Leaders address global challenges at Paris Peace Forum in absence of US

French President Emmanuel Macron and other leaders have called for greater international cooperation to ease the world’s tensions at a forum in Paris that was notable for the absence of the US, AP reports.

Some 30 heads of state or government, high-level officials from other countries and the leaders of 10 international organizations on Tuesday joined hundreds of activists, entrepreneurs and others at the Paris Peace Forum. The US did not send a government official to the event.

In his opening speech, Macron advocated for multilateralism and a “balanced cooperation” between the nations. In an apparent reference to President Donald Trump’s foreign policy, Macron said that the temptation of unilateralism is “very risky.”

“We tried that option in the past: it leads to war,” Macron said. “Nationalism is war.” Climate change, demographic issues, migration, conflicts, terrorism and the fight against poverty were among topics at the forum, which runs through Wednesday.