PeaceCon 2024 | Closing Plenary: The Global Fragility Act and the Way Forward

Building Peace in a Time of Rising Violent Conflict

Amid a global rise in fragility and violence, including a deepening war in Ukraine and crisis in the Middle East, the peacebuilding community is navigating a dramatically evolving conflict landscape. New trends like artificial intelligence and environmental disruptions could cause large-scale shocks and violence. Meanwhile, a general decline in social cohesion and trust is complicating the resolution of violent conflicts. The rise of a wide array of new actors — both state and nonstate — is bringing forth a multipolar world, and new global fault lines are emerging. Despite these new challenges and shifts, the peacebuilding community has an opportunity to leverage scalable, evidence-based and locally led solutions to prevent and reduce conflict drivers while helping to build more sustainable peace and resiliency.

Charting a way forward for the peacebuilding community will require reframing peacebuilding in ways that are actionable, practical and results-oriented. It will require more effectively and urgently building champions among communities of policymakers, business leaders, bilateral and multilateral donors, the nonprofit sector, and the broader public.

On September 10, USIP and the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) hosted the 12th annual PeaceCon, the premier global gathering designed to address contemporary challenges in peacebuilding and conflict resolution. This year’s conference focused on the theme “Status Quo No More: Building Peace in a Time of Rising Violent Conflict” and brought together senior officials, thought leaders, policymakers and practitioners from around the globe to explore and tackle the challenges facing the peacebuilding community.

For more information about this event, including the full Day 1 agenda, please visit

Speakers:

Anne Witkowsky

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations, U.S. Department of State

Joe McMenamin

Principal Director in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Counternarcotics and Stabilization Policy, U.S. Department of Defense

Brittany Brown

Acting Assistant to the Administrator, Bureau of Conflict Prevention and Stabilization, USAID

Michele J. Sison

Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State

Joseph Sany, moderator

Vice President, Africa Center, U.S. Institute of Peace

Ambassador George E. Moose, closing remarks

Acting President, U.S. Institute of Peace

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The United States Institute of Peace is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical and essential for U.S. and global security. In conflict zones abroad, the Institute works with local partners to prevent, mitigate, and resolve violent conflict. To reduce future crises and the need for costly interventions, USIP works with governments and civil societies to build local capacities to manage conflict peacefully. The Institute pursues its mission by linking research, policy, training, analysis and direct action to support those who are working to build a more peaceful, inclusive world. Learn more about USIP