Interview with Justin Vaïsse, Founder and Director General, Paris Peace Forum
1. Under France’s 2026 presidency, the G7 will streamline its agenda and remove a dedicated health track. After a pandemic that touched every member country, how can the G7 still promote human development amid rising geopolitical tensions and weakening global solidarity?
The G7 is most effective when it concentrates its political capital on a small number of issues that shape long-term global stability. And if there is one constant in international relations, whether in moments of cooperation or confrontation, it is that societies which invest in human development, particularly in their children, are more resilient, more cohesive, and more capable of managing global shocks. We can’t overemphasize how important this is, especially in the current context of ODA cuts; in 2025, a projected 4.8 million children under the age of 5 will die, many from preventable causes, the first time in decades that this figure is increasing.
Even without a dedicated health track, the French G7 presidency has the opportunity to put the spotlight on children as a unifying priority that transcends geopolitical divides. Child wellbeing is a transversal issue across health, education, nutrition, protection, and psycho-social development. It is not merely a humanitarian concern: it is a strategic investment. A nation that invests in its children invests in its future workforce, civic stability, innovation, and social cohesion.
At a time when the geopolitical environment is polarized and solidarity is under strain, the G7 can still lead by articulating a forward-looking vision centered on human capital. In that spirit, the Paris Peace Forum has started to coalize around a Child Priority Framework since 2024. By anchoring the discussion around children, who are universally recognized as a shared responsibility, we create a platform that is both politically feasible and morally compelling. This is precisely where the G7 can regain traction: by showing that even in a fragmented world, major powers can agree on safeguarding the next generation.
2. In light of the holistic nature of child wellbeing, what approach guided your efforts to propose and rally support around this Child Priority Framework? How is the work progressing?
From the beginning, our approach was to build a coalition that was both high-level and genuinely multisectoral. The Child Priority Framework was conceived not as another technical initiative but as a political process: one that requires the alignment of governments, international organizations, researchers, the private sector, and civil society. We already have strong interest from a wide range of partners, including several governments and leading organizations such as UNICEF, the Gates Foundation, CIFF, and key NGOs.
The Paris Peace Forum is uniquely positioned to convene these actors, and our method has been to bring them into a structured process: a Working Group to provide political guidance, a technical subgroup to anchor the framework in rigorous measurement methodologies, and a private-sector coalition to mobilize commitments. In essence, we are weaving together three strands, political will, technical credibility, and stakeholder mobilization, into a coherent whole.
Progress has been steady. The technical work to determine the scope of child wellbeing and identify a robust set of child wellbeing indicators is underway, and the first drafts of a potential joint statement are being shaped through the Working Group meetings. This is not a theoretical exercise; it is a participatory process designed to build consensus, legitimacy, and actionable outcomes.
3. What results do you expect to achieve with this framework, under the French Presidency of the G7 and beyond?
Our objective is straightforward but ambitious. First, we aim to develop a Joint statement on Child Wellbeing to be presented at the G7 that elevates children to a central strategic priority, not just for 2026 but for the decade to come. This would be a significant achievement in itself, signaling renewed commitment to human development at a time when global cooperation is under pressure.
Second, we want to establish a shared measurement framework that helps countries and policymakers track progress using a set of robust, comparable, existing indicators. If you cannot measure child wellbeing, you cannot strategically improve it. This framework will give policymakers a tool to identify gaps, prioritize investments, and learn from peers.
Third, we expect to mobilize a network of partners, including the private sector, to sustain action beyond the summit. The G7 is a political moment; the Framework aims to ensure lasting impact.
Ultimately, the result we seek is not another communiqué but a shift in perspective: that investing in children is not a social expenditure- it is a strategic imperative. If the G7 can anchor this idea and back it with concrete tools and commitments, we will have strengthened not only human development but global stability itself.
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