The Paris Peace Forum 2025 will be held on 29–30 October 2025 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, marking its 8th edition under the theme ‘New Coalitions for Peace, People, and the Planet.’
This annual gathering aims to foster international cooperation by bringing together leaders from governments, international organisations, civil society, business, and academia to discuss and advance solutions to pressing global challenges.
The program will focus on building new alliances to address issues such as climate change, conflict resolution, democracy, information integrity, and sustainable development. It will also commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, providing an opportunity to reinvigorate global climate efforts ahead of COP30 in Belém.
The Forum will feature over 300 speakers and a series of roundtables, discussions, and side events designed to promote concrete actions and partnerships.
Under the subtheme “New Coalitions for Peace,” the Forum will dedicate a series of five sessions to digital and cyber issues, exploring the role of technology in both fostering and threatening international stability. Sessions include Cyber Peace in a Fragmented World: Securing Digital Resilience Through International Cooperation, Mediator or Firestarter? The Dual Role of Digital Media in Conflict Resolution, Disinformation and Democratic Resilience: Tools for Countering Digital Threats, Building a Resilient Digital Future: Multistakeholder Leadership in Action, and Securing the Digital Commons and High-Risk Actors: Operational Launch of the Common Good Cyber Fund.
The AI for Good Impact Africa event, organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), will take place on 31 October 2025 in Johannesburg, South Africa, coinciding with the AI Expo Africa from 29 to 31 October. This regional gathering is part of ITU’s broader AI for Good Impact Initiative, which aims to foster innovation, build local capacity, and strengthen partnerships to accelerate the development and adoption of AI solutions addressing pressing societal challenges.
The programme will feature keynotes, panels, pitching competitions, and hands-on sessions designed to showcase impactful AI solutions and enhance participants’ skills. A special focus will be placed on empowering local innovators, policymakers, and stakeholders with the knowledge and tools necessary to build resilient AI ecosystems.
Additionally, the event will highlight the importance of international AI standards as enablers of sustainable digital transformation.
France and Germany will co-host a high-level Summit on European Digital Sovereignty on 18 November 2025, bringing together EU institutions, member states, businesses, and key stakeholders from across the continent.
The summit will serve as a platform to advance Europe’s vision of digital sovereignty. It will be a starting point to mobilise European investment in strategic programs and align national and EU funds.
The agenda will feature a high-level forum with leading public and private actors in digitalisation from France and Germany. Under the umbrella of the renewed Zukunftswerk / Forum d’avenir, GovTech Campus Germany and La French Tech will showcase flagship projects designed to strengthen Europe’s digital agenda and foster innovation.
The summit was announced in the context of the Franco-German Joint Economic Agenda, published in 29 August 2025.
The G20 Leaders’ Summit 2025 is scheduled for November 22 and 23, 2025, in Johannesburg, South Africa. This annual meeting brings together the heads of state and government from the 19 member countries, plus the African Union and the European Union.
The G20 Summit represents the conclusion of the work carried out by the country that holds the rotating presidency of the group. It is the moment when heads of state and government approve the agreements negotiated throughout the year.
South Africa is holding the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2024 to 30 November 2025. South Africa has set out three guiding principles for its presidency:
Solidarity – building collective responses to shared global challenges.
Equality – ensuring fairness between nations and peoples.
Sustainability – pursuing growth that protects future generations.
The approach is shaped by the African philosophy of Ubuntu: ‘I am because we are’, which stresses interconnectedness and shared humanity. One of the key high-level deliverables is Task Force 3 – Artificial Intelligence, Data Governance and Innovation for Sustainable Development, which provides an opportunity for the G20 to shape the future of AI development and use for the global public interest. The task force aims to contribute to the evolution of safe, secure, ethical, and trustworthy AI ecosystems to which there are commitments in the G20, but also to ensure that they are reliable, development-oriented, and more equitably inclusive and just. Key deliverables include
the launch of an ‘AI for Africa’ initiative to accelerate the extension and implementation of the AU Data Policy Framework and Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy
the development of a Technology Policy Assistance Facility to assist countries in the development of national AI strategies, policies, and laws for countries, as well as knowledge sharing to ensure linkages to the research and policy work that is already available.
The summit aims to bring together international stakeholders, including policymakers, industry leaders, and technical experts, to discuss and advance the development of global standards for AI.
Key topics will include promoting interoperability, ensuring transparency, and upholding human rights in AI technologies. The initiative aligns with the objectives outlined in theGlobal Digital Compact and responds to calls for enhanced AI governance through international collaboration.
By fostering dialogue and cooperation, the summit seeks to establish a foundation for responsible AI development and deployment worldwide. The event is by invitation only.
In 2025, a UN process will review the implementation of outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). Twenty years after the finalisation of the summit (which was held in two phases, in Geneva in 2003 and Tunis in 2005), the WSIS+20 review process will take stock of the progress made in the implementation of WSIS outcomes and address potential ICT gaps and areas for continued focus, as well as addressing challenges, including bridging the digital divide and harnessing ICTs for development.
The overall review will be concluded by a two-day high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), to be held on 16–17 December 2025. The meeting will be preceded by an intergovernmental preparatory process that also takes into account input from all relevant WSIS stakeholders. The process will result in an intergovernmentally agreed outcome document, for adoption at the high-level meeting.
The Blockchain Forum 2026 will be held in Moscow on 14–15 April 2026, bringing together global leaders in Web3, crypto, blockchain, and mining across the rapidly developing CIS region.
The event is expected to draw over 20,000 attendees, including founders, C-level executives, innovators, and investors.
Participants at the two-day forum will gain access to expert insights and forecasts on the evolving industry, engage in high-level networking and deal-making opportunities, and hear directly from founders and senior leaders of major global crypto projects about strategies to capitalise on emerging trends.
The event also features an extensive expo-floor with exhibitions of cutting-edge blockchain and mining technologies, simultaneous translation of sessions, dedicated after-hours networking, and multiple tiers of access for attendees including business and VIP packages.
