2026 world conference on people's rights:
welcome to the global forum in gaborone/botswana
October 7-10, 2026
The 13th Forum will take place in southern Africa for the first time – in the oldest democracy in the region.
The international consortium of the Global Forum, consisting of the Swiss Democracy Foundation, Democracy International, and Mehr Demokratie, is preparing the next World Conference together with the University of Botswana and many partners locally and in the region. You can already pre-register here without obligation.
Additionally, you and your organization/institution are cordially invited to become an official partner of the Forum.
If you are interested, please contact Delia Bazzigher.
The forum's preparation team, led by former Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi (far left), met in the fall of 2025 in Masisi's home village of Moshupa. Other members include (from left): Gladys Mokhava (coordinator of the host commitee and former Botswana ambassador to the UN in New York), Joe Mathews (editor-in-chief of Democracy Local, co-founder of the Global Forum), Bruno Kaufmann (Co-president and head of international cooperation at the Swiss Democracy Foundation, co-founder of the Global Forum), Caroline Vernaillen (coordinator of the International Consortium), Jung-ok Lee (former Minister for Gender Equality of South Korea), and Kaelo Molefhe (former Democracy Ambassador of Botswana).
