The big question is of course whether an annual meeting like the CSO-UN Dialogue is able to create space for meaningful exchange, learning, and listening to the critically important input and recommendations from civil society across the globe. The Dialogue matters, convening an incredibly diverse set of leaders, experts and practitioners from around the world, but its value depends on what happens after the room clears

Conducive Space for Peace convened a virtual exchange on December 3rd, 2025, ahead of the 2025 CSO–UN Dialogue on Peacebuilding in Geneva. The exchange drew interest from seventy registered Dialogue participants and other civil-society actors from Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas interested in how civic actors and multilateral institutions can work together in new ways. This note is a summary of the insights that emerged through short provocations and group discussions, including areas of challenges, uncertainties and questions that that merit continued exploration as enter the Dialogue.

Civic space continues to narrow worldwide, even as UN human rights and peacebuilding architectures struggle to offer adequate protection and support. At the same time, global cooperation is fragmenting, demanding new forms of collaboration with civil society to uphold legitimacy and deliver on core mandates. The 2025 CSO-UN Dialogue takes place at a pivotal moment, with UN reform efforts advancing amid growing volatility and new pressures on multilateralism. Civil society remains a vital force for peace and inclusion, yet faces unprecedented challenges in resourcing, trust, and access.