Digital technologies are reshaping conflict and peace processes, with significant implications for the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. Against this backdrop, CMI, the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (UN DPPA), and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) are convening a unique gathering of experts to discuss whether AI can make peace mediation more inclusive and to explore the opportunities and risks of digital technologies for the WPS agenda.
The webinar is open to all through registration and will take place on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, at 9:30–10:45 am EST / 15:30–16:45 CET.
Register here.
The webinar will explore how digital technologies, including AI, can both enable and constrain inclusive peace mediation, with a particular focus on gender-responsive approaches. It will feature practical insights and examples from Afghanistan, Armenia, and Sudan, and will mark the launch of a new Practical Guidance Note for Mediators on Digital Inclusion.
This event held in the context of the high-level seminar series on gender and inclusive mediation, jointly implemented by CMI, UN DPPA, and PRIO, with the support of Norway and Finland.
The webinar will be held in English, with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic.
Programme
9:30 – 9:35 Opening remarks by Dr. Janne Taalas, CEO of CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation
9:35 – 10:15 Panel discussion:
- Georgette Gagnon, Officer-in-Charge and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Political), UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA
- Ani Papyan, Peacebuilding practitioner, Armenia
- Reem Abbas, Feminist activist, researcher and writer, Sudan
Panel is moderated by Johanna Poutanen, Head of Inclusion and Digital Innovation, CMI – Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation
10:15 – 10:20 Commentary remarks by Kristoffer Lidén, Senior researcher, PRIO
10:20 – 10:25 Commentary remarks by Silva Armani, Political Affairs Officer, Innovation Cell, Policy and Mediation Division, UN DPPA
10:25 – 10:35 Questions from the audience
10:35 – 10:40 Concluding remarks from the panellists and moderator
10:40 – 10:45 Closing remarks by Eiko Ikegaya, Chief of Mediation Support and Innovation, Policy and Mediation Division, UN DPPA
To participate in the webinar, all participants are kindly asked to register by 13 April 2026 through the link.
To read all our practical guidance notes on gender-inclusive mediation, you can find them here.
