Senior Research Fellow Dr Juline Beaujouan examined the implications of a shifting international order for peacemaking and human security in the Middle East, arguing that “post-liberal peace” is giving way to a more fragmented, hybrid, and pragmatic approach to conflict resolution.
The session, “Where the World is Heading: Changing Conflicts, Norms, and Hierarchies on the International Stage,” is now available to watch on YouTube.
Juline Beaujouan Speaks at Istanbul Conference on Great Power Competition and the Middle...
PeaceRep’s Senior Research Fellow Dr Juline Beaujouan participated as a guest speaker in the high-level panel “Where the World is Heading: Changing Conflicts, Norms, and Hierarchies on the International Stage” during the international conference “Great Power Competition and the Middle East: Redrawing Trade Routes and Networks”, held on 16–17 June 2025 at Boğaziçi University in Istanbul.
Organised by Boğaziçi University’s Department of International Relations in partnership with the PLUS Institute (Austrian Institute for International Research and Development), the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, the Foundation for Political, Economic and Social Research (SETA) in Ankara, and the Centre for Turkish Studies at Shanghai University, the conference brought together over 70 academics, strategists, and policymakers from countries including Türkiye, Austria, Germany, China, Russia, Iran, Qatar, the UK, and France.
The two-day conference explored the reshaping of global trade routes, regional connectivity networks, and the strategic ambitions of major global powers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The event featured six specialised panels and a closing roundtable discussion, and was live streamed by TRT and the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies.
In her talk, Dr Beaujouan drew on her research with PeaceRep to examine the implications of a shifting international order for peacemaking and human security in the Middle East. She argued that the decline of liberal peace models and the rise of what she termed “post-liberal peace” is giving way to a more fragmented, hybrid, and pragmatic approach to conflict resolution – driven increasingly by powerful states and shaped by localised dynamics. She also argued that these dynamics can offer opportunities for sustainable peace in the region on the condition that emerging peace models are inclusive, adaptive, and grounded in the lived realities of those most affected by conflict.
Her intervention resonated with broader conference themes, including the impact of US-China rivalry, the consequences of 7 October 2023 and most recent escalation between Israel and Iran on international norms, and the strategic influence of initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). A central question raised was whether these projects will entrench fragmentation in the region or serve as opportunities for meaningful cooperation and integration.
Further Reading
Power Peace: The Resolution of the Syrian Conflict in a Post-Liberal Era of Peacemaking
Education in Syria: hidden victim of the conflict of weapon of war?