Ahead of the Munich Security Conference this weekend, Conference Chair Wolfgang Ischinger warns that the international order is in danger.
Wolfgang Ischinger, the seasoned German diplomatic veteran who has held posts in Washington and London, paints a grim picture of the world. A “wrecking-ball,” he told a press conference in Berlin, is currently smashing “what would normally be part of a stable international order.” Accordingly, this year’s Munich Security Report, which he presented in Berlin earlier this week, bears the title ‘Under Destruction’.
The 2026 Munich Security Conference (13 – 15 February) is taking place in extremely difficult times. In many Western societies, political forces have gained influence that “favour destruction over reform,” the report, which is released in advance, states.
More than a thousand participants from around 120 countries have registered for the weekend event at the Bayerischer Hof, Munich’s traditional hotel that bursts at the seams every year, where the attendees always shuffle slowly through the corridors. Among them are more than 60 Heads of State and Government. The most senior representatives of the United States of America and China will be U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi. As in previous years, the organisers have stated that Russia was not invited following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
High-ranking UN representatives expected in Munich
More than a dozen senior United Nations officials will take part in the discussions in Munich. Among them are the Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Alexander De Croo; the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, one of the candidates seeking to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General when his term expires at the end of this year; Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA); Amy Pope, Director General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM); Jorge Moreira da Silva, UNOPS Executive Director; and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Volker Türk.
Two dominant themes: transatlantic relationships and global crises
Two major topics will shape the agenda: the transatlantic relationship, as well as global crises, including the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed his participation. The attendee list also includes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The organisers also announced the participation of California Governor Gavin Newsom, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer as representatives of the U.S. Democratic Party.
Demonstration for human rights in Iran
As in the past three years, organisers have stated that official delegates from Iran have not been invited. Representatives of the Iranian opposition will be present, including the Shah’s son, Reza Pahlavi. Up to 100,000 people are expected at a major rally for human rights in Iran alongside the conference in Munich.