IPDS Flagship Program

Islamabad Diplomacy Forum

Diplomacy for a Changing World

Convened by IPDS·Islamabad, Pakistan

The Islamabad Diplomacy Forum is envisioned as a flagship international platform bringing together diplomats, policymakers, scholars, practitioners, international organizations and thought leaders to examine the future of diplomacy, multilateral cooperation and peace in a rapidly changing international environment.

At a time of intensifying geopolitical competition, continuing conflicts, technological disruption and growing pressure on multilateral institutions, the Forum begins with a fundamental proposition: when international divisions deepen, the need for diplomacy becomes greater, not smaller.

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World regions represented in the room, every edition

100+

Foreign missions resident in the host city

Programme Design

Program Formats

The programme combines public visibility with the depth required for serious exchange. Session formats are selected according to purpose rather than treated as identical speaking panels.

Format	Primary purpose	Expected contribution
Opening plenary	Set strategic direction	A concise framing of the international context and the Forum's central questions.
Policy dialogue	Examine a priority issue	Focused exchange among senior officials, experts and practitioners.
Roundtable	Enable candid discussion	Smaller participation with a defined question and a recorded summary.
Diplomacy conversation	Share leadership experience	A moderated exchange with a distinguished diplomat or public leader.
Next generation session	Widen participation	Meaningful contributions from emerging scholars, diplomats and professionals.
Partnership forum	Move toward action	Introductions and proposals for research, training or institutional cooperation.

A credible space, even amid disagreement

The Central Proposition

The Islamabad Diplomacy Forum therefore seeks to create a credible space in Pakistan's capital where different regions, institutions and perspectives can meet, exchange ideas and identify possibilities for cooperation even amid political disagreement.

Diplomacy requires credible spaces where official priorities can meet independent analysis, societal experience and new ideas. Islamabad is well placed to host such a space. It is a diplomatic capital located at the meeting point of South Asia, Central Asia, China, the Middle East and the wider Indian Ocean region. Its policy choices are shaped by security pressures, economic transformation, climate vulnerability, technological change and the search for more inclusive international cooperation.

The Forum will use this position to connect Pakistan's foreign policy community with regional and global partners. Its value will lie in the quality of participation, disciplined agenda design, balanced representation and a clear pathway from conversation to follow-up.

Why this Forum, why now

Context and Rationale

International cooperation is being tested by geopolitical competition, prolonged conflicts, economic uncertainty, climate shocks, widening technological gaps and declining confidence in multilateral institutions. At the same time, countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and other parts of the Global South are seeking a stronger voice in decisions that affect their security, development and access to opportunity.

These conditions have expanded the purpose of diplomacy. Foreign policy now intersects directly with trade, finance, energy, food security, public health, migration, digital governance, artificial intelligence, climate adaptation and public trust. Effective diplomacy therefore depends on wider participation and stronger connections among governments, knowledge institutions, markets and communities.

Pakistan needs a sustained forum capable of hosting these conversations with intellectual independence, diplomatic sensitivity and practical purpose. The Islamabad Diplomacy Forum responds to that need by creating a recurring platform where diverse actors can examine shared challenges, clarify areas of disagreement, identify common interests and develop realistic avenues for cooperation.

What the Forum sets out to do

Purpose and Objectives

01Convene decision-makers and knowledge leaders for candid and informed discussion on major international and regional developments.
02Connect official diplomacy with research, business, media, civil society, women leaders and emerging professionals.
03Bring perspectives from Pakistan and the wider Global South into international policy conversations.
04Identify practical areas for cooperation in peace, connectivity, sustainable development, technology, education and people-to-people relations.
05Create durable institutional networks that support joint research, dialogue, training and public diplomacy beyond the event.
06Generate concise policy insights and recommendations for relevant stakeholders.

Six questions the Forum returns to

Programme Pillars

Pillar 01

Peace, Security and Strategic Stability

Conflict prevention, regional security, confidence-building, humanitarian concerns and the responsible management of strategic competition.

Pillar 02

Regional Connectivity and Economic Diplomacy

Trade corridors, investment, energy cooperation, resilient supply chains and the role of diplomacy in widening shared prosperity.

Pillar 03

Multilateralism and Global Governance

Institutional reform, representative decision-making, regional organizations and more effective cooperation between established and emerging powers.

Pillar 04

Climate, Technology and Human Security

Climate diplomacy, food and water security, digital governance, artificial intelligence, public health and the protection of communities facing new risks.

Pillar 05

Public Diplomacy and People-to-People Relations

Education, culture, media, youth engagement, women's leadership and societal connections that build trust across borders.

Pillar 06

Youth and the Next Generation of Diplomacy

Youth leadership, mentorship and the training pipelines that prepare emerging diplomats, scholars and professionals to carry this work forward.

Curated for authority, expertise and diversity

Participants and Representation

Participation is curated to combine authority, expertise, diversity and the ability to carry ideas forward. The Forum seeks balanced representation across institutions, regions, generations and gender.

Members of the diplomatic corps and representatives of international organizations

Government officials, parliamentarians and public policy institutions

Think tanks, universities, researchers and policy educators

Business leaders, chambers of commerce and development partners

Editors, journalists and public diplomacy practitioners

Civil society organizations, women leaders, youth leaders and selected students

Members of the Pakistani diaspora and international experts where relevant

Designed to outlast the week itself

Expected Outcomes

The Record

Islamabad Diplomacy Forum Communiqué

A Chair's Summary capturing the main areas of convergence and the priority questions carried into further work.

PublishedEach edition

FormCommuniqué & Chair's Summary

Issued byIPDS Secretariat

A concise policy brief presenting selected recommendations and practical cooperation opportunities.
New institutional partnerships for research, training, dialogue and public diplomacy.
A network of participating institutions and experts available for future engagement.
Editorial, digital and video content that carries the discussion to wider national and international audiences.
A defined follow-up agenda with responsibilities and indicative timelines for selected initiatives.

Convened by IPDS

Institutional Leadership

The Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies serves as the convening institution and intellectual secretariat of the Forum. IPDS is an autonomous, multidisciplinary and non-partisan research think tank based in Islamabad. Established in 2014, it works across diplomacy, peace and security, leadership, sustainable development, policy advocacy, training and international relations.

IPDS combines research, dialogue, leadership development and public engagement. Its national and international relationships with universities, policy institutions and public bodies provide a foundation for assembling a diverse forum and sustaining cooperation after the event. The Institute leads concept development, programme curation, stakeholder engagement, documentation and post-Forum follow-up, working with participating partners according to agreed roles.

A stronger convening role for Pakistan

Strategic Significance

For Pakistan, the Islamabad Diplomacy Forum strengthens the national ecosystem for policy dialogue and creates a regular channel between international partners and Pakistani institutions. It also helps present Pakistan through its intellectual, diplomatic and societal contributions, alongside its strategic importance.

For participating countries and organizations, the Forum offers access to perspectives and networks that are frequently separated across official, academic, commercial and civic settings. For IPDS, it provides a coherent flagship through which research, training, public diplomacy and institutional partnerships reinforce one another.

Over time, the Forum can develop into a recognized annual convening associated with thoughtful discussion, credible participation and useful outcomes. Its standing will depend on consistency, careful curation and the quality of follow-up rather than scale alone.

Why partner with the Forum

Partner With Us

Partners join a credible policy platform with access to the diplomatic, governmental, academic, media and business networks built around the Forum. All partnerships are guided by intellectual independence, transparency, balanced representation and respect for the Forum's non-partisan character. Programme ownership, visibility and responsibilities are agreed in writing for each collaboration.

Agenda Development

Contribute to shaping the Forum's priority questions and thematic pillars for a given edition.

Speaker Nomination

Nominate diplomats, officials, scholars or practitioners to the programme.

Participation Support

Support the participation of delegations, fellows or emerging professionals.

Convene a Session

Lead a roundtable, policy dialogue or partnership-forum session within the programme.

Technical Expertise

Contribute research, data or subject-matter expertise to the Forum's work.

Public Reach

Help extend the Forum's reach through editorial, digital and media channels.

Apply to Attend

The Islamabad Diplomacy Forum is proposed as a serious platform for a period in which the demand for dialogue is rising while trust is becoming harder to sustain. Its ambition is clear: to make dialogue more informed, participation more representative and cooperation more achievable.

Applications are recorded on submission. Confirmed participants receive the date, venue and further details closer to the event.