PROGRAMME

This Programme represents the tip of an iceberg: it is based on choices made by the Steering Committee of the Partners organising this Dialogue. The specificities and the assets of International Geneva cannot be reduced to the three thematic areas that will be addressed by this Programme – the normative role, the multidisciplinarity and the involvement of diverse stakeholders. Nor can the examples chosen in each area provide an exhaustive vision of the variety of Geneva multilateral instruments.

The complexity of the Geneva agenda entails organisations and topics that belong to more than one of the three selected thematic areas. Choices were made in this regard: for example, the ILO illustrates a key normative role of International Geneva since 1919 because of its rules, while at the same time, being tripartite, the ILO is the oldest example and the only one in the UN system of institutionalised multi-stakeholders. It was decided to prioritise the latter ILO’s characteristic by highlighting tripartism in the third Panel. International humanitarian conventions and human rights treaties are the result of a Geneva-specific normative work, but are also cross-cutting several social, economic or environmental global issues and could be seen as examples of multidisciplinarity in the second Panel. This also applies to WTO rules or WIPO treaties.

Some norms, standards and regulations are highly technical (WHO, ITU, ISO, UNECE). Others are complementary to multilateral processes on environment and climate change, such as COPs, taking place outside Geneva : for instance the WMO regulations, the rules on protection of endangered species at the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Technological innovations generate new forms of alliances between Governments, researchers, and business firms, as in the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator, GESDA, that also embraces various disciplines and addresses the need for new multilateral regulations, for instance on AI.

Several issues are addressed by networks (like the Geneva Environment Network, the Geneva Health Forum, the Geneva Water Hub), that by definition discuss global standards through the lens of multidisciplinary approaches involving diverse players. Last but not least, the broad scope of development, as defined by the 17 SDGs (all addressed in Geneva), is a key horizontal component of the Geneva agenda, thanks to UNCTAD, ITC, the UNDP Geneva Office and the numerous academic entities and NGOs revolving around this topic from various angles.

In Geneva, the concentration of data, knowledge, experience is unique. It is an ecosystem more relevant than ever in these times of crises. It is a powerhouse for the multilateral governance of today and tomorrow global system. But it belongs to decision-makers to use it properly.