12-14 May 2025, Stockholm, Sweden

Organized by the United Nations Trust Fund for Human Security and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

The global security landscape is undergoing profound shifts, shaped by escalating conflicts, rising geopolitical tensions, and faltering faith in the efficacy of multilateral institutions. These challenges are further compounded by climate-induced disasters, pandemics, and large-scale displacement, all unfolding against the backdrop of rapid technological change that is altering modes of cooperation and governance.

In a world where 6 out of 7 people across the globe feel insecure, the value of human security and its mutually reinforcing relation to national security cannot be underestimated. As people are increasingly faced with sudden and interrelated insecurities, human security underscores how a new generation of interacting threats, if unaddressed, can undo years of development, sow the seeds of discontent, and translate into broader intra- and inter-state tensions. These threats are not only an affront to the survival, livelihood and dignity of people, but a growing menace to national, regional and international peace and prosperity.

This year’s Stockholm Forum on Peace and Development will grapple with this juxtaposition – what opportunities exist for strengthening peace and stability in the context of increasing conflict, disinformation, and challenges to governance at all levels? Through reflection, dialogue and creative discussions, the Forum will offer insights into how to navigate new realities to address current and future challenges, including through elevating discussions on human security.

With human security taking center stage at the 2025 Stockholm Forum, the UN Trust Fund for Human Security (UNTFHS) is co-organizing three events and engaged in supporting the closing plenary.

12 May 2025 – Welcome Reception hosted by UNTFHS and Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

13 May 2025 – High-level closed luncheon hosted by UNTFHS and SIPRI on Human Security in a Changing World

14 May 2025 – Session organized by the UNTFHS entitled Rethinking (Human) Security: Multi-level Governance Approaches for Navigating an Uncertain Future.

14 May 2025 – Closing plenary including participation by Ambassador Knut Vollebaek, Chair of the UN Advisory Board on Human Security

Rethinking (Human) Security: Multi-level Governance Approaches for Navigating an Uncertain Future

This session brings together policymakers and practitioners from diverse sectors and regions to share and discuss experiences on the application of human security. It will draw on four key initiatives with the League of Arab States, the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and in the African and Latin American regions, as well as others, to illustrate how human security provides a multilevel model that connects local realities with national, regional, and global trends, encouraging a risk-informed and long-term approach at the intersection of humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding. By anchoring decision-making in real-world needs and cultivating stronger linkages across levels of governance, this session will demonstrate how the human security approach offers a practical, action-oriented pathway to foster transformative solutions that build dialogue, enhance trust, and lay a foundation for impactful and sustainable change.

For more information on regional human security initiatives:

• Arab Region
• [Phase 1] [Phase 2]
• Pacific Islands Region
• African Region
• Latin America and Caribbean Region
• [Programme 1] [Programme 2]