NEW YORK, May 6, 2026 — Indigenous leaders, diplomats and United Nations officials convened in New York for the Second Global Summit on Indigenous Peacebuilding, issuing a call to reframe global peace and security efforts by placing Indigenous Peoples at the center of conflict prevention and resolution.
Held in New York City on April 25–26, 2026, the two-day summit gathered 300 representatives from 80 countries and seven socio-cultural regions of the world amid growing concern that a majority of the world’s conflicts occur in biodiversity-rich areas inhabited by Indigenous Peoples.
Organizers said the summit has already influenced international policy discussions. The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues referenced the event and its recommendations in its 2026 outcome document, including a proposal to declare 2027–2037 an International Decade of Indigenous Peacebuilding.
Opening the Summit, Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder-Director of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network and President of the Global Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace, called for a fundamental shift: “It is time to move from seeing Indigenous Peoples as victims of conflict to recognizing them as experts, mediators, and negotiators of peace.” The Summit built on the outcomes of the first global gathering, which led to the first-ever declaration on Indigenous Peacebuilding and the creation of a Global Network of Indigenous Peacebuilders, Mediators and Negotiators to help resolve some of the world’s most entrenched conflicts.
A series of global initiatives were launched at the gathering, including the Global Indigenous Mothers March for Peace, Healing and Unity, the recognition of an innovative and much-needed Indigenous Humanitarian Peacebuilding (IHP) Model to respond directly to survivors in war and conflict zones, a forthcoming book on Indigenous Peacebuilding, and the rollout of online and in-person curriculum programs to train Indigenous peacebuilders worldwide.
A central feature of the summit was the Weaving for Peace exhibition, which brought together traditional textiles from Indigenous communities across Manipur, Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Bolivia, the Haudenosaunee, the Sámi region, Maasai Regions, Amazon and the Sahel, highlighting cultural resilience as a foundation for peace.
Speakers pointed to rising global displacement—estimated at around 200 million people—with many conflicts linked to resource extraction, environmental degradation and transnational organized crime affecting Indigenous territories with huge humanitarian consequence. Aluki Kotierk, Chair of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, underscored the role of Indigenous knowledge systems rooted in balance and reciprocity. “Indigenous Peoples must be recognized not as security threats, but as part of the security infrastructure,” said Dr Albert Barume, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Issues, framing Indigenous peacebuilding as a matter of international peace and security.
Justin Mohammad, Ambassador for First Nations People, Australia, said Indigenous diplomacy has long shaped relations across regions and should be integrated into modern peace processes.
“When multilateral institutions are being questioned, we need governance—but we must humanize it,” said Laura Gil, Assistant Secretary General of the Organization of American States. Omar Hilale, Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations and Chair of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission, emphasized the need for inclusive peacebuilding approaches that incorporate Indigenous knowledge and local leadership.
Laura Flores Director of Americas Division of the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs also joined and stated, “member states are increasingly recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ role in peacebuilding, including through a landmark resolution on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and their role in peacebuilding, negotiations, and transitional justice.”
Ana Pérez Conguache, representing the Guatemala Presidential Commission, highlighted the importance of addressing land rights, inequality and historical injustices as part of sustainable peace.
Ambassador David Lametti, Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations also spoke at the Summit pledging support for Indigenous Peacebuilding.
Many scholars and leaders from conflict affected regions such as Dr Noni Arambam, Maisnam Arnapal, Adam Kuleit Ole Mwarabu, Daniel Mastaki from DRC, Nuba Mountain and many others also spoke.
Participants concluded with a shared message: that the world’s Indigenous Peoples are the world’s peacemakers; that wars and conflicts currently engineered in Indigenous territories must end immediately; and that Indigenous Peoples who are displaced must be protected.
That justice, inclusion, and the leadership of Indigenous Peoples—their peacemaking and their wisdom—hold the key for healing people, for peace and the planet, and it’s time UN member states and the world realize and ensure this in policy, planning, action, and resourcing. Photos from the Summit are attached.
Contact: Media/Global Network of Indigenous Peacebuilders, Mediators and Negotiators/ Alliance of Indigenous Peoples, Gender Justice and Peace
Email: newyorksummit@indigenouspeacebuildersnetwork.org
https://www.indigenouspeacebuildersnetwork.org
2026 Activities
90+ Organizations Call for a Ban on the EU-Israel Association Agreement
April 16th 2026
Dear President von der Leyen,
Dear High Representative / Vice-President Kallas,
Dear Foreign Ministers of the EU member states,
We, the undersigned humanitarian and human rights organisations and trade unions, write to you as Israeli authorities escalate their brutal repression and illegal annexation policies in Palestine, and violations of international humanitarian law (IHL) in Palestine and Lebanon to urge you to adopt the long-overdue measures proposed by President von der Leyen in September 2025, in particular the suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, along with any additional steps necessary to comply with international law, including banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements and suspending all transfers and transit of arms to Israel.
Already in June 2025, the EU had found Israel in breach of Article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which identifies respect of human rights and democratic principles as “essential elements” of the treaty. Ongoing actions by Israeli authorities in Israel, throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and in Lebanon further compound that breach, and are causing immense suffering to millions throughout the region.
Last month, the Israeli Knesset passed a discriminatory death penalty law that significantly expands the scope and application of the death penalty, in effect targeting Palestinians only. The law is not only an egregious violation of the rights to life and fair trial of Palestinians, but also adds to the growing body of discriminatory legislation and policies implemented by Israeli authorities against Palestinians, which the International Court of Justice has found to violate Article 3 CERD, which prohibits racial segregation and apartheid, in its Advisory Opinion of July 2024. Numerous UN bodies and experts, Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organisations, and renowned legal scholars, have also documented how these policies and legislation amount to the system and crime against humanity of apartheid.
In the occupied West Bank, Israel is accelerating its illegal annexation policies and practices and is intensifying repression and serious abuses against Palestinians. Since the start of the war with Iran and Lebanon, the situation has severely worsened. Since 28 February, Israeli authorities have imposed strict movement restrictions across the OPT. In addition to previously existing check-points, dozens of new road gates have been installed by Israeli authorities in the West Bank since October 2023, most of which are now closed, severely impacting Palestinians’ access to their lands, workplaces, schools, health and emergency services. Moreover, Israeli forces and state-backed settlers have increased attacks against Palestinians, with over 200 attacks in March alone, including reports of sexual abuse. According to UN OCHA this year Israeli forces and settlers have killed 34 Palestinians, including seven children and injured 771, including 97 children. Attacks are increasingly directed towards larger Palestinian villages in area B, spreading through the West Bank. Since October 2023, state-backed settler violence has led to the displacement of 38 entire Palestinian communities. Less than three months into 2026, 1700 Palestinians have been displaced, already surpassing the total for the whole of 2025. For violent settlers, impunity remains the norm: according to Israeli NGOs, only 3% of cases lead to a full or partial conviction. In contrast, for Palestinians the conviction rate in military courts is 99%.
The increasingly lethal state-backed settler violence goes hand in hand with the acceleration of illegal settlement expansion and annexation policies through a set of measures recently adopted by Israel to displace and dispossess Palestinians in the West Bank. In August 2025, the Israeli Higher Planning Council approved the E1 plan, meant to cut through the occupied Palestinian land, with Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for atrocity crimes, saying out loud that the E1’s goal is to ensure “that there will be no Palestinian state”. In illegally annexed East Jerusalem, Israeli authorities forcibly evicted 15 Palestinian families, including 29 children, from their homes in Batn al-Hawa in Silwan last month. At least 200 other families in the neighbourhood face the risk of forced eviction to enable the unlawful takeover of their homes by settler organisations.
Meanwhile, more than 9560 Palestinians are held in Israeli detention, half of whom are held without charges or trial, either under administrative detention or under the Unlawful Combatants’ Law. Israel currently detains 351 Palestinian children, with more than half held in administrative detention without charge or trial. UN experts, Palestinian and Israeli NGOs have documented systematic torture and inhuman and degrading treatment against Palestinian prisoners, and Israeli authorities continue to deny the ICRC access to all places of detention.
In the occupied Gaza Strip, the Israel-made humanitarian catastrophe persists. Israel remains in breach of three binding orders of the International Court of Justice in the case brought by South Africa for alleged violation of the UN Genocide Convention, including to ensure unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance, and to preserve evidence. The UN Commission of Inquiry, alongside numerous human rights organisations and legal scholars, has found that Israeli authorities have committed and are continuing to commit genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Since the start of a so-called ceasefire in October 2025, at least 736 Palestinians have been killed. Airstrikes, shelling and gunfire continues on both sides of the so-called “Yellow Line”, a temporary military demarcation that now risks evolving into an enduring territorial division. In the meantime, newly introduced registration requirements, which violate established humanitarian principles and data protection laws, allowed the Israeli authorities to further restrict the operational space for dozens of international humanitarian organisations.
Israeli policies throughout the OPT run counter the obligations laid out in the July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which found Israel’s occupation to be unlawful and marred by serious abuses, including Israel’s breach of Article 3 of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, which prohibits racial segregation and apartheid. The Court clarified Israel should end its occupation, dismantle its settlements, allow Palestinians to return to their homes and provide them with reparations for the harm suffered.
Several experts have warned about the possible “Gazafication” of the conflict in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have displaced over 1.2 million people, around one fifth of the country’s population, in their offensive against Hezbollah, following overly broad evacuation orders which do not constitute effective guarantees of protection. The Israeli military has targeted healthcare facilities and workers, journalists, and civilian infrastructure, including bridges, which will severely impact the ability to deliver food for the people who cannot or choose not to leave their homes, and who should continue to be protected under IHL. Israeli authorities indicated the area would become a “buffer zone” in which all Lebanese homes in border villages will be destroyed and Israel will maintain control over the south of Lebanon up to the Litani river, as stated by Minister Katz.
These developments come on the heels of decades of toothless EU statements of concern and calls for a “two-state solution” that have been largely ignored by Israeli authorities, to no consequences. We welcome commitments by five member states (Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Belgium, and The Netherlands) to ban imports of goods from illegal Israeli settlements, as required by international law and the ICJ’s advisory opinion of July 2024, and commend Spain for having already banned the imports of goods and advertisements of both goods and services from illegal Israeli settlements as of September 2025. We urge the EU to do the same, in compliance with Articles 3(5) and 21(1) TEU, and in line with its longstanding, unanimous condemnation of Israeli settlement policies as illegal and an “obstacle to a two-state solution” that the EU claims to pursue.
To date, no qualified majority has been reached in the Council to suspend the trade provisions of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, despite repeated calls from member states, Members of the European Parliament, civil society and the European public. This failure to act risks rendering the Association Agreement’s human rights clause meaningless in practice, further tarnishes the EU’s credibility and emboldens the sense of impunity fueling Israel’s growing abuses. We call on member states to support the suspension of the agreement, and urge the Council to reflect on the reputational, legal and most of all human consequences of continued inaction in the face of mounting evidence of crimes under international law committed by Israel both in Palestine and Lebanon.
The European Union and its member states should immediately suspend all transfers and transit of arms, munitions, equipment, technology, parts and dual-use goods to Israel This obligation is not discretionary but arises under both EU and international law. Article 6 and 7 of the Arms Trade Treaty and the EU Common Position on Arms Exports requires states not to transfer arms to a recipient where a clear risk exists they might be used in serious violation of IHL, as is the case for Israel. In addition, Common Article 1 of the 1949 Geneva Conventions requires that States respect and ensure respect for IHL. While several member states have already suspended arms exports, we urge all remaining states to do so without delay. In addition, the EU should take coordinated action at the institutional level to prevent the transit of arms, components, and dual-use goods through its territory to Israel, including by closing existing regulatory and enforcement gaps.
The patterns documented in this letter are the predictable consequence of decades of impunity: a failure by the international community to hold Israeli authorities accountable, and a willingness to allow political considerations to override legal obligations. What remains absent is the political will to act. The measures we urge in this letter, suspending arms transfers, banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements, and suspending the Association Agreement, are not mere political choices. They are legal obligations. The people of Palestine and Lebanon deserve action and accountability, not concerns and condolences. The time to act is long overdue.
Signatories:
International:
ACT Alliance EU
ActionAid International
Amnesty International
Avaaz
Bystanders No More
Caritas Europa
CIDSE- International family of Catholic Social Justice Organisations
Committee to Protect Journalists
Ekō
EuroMed Rights
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
Global Witness
Human Rights Watch
International Media Support
International Peace Bureau
International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims
Medico International
Oxfam
Pax Christi International
SJES / Society of Jesus
SOLIDAR
United Against Inhumanity
World BEYOND War
World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
Member state-based:
11.11.11, Belgium
Act Church of Sweden
Action des Chrétiens pour l’Abolition de la Torture, Luxembourg
ActionAid Denmark
ACV-CSC Belgium
Adala for All, France
Afri (Action from Ireland), Ireland
Ambasada Rog, Slovenia
Association France Palestine Solidarité, France
Avocats Sans Frontières, Belgium
Belgian Academics and Artists for Palestine (BA4P/BACBI), Belgium
Broederlijk Delen, Belgium
Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies
Centre for Global Education, Ireland
Centro Pace ecologia e diritti umani, Italy
CGIL, Italy
Christian Aid Ireland
CISS, Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud, Italy
CNCD, Belgium
Comhlámh, Ireland
Comhlámh Justice for Palestine, Ireland
Comité pour une Paix Juste au Proche-Orient, Luxembourg
Committee to Protect Journalists
COPE – Cooperazione Paesi Emergenti, Italy
COSPE, Italy
Danes je nov dan, Inštitut za druga vprašanja, Slovenia
Diakonia, Sweden
Dignity- Danish Institute against Torture, Denmark
docP – BDS Netherlands
EDUCO, Spain
Een Ander Joods Geluid, The Netherlands
Entraide et Fraternité, Belgium
European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine, Belgium
European Trade Union Network for Justice in Palestine, Belgium
FGTB-ABVV, Belgium
Friends of the Earth, Spain
Gaza Group GCDG, Belgium
Glosa, Slovenia
International Committee Against House Demolitions – Germany
Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Ireland
Jewish Call for Peace, Luxembourg
Jews For Palestine Ireland
Junts Associació Catalana de Jueus i Palestins, Spain
Kairos Ireland
Law4Palestine, UK and Sweden
Ligue des droits humains (LDH), France
Nederlands Palestina Komitee, The Netherlands
Olof Palme International Center, Sweden
Palestina Solidariteit vzw, Belgium
PAX, the Netherlands
Peace Institute, Slovenia
Platform of French NGOs for Palestine, France
Portuguese Platform of Development NGOs, Portugal
Pro Peace, Germany
Reka Si, Slovenia
Sadaka-The Ireland Palestine Alliance, Ireland
Slovene Philanthropy, Slovenia
Solsoc, Belgium
Swedish Peace and Arbitration Society, Sweden
SweFOR, Sweden
The Rights Forum, The Netherlands
The Palestine Solidarity Association in Sweden
Trócaire, Ireland
Uniting Church in Sweden
Viva Salud, Belgium
Weltfriedensdienst e.V., Germany
Women for Peace, Finland
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom WILPF Finland
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom WILPF Italy
Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom WILPF Spain
Tectonic Geopolitical Changes: Which Way to Peace and A Nuclear Weapon-Free World
On the Eve of the NPT Review Conference International Civil Society Demands an End to Wars & a Nuclear Weapons-Free World
At a time when the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Doomsday Clock had been set to 85 seconds to midnight—the closest ever to global catastrophe—and when the viability of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) was under increasing strain, an international coalition of nuclear disarmament and peace organizations gathered on the eve of the 11th NPT Review Conference. The moment reflected what Antonio Gramsci described as a “time of monsters,” in which the old world is dying and the new struggles to be born.
Continue reading “Tectonic Geopolitical Changes: Which Way to Peace and A Nuclear Weapon-Free World”The world spent $2.88 trillion in the military in 2025. Take a stand with us today and protest this nonsense!
Today (Monday 27) might be the most important day of this year’s Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS), with several events taking place all across the world.
SIPRI has just published new data on military spending for the year 2025, and the figures show a new growth in military spending, reaching $2.88 trillion, an increase of 2.9% compared to last year, marking he 11th consecutive year of growth and the highest spending level ever recorded by SIPRI.Global military expenditure rose in 2025 despite a drop in spending by the United States, the world’s biggest spender. A sharp increase in European spending and continued growth in Asia and Oceania were more than enough to offset the decrease in US spending during the year. World military expenditure excluding the USA grew by 9.2 per cent in 2025. The five biggest spenders in 2025 were the United States, China, Russia, Germany and India, which together accounted for 58% of world military spending. The USA’s military spending fell by 7.5 per cent to $954 billion in 2025, while China’s spending rose by 7.4 per cent to an estimated $336 billion.
Continue reading “The world spent $2.88 trillion in the military in 2025. Take a stand with us today and protest this nonsense!”GDAMS 2026 Appeal · A Call to Action Against Global Militarization
The global security landscape has deteriorated massively in recent years: the number of wars and violent armed conflicts active today is the highest since the end of World War II, erupting across the world and drawing in an unprecedented number of states and actors. From Gaza and the West Bank, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Ukraine, Venezuela, Iran, and beyond, levels of violence, civilian suffering, and violations of international law have reached heinous heights, including the commission of genocide.
Continue reading “GDAMS 2026 Appeal · A Call to Action Against Global Militarization”For a New Foundation of International Institutions
The United States’ withdrawal from UNESCO,combined with the drastic reduction of its financial aid to UN agencies promoting the achievement of the SDGs(Sustainable Development Goals), was already undermining the objective of “human security” theorized by the UNDP in 1994 and progressively highlighted by various UN agencies, as acknowledged for example by Bertrand Badie in his book”L’Art de la Paix”(“The Art of Peace”-2024).
We are now witnessing a new assault on the United Nations(UN) with the establishment by the President of the United States of a “Peace Council”,with prerogatives that would extend beyond the question of Gaza.
Continue reading “For a New Foundation of International Institutions”Save the dates for GDAMS 2026:April 10 to May 9
From Gaza, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to Ukraine, Venezuela and Iran, levels of violence, civilian suffering, and violations of international law have reached heinous heights, including the perpetration of genocide.
This surge in conflict is not accidental or inescapable, it reflects a broader resurgence of imperialism and militarization, spearheaded by the US, in which brute force, military might and coercion have become dominant tools of international relations. Powerful states and regional actors continue to wage and fuel wars – not only through direct intervention but also through extensive arms transfers, strategic alliances and geopolitical competition – prioritizing narrow interests over human security and peace.
Continue reading “Save the dates for GDAMS 2026:April 10 to May 9”Sean Conner: “Venezuela represents a change in the tactics of war with immeasurable consequences”
02.02.26- Santiago, Chile – Pablo Ruiz Espinoza in Pressenza International
The attack on Venezuela by the United States and a series of threats, the application of sanctions and punishments, through blockades or the raising of tariffs, against Mexico, Cuba, Colombia, Iran, Canada, Greenland, among others, represent a clear threat to International Law, returning to the law of the strongest.
On the other hand, militarization continues in Europe, and four years will have passed since the start of the war in Ukraine, where efforts continue to perpetuate this conflict by sending more weapons and militarizing Europe itself.
On these topics, the following is an interview with Sean Conner, Executive Director of the International Peace Bureau (IPB). Conner holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Intercultural and Critical Communication Studies from the State University of New York at Geneseo and a Master of Arts degree in Intercultural Conflict Management.
Continue reading “Sean Conner: “Venezuela represents a change in the tactics of war with immeasurable consequences””No to War, No to Abduction: IPB Calls for Global Opposition to U.S. Intervention in Venezuela
The International Peace Bureau (IPB) firmly condemns the US military strikes in Venezuela, and the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife to stand trial in the US. This illegal act of war has already led to the death of civilians and military personnel alike and risks throwing both Venezuela and the wider Latin American and Caribbean region into greater instability and deeper conflict. Though the US claims that the military intervention is over, we must be wary of continued military and non-military intervention in Venezuela during this sensitive and volatile moment – as we have seen in past instances such as post-Gaddafi Libya, there is likely further instability to come.
Continue reading “No to War, No to Abduction: IPB Calls for Global Opposition to U.S. Intervention in Venezuela”