, we also launched the first Oslo Forum in Latin America and the Caribbean. Building on earlier regional retreats in Asia and Africa, the event in Mexico brought together mediation experts, conflict actors and government officials from 25 countries to advance peace efforts in the region.

See the Latin America and Caribbean story and photos here.

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 expanded and evolved over 20 years as conflict landscapes shift and as the digital, environmental and inclusion factors of peacemaking grow in importance.          

Past guests include António Guterres, Kofi Annan, Jimmy Carter, Fatou Bensouda, Retno Marsudi, Catherine Ashton, Karim A. A. Khan, Abdalla Hamdok, Catherine Samba-Panza, Thabo Mbeki and hundreds of other senior officials, diplomats, mediators and experts.

As a space to promote dialogue, the Forum has reached across divides many times by hosting delegates from the Philippines government and the MILF, the Colombian government and the FARC, and Taliban representatives and senior Afghan officials.

Representatives from across political divides in Syria and Venezuela have also attended.

See and search participants over the years.