Building and Keeping Peace in a Fractured World: The Long Road from Conflict to Stability – Reflections by United Nations Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix
On behalf of the United Nations Department of Peace Operations and the Department of Politics and International Relations, we invite you to a special guest lecture on Thursday, 18 June 2026 at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.
The evening marks the conclusion of the inaugural Peace and Security Fellowship, a collaborative programme delivered by the University of Oxford and the United Nations Department of Peace Operations in May and June. The programme has brought serving UN practitioners to Oxford to undertake policy-relevant research on peacekeeping, conflict prevention, and political missions.
Lecture Title: ‘The Difficult Journey of Peace: Challenges and Opportunities for Peace Operations in a Fragmented World’
United Nations Under-Secretary-General, Jean-Pierre Lacroix
Date: Thursday 18 June
Time: 5–6pm
Location: Natural History Museum, Oxford
What does it take to build peace in a world that seems to be pulling apart? Can lasting stability be achieved when geopolitical fault lines are deepening, conflicts are multiplying, and the international order itself is under strain? And who bears the responsibility: states navigating their immediate interests, or an international community tasked with thinking beyond them?
Drawing on his experience leading the Department of Peace Operations, Under-Secretary-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix will offer a broad reflection on what it takes to build and sustain peace in today's global landscape. He will examine the political drivers of conflict and instability, the primacy of peacemaking and political processes, and the strategic patience that peace actually demands. He will also address the diverse forms that peace operations can take, the respective roles of Member States and the United Nations in this shared endeavour, and the United Nations' unique responsibility to bridge the gap between the urgency of politics and the long-term commitment that stability requires.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix: "How do you build lasting peace in a world defined by short-term thinking? Our partnership with Oxford reflects a shared conviction that rigorous research and operational experience must inform each other, if we are to bridge the gap between the urgency of politics and the patience that peace actually demands.”
About the speaker: Jean-Pierre Lacroix is the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. Mr Lacroix brings to the position over 25 years of political and diplomatic experience, with a focus on multilateral organizations, and on United Nations activities and programmes. Mr Lacroix served from 2014 to 2017 as Director for United Nations, International Organizations, Human Rights and Francophonie at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His previous appointments include Ambassador of France to Sweden, Chief of Protocol of France, Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations in New York, Deputy Chief of Mission at the French Embassy in Prague and First Secretary then Second Counsellor at the French Embassy in Washington. He also served as Advisor at the Cabinet of the French Prime Minister.
Read Jean-Pierre Lacroix's full biography.