The Third International Forum of the Social Peace-Building Centre in Baghdad occuured from 03rd - 04th October 2026, convened by the Iraqi Red Crescent Society and the Islamic Committee of International Crescent (ICIC). The forum brought together representatives from National Societies of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, humanitarian institutions, and academic partners from across the region and beyond, including societies from Jordan, Argentina, Somalia, Chad, Mali, Tunisia, Tanzania, Turkey, Libya, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Iraq, and the Maldives, among others.
Speaking on behalf of National Societies at the Baghdad Dialogue on Strengthening the Role of National Red Crescent and Red Cross Societies in Building Social Peace and Implementing International Humanitarian Law, President Nashid reaffirmed a shared conviction: that the role of National Societies in social peace is humanitarian in nature not political, grounded in the presence of volunteers, community reach, and unwavering respect for International Humanitarian Law.
The forum produced the Baghdad Declaration, a joint statement affirming the collective commitment of participating National Societies to strengthening their humanitarian contribution to social cohesion, dialogue, and coexistence in communities affected by conflict, disaster, and displacement. The declaration called on National Societies to deepen IHL awareness and education, invest in youth and volunteer-led programmes that promote community dialogue, and foster partnerships and the exchange of good practices in social peace-building — while remaining firmly anchored in the Fundamental Principles of the Movement. It also endorsed the development of a practical guide for National Societies on humanitarian engagement in social peace-building.
The forum closed with a call to establish a follow-up mechanism to translate the Baghdad Declaration from a closing document into a living framework for sustained humanitarian cooperation among National Societies.
MRC thanks Dr Yaseen Ahmed Abbas and the Iraqi Red Crescent Society, the Islamic Committee of International Crescent, and the Social Peace-Building Centre for convening this important dialogue and reaffirms its commitment to the values and principles that bring the global Movement together.