A Focus on Peace Week: Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States

On Thursday, April 16, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution will host the virtual panel discussion “Navigating the Impact of Changes in Climate Governance on Fragile States.” Presented as part of the Carter School’s 2026 Peace Week, the event will examine shifts in the global climate governance landscape and identify emerging institutional and governance gaps.

The discussion will be facilitated by Counsellor Engy Said, a Carter School PhD candidate and Egyptian diplomat, and Diego Osorio, a senior policy advisor, former Canadian diplomat, professor, and government official. Said and Osorio were also Harvard Fellows together in International Affairs. Said brings more than twenty years of experience in diplomacy and international affairs, climate change, and sustainable development. Osorio is a practitioner and academic specializing in climate change and conflict, with nearly three decades of experience working in regions such as Iraq, Southeast Asia, and Haiti with organizations including the United Nations, NATO, the World Bank, and the Government of Canada.

The panel builds on recent efforts to better connect climate action with peace and development agendas. It comes at a time of shifting global priorities that are reshaping climate governance and placing additional pressure on fragile and conflict-affected contexts, where climate risks intersect with political and institutional challenges.

As Osorio notes, “Climate security isn’t a future concern – it’s already shaping how we govern, protect, and adapt.” Said adds, “Addressing climate change without considering conflict dynamics overlooks the lived realities of the most vulnerable, particularly in fragile contexts.”

The session will bring together experts in water and food security, climate diplomacy, and peace operations, including Hans Ibbrek (Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Tatiana Miškova (Slovenian Ambassador for Water Diplomacy), Dr. Jeff Helsing (Better Evidence Project), Dr. Khaled El Taweel (Senior programmers coordinator at FAO), and Cedric de Coning, Senior Research Fellow at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI).

To learn more about this panel discussion, as well as other Peace Week events, please visit the Carter School Website.