Ludovic Marin, REUTERS | French President Emmanuel Macron at the opening of the Paris Peace Forum on November 12, 2019.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday welcomed more than 30 heads of state and government at the second annual Paris Peace Forum aimed at finding solutions to global challenges ranging from climate change and terrorism to migration and cyber security.

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Making an impassioned plea for multilateralism in his opening address at the Paris Peace Forum, Macron called on all delegates to come together to fight climate change, economic inequalities, terrorism, disinformation and cybercrime.

"We are experiencing an unprecedented crisis in our international system," said Macron, echoing a theme he highlighted last week when the French president warned a lack of coordination between Europe and US unilateral action in Syria meant the NATO military alliance was undergoing a “brain death”.

Speaking to delegates a day after Armistice Day, commemorating the armistice signed between the Allies and Germany for the cessation of hostilities in World War I, Macron noted that the lessons of history should not be overlooked.

"Europe is the place where the price of non-cooperation is best known," he said, adding that the continent could be "the trusted third party between the US and China".

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