The thirteenth session of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to the Development will focus on the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development and will include thematic discussions around contemporary challenges and cross-cutting themes for the operationalization of the right to development. During this session, Ms. Ibáñez will present and lead a thematic discussion on the study “Peace and security and the right to development” on Wednesday 22 April 2026 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This discussion aims to reflect on the study’s findings, gather further contributions, and foster a constructive exchange on how to implement its conclusions and recommendations in practice. Speakers/Participants: Michael Collins, Executive Director of Americas, IEP Ms. Juana María Ibáñez, member of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development (EMRTD) Ambassador of Bosnia Herzegovina The Chairman of Humanity First, UK A legal expert from Columbia Law School For more information, please visit: https://www.ohchr.org/en/events/sessions/2026/thirteenth-session-expert-mechanism-right-development

The Future Action Summit Australia 2026 is a four-day international leadership summit bringing together young changemakers, leaders, policymakers, and sustainability advocates to shape a just and inclusive world beyond 2030. Hosted in Sydney, the summit serves as a dynamic platform for youth-led collaboration, innovation, and dialogue on the future of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As the 2030 deadline approaches, it challenges participants to think beyond goals, reimagining leadership and co-creating sustainable solutions for the future. IEP is proud to partner with Echo Change for this summit. As a contributing partner, IEP will deliver a 30-minute presentation on the Global Peace Index (GPI), followed by a 90-minute interactive workshop on Positive Peace, equipping participants with practical frameworks to better understand and build peaceful, resilient societies. Speakers: TBA

The UAE Mission to the United Nations, in partnership with New York University’s Peace Research and Education Program (NYU-PREP), is developing a TPS Series—a set of expert roundtables linked to the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2686 on Tolerance, Peace and Security (TPS). The first roundtable "Sustaining Peace through the Tolerance, Peace and Security (TPS) Agenda" will provide an opportunity for a broad range of stakeholders, including Member States, United Nations entities, academia, civil society organisations, and practitioners, to examine how hate speech, acts of extremism, and related forms of intolerance are affecting peace and security dynamics in different contexts. The roundtable will: Provide an overview of how hate speech, extremism, and related forms of intolerance influence conflict dynamics and peace processes across the peace continuum; Facilitate an exchange of perspectives among stakeholders on how these dynamics are affecting international peace and security and the work of the United Nations, including peace operations, the Peacebuilding Commission, and UN Country Teams; Gather perspectives and recommendations to inform the development of a shared framework and practical guidance to support implementation across the peace continuum

The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), in collaboration with the Eglise du Christ au Congo, is delivering a Positive Peace training in Kinshasa aimed at equipping and empowering women leaders across the Democratic Republic of Congo. Bringing together 25 women from multiple provinces, this initiative will support participants to develop practical peacebuilding projects while strengthening leadership, community engagement and social cohesion. IEPs Partnership Development Manager, Patricia Garcia, will facilitate the training, supported by Dr. Marthe Maleke Kondemo, Assistant Facilitator and Director of the Department of Women and Families of the Eglise du Christ au Congo (ECC). Through the Positive Peace framework, participants will: Propose projects and interventions that meet their needs and foster peace in their communities, and Strengthen community engagement and improve their leadership skills