European Economic
and Social Committee
European Public Diplomacy Days 2026
About the European Public Diplomacy Days
The European Public Diplomacy Days (EPDW) will be held from 30 September to 2 October 2026 and will bring together various different EU institutions working on public diplomacy and international people-to-people initiatives, with a view to sharing best practice and exchanging ideas. Besides the EU institutions, there will be contributions from civil society, networks of regions and cities, cultural projects, academics and other practitioners from across the world.
What do you think? Talk to us!
Join us for one or all of the debates. Give us your opinion on one or all of the topics – in person or online!
The event will be launched at the EP on 30 September. Each of the two Committees will be holding a session on their own premises: the EESC on the morning of 1 October and the CoR in the afternoon. The EEAS’s “Autumn School” will be held at the same venue on 1 and 2 October, bringing together students from the public diplomacy sector.
It is important that you register separately for each of the different sessions you wish to attend or follow, using the dedicated registration form available on the pages of each institution.
EU Diplomacy Days agenda
30 September
European Parliament
- –Welcome coffee
- –Opening session
Session I: Building Trust in a Digital World
- –Democracy, Public Diplomacy and Information Integrity
- –The Next Generation: engaging global youth in Europe's story
01 October
Economic and Social Committee
Session II: Civil society, health and peace – together for global solidarity
- –Opening and Keynote speeches
- –High-level panel
- –Panel 1: Civil society as a partner in health diplomacy: How can we ensure health resilience and fight health disinformation
- –Panel 2: Preventing the instrumentalisation of health in armed conflicts? Promoting health as a driver of peace? What civil society can do
- –Panel 3: No health without equity: Civil society as a bridge between poverty reduction and health improvement
- –Concluding remarks
Committee of the Regions
Session III: Local women leaders, catalysts for the EU Public Diplomacy
- –Opening Remarks
- –Locally elected women leaders: an asset for the EU public diplomacy
- –The role of local leaders in contributing to GAP III EU action plan on gender equality in EU external action
01 October
EEAS Autumn School 2026
- Introduction and Welcome
- –The role of Human Rights in EU international relations
- –The protection of freedom of thought, religion and belief in EU international relations
- –"Fostering equality and non-discrimination: a human-centred EU foreign policy"
02 October
EEAS Autumn School 2026
- –International protection of human rights: theory and practice
- –The role of the European Court of Justice as regards the defence of Human Rights at home and abroad
- –Discussion at round tables
- Conclusion