Date: Wednesday 21 – Thursday 22 October 2026
Location: One Birdcage Walk, London
Format: In person only
About the conference
The Cross-Border Conflict Evidence, Policy and Trends programme’s final conference marks nine years of research on conflict systems across borderlands in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. At a time when conflict is increasingly transnational in character, the conference will explore how cross-border economies, shifting political alliances and global flows of capital, commodities and people are reshaping conflict dynamics – and challenging conventional policy responses.
Across two days, leading XCEPT researchers and partner organisations will share key insights from the programme and reflect on their implications for policymakers and practitioners working in conflict-affected settings. Discussions will consider where current policy tools are falling short, and what more adaptive approaches to conflict response could look like.
Key themes
- Transnational conflict ecosystems amid a fractured global order
- Flows of capital and commodities that sustain conflict
- Power, authority and contestation in conflict-affected borderlands
- Climate, peace and security in cross-border conflict
- Responding to the challenges of transnational conflict
Participation
The conference will bring together researchers, policymakers and practitioners working on conflict, peacebuilding, development, governance and related areas. Contributions will include researchers based in and working across the Global South, alongside XCEPT partner organisations and policy audiences. Participation is by invitation only but session recordings will be shared after the conference.