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HIGHLIGHT
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 | | From left to right: Amb. Christian Dussey, incoming GCSP Director; Prof. François Heisbourg, Chairman of GCSP's Foundation Council; and Amb. Fred Tanner, outgoing GCSP Director. |
On 10 June 2013, at the first of their two annual meetings, GCSP's Foundation Council approved the nomination of Ambassador Christian Dussey as the new Director of the Centre (effective 5 August 2013). Ambassador Dussey will succeed Ambassador Fred Tanner, who has been on assignment with the GCSP since 1997, successively as Deputy Director (1997-2006) and Director (since 2006).
As of 1 September 2013, Ambassador Tanner will take up his new function as Senior Advisor to the OSCE Secretary General and Liaison for the Swiss OSCE Chairmanship 2014 in Vienna. Since August 2012, Ambassador Dussey has held a position of Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA. From 2008 to 2012, he served as the Head of the Crisis Management Centre of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coordinating the governmental crisis response system during major incidents affecting Swiss citizens abroad (disasters, political upheavals, terror attacks, hostage-taking). In 2003, he obtained a Master of Arts from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston. >>See also: Testimonial of Ambassador Fred Tanner, outgoing Director of the GCSP |
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NEWS
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On 10 June 2013, the 44 member states of GCSP's Foundation Council, as well as the Canton of Geneva, unanimously approved the nomination of the Republic of Kazakhstan as a new member state. Upon the founding of the GCSP in 1995, there were 11 members of the Council. Since this time, the Council's membership has been expanded beyond the Euro-Atlantic area, most recently to Africa and Asia. The Republic of Kazakhstan becomes the 45th member state and extends the Central Asian representation on the Council, following the nomination of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2003. >>More
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The graduation ceremony of the 27th International Training Course in Security policy (ITC) and the 7th Master of Advanced Studies in International and European Security (MAS) took place on 7 June. The GCSP was delighted to welcome Dr Danilo Türk, Former President of the Republic of Slovenia who gave an insightful keynote address on "The Role of Norms, Values and Institutions in International Politics". The 8-month ITC course, which began on 8 October 2012, welcomed 30 participants from 23 countries, including the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Oman, South Sudan and Turkmenistan for the first time. The participants had the opportunity to listen to over 150 guest speakers, and take part in negotiation, media and several political-military exercises throughout the course. >>More
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Upon the occasion of the recent graduation ceremony of the 2012/13 Master of Advanced Studies in International and European Security, the GCSP and the Global Studies Institute of the University of Geneva signed a written convention formalising the successful cooperation which has taken place between both institutions since the creation of the jointly run Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) in 2006. Since 2006, over 125 participants have graduated from the MAS programme. >>More
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EXPERTS' CORNER
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On 13 June, Dr Khalid Koser, GCSP's Deputy Director and Academic Dean, delivered a presentation at the two-day International Counter-Terrorism Focal Points Conference on Addressing Conditions Conducive to the Spread of Terrorism and Promoting Regional Cooperation, taking place at the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG). The conference, organised by the UN Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) Office, in partnership with the government of Switzerland, aimed at providing a platform to discuss solutions to address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism. >>More
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Launched in 2012 by the OSCE Secretary General Ambassador Lamberto Zannier, the OSCE Security Days contribute to facilitate open debate and promote dialogue on the challenges the OSCE is facing today and on the role the organization is playing for the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security community. During this year's conference, held on 17 and 18 June 2013, GCSP Director Ambassador Fred Tanner spoke on the panel "The OSCE Network of Think Tanks", which discussed setting up a network of research institutions from across the OSCE region. >>More
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On 29 May, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) organised a dinner-debate in Rabat, Morocco, on the theme "Agenda 2063: What will North Africa look like in half a century?". The get-together took place to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ECA's North Africa Regional Office. Attending the event, Dr Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou, Head of GCSP's Regional Capacity Development Programme and Visiting Professor at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), underlined that "to ensure the efficiency of this transformational process, it is important for North Africa to strengthen its ownership of its geostrategy in its vision 2063." >>More |  |
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EVENTS
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This conference series is a joint initiative of the Swiss Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports and the GCSP, with support from the International Committee of the Red Cross. It provides a unique forum for senior military officers, police commanders and civilian equivalents to exchange views on the legal challenges arising from contemporary security operations. Topics are selected to reflect contemporary concerns ranging from multinational detention to cyber-warfare, from counter-piracy to disaster relief, and from the privatisation of military and security activities to command responsibility under international criminal law. >>More |  |
Following the inaugural expert meeting held in Brussels on 10-11 April, this second meeting aims to gather 30 justice, rule of law, and curriculum development experts to discuss the following three key outputs: (1) a practical and user-friendly guidance note for senior officials on the importance of training professionals for improved rule of law and development; (2) a best practices guideline document on curriculum development for the Institute's partners and governing board to consider as it develops its curricula; and (3) a sample 'real-life' training scenario for in-service criminal justice practitioners that provides an example of a practical component of the curricula. >>More |  |
This Public Discussion will provide the forum for a broad discussion of the European Union's role in Afghanistan before and after 2014. Key issues of concern in the transition will be highlighted. Lessons identified from the international engagement in Afghanistan so far will also be touched upon. This event showcases the European Union as a political actor in Afghanistan. After an initial presentation by Ambassador Vygaudas Usackas and commentary from the discussant Mr Antonio Donini, a question and answer session will be held with the audience. >>More
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RECENT EVENTS
The GCSP, in partnership with the Gulf Research Center and the Crown Center at Brandeis University, hosted the 11th Annual Conference on the Middle East in Gstaad, Switzerland. The conference brought together some 25 renowned regional, security and policy experts in order to assess the current situation in the Middle East and North Africa. During the meeting, participants discussed the Arab Revolutions, the overall geopolitical and regional dynamics as it pertains to the Levant, Turkey, the Arab-Israeli issue and the situation in Iraq, and finally, Iran and the Gulf region. >>More
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Cutting across disciplines such as engineering, quantum physics, optics, chemistry and biology, nanotechnology typically involves manipulation of matter on the atomic and molecular level. The military use of this rapidly evolving technology during armed conflict is expected to influence the application and interpretation of international humanitarian law (IHL). This lecture, by Dr Hitoshi Nasu from the Australian National University, examined whether the existing rules of IHL are sufficiently clear and adequate in light of the technology's specific characteristics, as well as with regard to the foreseeable humanitarian impact it may have. >>More
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With the support of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the GCSP organised in Geneva the 2nd Seminar of the Caucasus 2025 Dialogue Process called: "The Way Forward". The seminar gathered 23 prominent independent experts from all countries and entities of the South Caucasus and the wider region, including external experts. The participants discussed the following topics: regional history, free movements of people, trans-border trade, monitoring of conflict/hate narratives, and cooperative energy/water management. >>More
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DiploFoundation organised an E-Participation Day, with the support and in partnership with the GCSP, Media Vision, the Permanent Missions of Switzerland and Malta to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva, the Canton of Geneva as well as ITU. This event is part of the Geneva E-diplomacy Platform and built on the first Geneva E-diplomacy Day (16 November 2012) and the Online Learning Day (17 April 2013). It was preceded by a preparatory interactive webinar which took place on 21 May 2013. >>More
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The speaker, Mr Ahmed Rashid, noted that there were five major issues that needed to be addressed in order to see a successful transition in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of British, US, and other NATO troops in 2014. With regards to these five major issues, Mr Rashid noted that the military transition was not one of them. He noted that the military handover from the current troops in Afghanistan to the Afghani Military was of little concern at the moment, and that there are far more pressing issues that need to be addressed before this. >>More |  |
The keynote speaker, Mr Feroz-Hassan Khan, a former Brigadier General in the Pakistani Army, described the complex strategic environment of Pakistan's security, affected by its relations with India, China, the United States and Afghanistan. He addressed the arms race going on in South Asia and considered that the potential of confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan has not been fully harnessed. Finally, he formulated a number of recommendations to promote strategic restraint and overcome the bilateral issues that create obstacles to progress in multilateral arms control frameworks. >>More |  |
Chaired by Dr David Atwood (Visiting Fellow, GCSP), the Permanent Representatives to the UN in Geneva, Amb. Päivi Kairamo (Finland) and Amb. Oğuz Demiralp (Turkey) highlighted the relevance of the work done by the Friends of Mediation. UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Jeffrey D. Feltman underlined the growing focus at the UN Department of Political Affairs on mediation and the rising demand for mediation notably with respect to intra-state crisis and conflict. Respondent Dr David Harland, Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD Centre) in Geneva, underlined that conflict and its resolution are no longer exclusively state-centred and that the role of civil society and mediation initiatives are essential components of today's conflict prevention, management and resolution. Amb. Fred Tanner, Director of the GCSP, raised the importance of Geneva and its convening power as a vital hub of dialogue. >>More
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Dans le cadre de son partenariat avec l' Ecole de Guerre française, le GCSP a accueilli pour la 2ème année consécutive un groupe d'une quinzaine d'officiers supérieurs français de cet organisme implanté à Paris dans les locaux historiques de l'Ecole Militaire. En complément de la visite au GCSP, durant laquelle ils ont assisté à un certain nombre de conférences, les stagiaires présents ont eu l'occasion de se rendre au sein de certaines des grandes Institutions implantées à Genève et de se faire ainsi une idée plus précise de ce que recouvre le terme de « Genève Internationale ». >>More |  |
5 June - Public Discussion: "Women's Land Rights in the Fight against Hunger and Poverty"
Ms Amanda Richardson, Attorney and Land Tenure Specialist, spoke about the intersection of women's land rights and food security. While women represent on average 43 percent of the agricultural labor force in developing countries, they comprise between less than 5 percent to less than 20 percent of agricultural landholders in those regions. Research has shown that secure rights to land can lead to increased household agricultural productivity and production, and that when women have secure property rights they are likely to use the land, and the status they derive from it, to improve nutrition for themselves and their families. >>More
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TRAINING
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2-4 juillet - 3ème Édition de l'École d'Été de l'Ecole de Gouvernance et d'Economie de Rabat. Cette formation (qui s'adresse aux cadres du secteur de la prospective, de la sécurité ou des relations internationales ainsi qu'aux chercheurs) permet de revenir sur la complexité des défis posés aux Etats du Maghreb après les révoltes arabes, la gestion de la sécurité et de la transition démocratique dans la région avec les chercheurs des centres de recherche spécialisés en «policy-making» (40 places disponibles). >>Plus d'infos 20-22 August - 9th Annual Professional Training Course: "Responding to Non-traditional Security Threats and their Impact on Democracy-Building, Peace, and Security". The GCSP-UNDPA joint programme is intended for senior UNDPA officials. It aims at enhancing understanding of the pre-eminent non-traditional security threats, and developing capacity critically to analyse and effectively respond to new threats and challenges. >>More
25 August-6 September - 14th Swiss Peacebuilding Training Course. Two-week training course run on behalf of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) for members of the Swiss Expert Pool for Civilian Peacebuilding (SEP) and selected international participants, in partnership with Swisspeace, the Swiss Peace Foundation, and SWISSINT, the Swiss Armed Forces International Command. >>More
25-30 August - Central Role of the Commander (CENTROC). Within the framework of PfP Partnership Work Programme, Chapter Xlll, Switzerland organizes this international workshop focusing on the role of commanders in the implementation of International Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC), Human Rights Law (HRL) and Rules of Engagement (ROE) in military field operations. >>More
10 April-3 July - 14th New Issues in Security Course (NISC): "Global Peace and Security: Challenges and Responses". The NISC is designed to address the main challenges facing global peace and security, and to search for effective responses to these challenges. This course aims to prepare participants for enhanced policy planning, decision making and practical implementation in a range of complex and interlinked peace and security situations. This year, 26 participants from 21 countries are taking part in the course. >>More
RECENT TRAINING COURSES:
21-28 June - European Security and Defence College (ESDC) Course on Peacebuilding (Austria). The course was jointly organised by the Austrian Study Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution (ASPR), the Austrian Ministry of Defence and Sports, and the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) in the framework of the Academic Programme of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC). Since 2009, the course has provided professionals from diverse backgrounds with a comprehensive approach to peacebuilding. >>More
12-14 June - CABIR Training Module on the OSCE (Tbilisi). In light of the forthcoming Swiss Chairmanship of the OSCE, the GCSP ran a special module on OSCE and its activities as part for the CABIR project this year. The Capacity Building in International Relations (CABIR) is an initiative sponsored by the Swiss government and implemented by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies Geneva (IHEID) in cooperation with local partners. It is aimed at training government officials from three South Caucasus countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. >>More
09 October-7 June - 27th International Training Course in Security Policy (ITC). The ITC is designed to train participants who will serve in the broad area of security policy and will interact in some form with international agencies engaged in security-related political and military decision-making. >> More
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RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS
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GCSP is proud to present the following new publication:
GCSP Geneva Paper - Conference Series n°27
by Alain Guidetti and Katya Palazzolo
>>View publication
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All GCSP publications are available for download on the GCSP website. Contact: publications@gcsp.ch.
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TESTIMONIAL
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"After twelve years as Head of Academic Affairs and then as Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, the time has come for me to say goodbye and to embark on a new adventure. As of September, I will serve in Vienna the Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and act as Liaison for the Swiss Chairmanship 2014. During my time at the GCSP, I was committed to making the Centre globally more relevant, both in terms of its activities and the composition of its governing bodies. Key states from Asia, North Africa and the Middle East have become members of the GCSP Foundation Council, giving a truly global dimension to our Centre. We now offer 43 courses annually in Geneva and worldwide and have an alumni community of nearly 3000 officials from more than 100 countries. The continuously growing alumni network has become a vibrant security community with many professionals and GCSP friends in key positions in governments, international organisations and armed forces. Within "Genève Internationale", the GCSP has turned into a reference centre in peace and security and the preferred venue for exchanges and policy dialogues on a broad range of topics. But the real assets of the GCSP are its people and their dedication. I wish to thank all colleagues for their continuous commitment and engagement in the service of the Centre's mission and for the support of the Swiss government, the Foundation Council members and all our partners. I feel truly privileged to have had the opportunity to serve this institution and will surely keep fond memories of this enriching experience. I wish the new Director, Ambassador Christian Dussey, and the Centre all the very best of success as well as for the move into the Maison de la Paix in 2014 which will certainly strengthen the networking and peace-promoting efforts of the GCSP." |
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