The 2026 Annual Policy Conference of the Group of 78
October 9-10, 2026, University of Ottawa
Venue: Room 4007, The Social Sciences Building, University of Ottawa, one of Ottawa’s premier conference venues.
Purposes of the Conference
1) To develop an agenda of action to confront the institutions and forces that benefit from the spread and perpetuation of war.
2) To radically shift public and private resources and decisions toward peace, disarmament, and human security.
3) To lay the foundation of the architecture for peace in the 21st century, one that will be capable of addressing and ultimately reversing the complex threats facing humanity and the planet.
Current Context
The global community faces a cluster of dynamic, inter-related crises that have combined to ignite and sustain international, regional and local conflicts: unfettered arms production and territorial aggression by major powers; the growing existential threat of nuclear war; unprecedented disruptions in longstanding trading relationships and defence alliances; the deepening effects of climate change, including extreme weather events; mass migration by conflict and climate refugees; radical economic disparities within and across nation states; extreme political polarization fueled by social media; and wholly inadequate ethical governance of artificial intelligence.
The institutions created after World War II to maintain peace, security and a rules-based international order – especially the United Nations, its Security Council and many conventions; the International Criminal Court; and the Bretton-Woods organizations – have proven incapable of addressing the complexity of this polycrisis. From Gaza to Ukraine, Iran to Sudan, the world is less safe and more dangerous. New momentum must be built to meet this moment.
Deliverables: Engaging a Chief Rapporteur supported by a team of Student Rapporteurs from Ottawa and Carleton universities, the conference will generate 1) a conference report; 2) conference background papers and list of pre-conference readings; 3) a video recording of the proceedings; and 4) a conference statement on how the Government of Canada can and should support, contribute to, and lead the urgent and essential process of reinventing the architecture of peace.
The conference will produce a set of policy recommendations to the Government of Canada.
Conference Speakers: The Group of 78 is identifying speakers for keynotes and panels who represent some of the most leading-edge and critical policy analysis, scholarship, and activism in the peace and security field. These include both international and Canadian leaders and experts. A priority is placed on recruiting speakers from peace-seeking civil-society, women’s, youth and Indigenous organizations in both the Global South and North. The conference will also draw on the deep experience and skill in peace and security among the Group of 78’s own Board of Directors.
Contact:
Richard Harmston, Chair, Peace and Security Working Group and Board Secretary, Group of 78; E-mail: richardharmston@gmail.com.
July 31, 2026