On Thursday, 26 February 2026, Sara Hellmüller, Research Professor at the Geneva Graduate Institute and faculty member at the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding, spoke in Doha at the launch of the World Mediation Report 2026, titled Peace Mediation in an Era of Normative and Institutional Collapse.
The report was launched by the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies and the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies in Doha. The publication examines the state of mediation amid rapid geopolitical transformation, escalating conflicts, erosion of normative frameworks, and overlapping regional and international roles. Drawing on case studies from several conflict affected regions, it assesses lessons learned and considers how mediation tools might be strengthened in the period ahead.
Following the launch, Hellmüller joined a panel alongside Alex de Waal, Dan Smith, Mahjoob Zweiri, and Seán Deely to reflect on the report’s key findings and their implications for global peace efforts.
Two Re-Emerging Trends Affecting the Basics of Mediation
Drawing on her chapter co-authored with Bilal Salaymaeh on mediation in the Middle East, Professor Hellmüller identified two re-emerging trends that affect what she described as the very basics of mediation practice.
The first is the reprioritization of military over political means to address conflict, particularly in cases involving actors designated as terrorist organizations. In such contexts, political engagement is often constrained, narrowing the space for inclusive dialogue and negotiated settlements.
The second is the "increasing prioritization of bilateral and mini lateral arrangements that bypass multilateral frameworks and the United Nations." Rather than relying on established multilateral institutions, she said states are turning to smaller coalitions or direct negotiations. and while these formats may offer flexibility, they can also weaken shared norms and collective accountability mechanisms that have traditionally supported mediation efforts.
At the same time, Professor Hellmüller cautioned against viewing mediation itself as fundamentally in decline.
We can remind ourselves that mediation is also very much a mindset and a skillset that can be used in different settings, including non-proliferation negotiations... and it is important to distinguish what is in crisis from what is not in crisis, because from what is not in crisis, we can take ideas and build opportunities for the way forward.