The PeaceRep Iraq Final Conference took place on 14 February 2026, marking the culmination of five years of research and bringing together a diverse group of researchers and practitioners to discuss key developments in Iraq and across the wider region.
The conference was divided into four thematic sessions, with each addressing a key dimension of Iraq’s political, social, and regional landscape.
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PeaceRep Iraq Hosts Final Conference: Reframing Iraq
On 14 February 2026, LSE hosted the PeaceRep Iraq Final Conference, “Reframing Iraq: Power, Politics, and Paths to Inclusion,” marking the conclusion of the five-year PeaceRep Iraq research programme. Led by the LSE Middle East Centre and managed and directed by Kamaran Palani with contributions from Iraq-based researchers, PeaceRep Iraq has spent five years examining peacebuilding, governance, and state-society relations in post-conflict Iraq, funded by UK International Development from the UK Government.
Kamaran Palani, who also organised the conference, reflected on the event’s significance:
This conference not only marked the conclusion of PeaceRep Iraq, but also brought together a diverse group of colleagues to discuss Iraq and key developments across the wider region. Participants travelled to London from Baghdad, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Beirut, other parts of the Middle East and the UK, representing leading voices in the field. We were pleased to have created a space for open, inclusive and wide-ranging dialogue on issues relating to Iraq and the broader region.
The event brought together PeaceRep researchers, academic experts, policy practitioners, and government officials across four thematic sessions. The four distinct sessions each addressed a key dimension in Iraq’s political, social, and regional landscape. The conference was opened by Katerina Dalacoura, Director of the LSE Middle East Centre, and Mustafa Al-Soufi, Programme Coordinator for PeaceRep Iraq.
Session 1: Power, Persistence, and Political Transformation
Chaired by analyst and researcher Ali Al-Mawlawi, this session examined the durability of Iraq’s post-2003 political order, with a focus on the muhasasa system and the factors enabling its persistence despite recurring protest movements and generational change. Speakers Kamaran Palani (LSE Middle East Centre), Zmkan Ali Saleem (University of Sulaimani), and Juline Beaujouan-Marliere (PeaceRep) explored elite bargaining dynamics, opposition strategies, and intra-communal competition, asking: what sustains muhasasa, and what pathways exist for reform?
Session 2: Systems Under Strain — Resources, Education, and Humanitarian Transitions
Chaired by Mohammedali Taha, Director of the Media and Communication Unit at the KRG Prime Minister’s Office, this session examined the systems shaping Iraq’s development prospects. Michael Mason (LSE), Arda Bilgen (LSE Middle East Centre), and Alannah Travers (Queen’s University Belfast) addressed water resource management and the UN’s shift from humanitarian to development funding. Climate change featured prominently, with speakers highlighting intensifying water shortages, declining river flows, and rising temperatures as defining structural pressures on governance.
Session 3: Iraq in Regional Politics
Chaired by Sir John Jenkins, former British Ambassador to Baghdad and Associate Fellow of Chatham House, this session situated Iraq within the shifting dynamics of Middle Eastern regional politics. Galip Dalay (Chatham House), Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman (Advisor to KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani), Kamaran Palani, and journalist and filmmaker Simona Foltyn examined how neighbouring powers — Iran, Turkey, and the Gulf states — and developments such as the regime change in Syria shape Iraq’s sovereignty and security. Speakers reflected on how Baghdad might navigate regional fragmentation and assert itself as a sovereign actor shaping its own direction.
Session 4: Bridging Research and Policy for Inclusive Peacebuilding
The closing session, chaired by Michael Mason, brought together researchers and government actors to discuss how evidence-informed research can support inclusive peacebuilding and governance reform in Iraq. Karwan Jamal (KRG Representative to the UK), Mohammad Al-Shumary (Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Khogir Wirya (Middle East Research Institute), and Juline Beaujouan-Marliere examined progress more than two decades after regime change and explored how research–policy partnerships can be strengthened to support accountable and resilient governance.
What’s Next?
Looking ahead, PeaceRep Iraq will publish research on two important topics in the coming months, both with relevance beyond the context of Iraq. The first examines Iraqis returning from al-Hol camp in Syria and their reintegration into Iraqi society. The second seeks to deepen our understanding of Iraq’s power-sharing system, drawing on survey data exploring the perspectives of the country’s ethnic and religious minorities. Blogs on both projects are also forthcoming.
March 2026 marks the culmination of five years of research and the final year of collaboration across the PeaceRep research consortium. From March, PeaceRep will move into a new phase of synthesising our research findings and recommendations for policy and practice, as well as implications for future scholarship, while ensuring the longer-term sustainability of our legacy products including our flagship PA-X Peace Agreements Database and PeaceTech tools.
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