Geneva Peace Week 2023 Recap

By Ellie Winslow, MINT 2nd Year

In celebration of their 10th Anniversary, Geneva Peace Week 2023 took place from October 30th to November 3rd at the Geneva Graduate Institute. The event welcomed high-level speakers, practitioners, academics, and leaders from various sectors in the peacebuilding field to deliver panel discussions and lectures on their efforts. Students and local community members attended these events and had the opportunity to connect with the participants during their Q&A sessions and networking coffee breaks. The goal of Geneva Peace Week was to acknowledge that peacebuilding around the world takes various forms and involves a wide range of knowledgeable parties. Through this week of collaboration and conversation, the event sought to maximize “synergies between organizations in Geneva and their international partners, focusing on the cross-cutting nature of peace.”

The theme for Geneva Peace Week 2023 was “Building Trust, Building Peace: An Agenda for the Future.” In the Opening Ceremony, the importance of rebuilding trust and hope in peacebuilding processes was emphasized in coordination with the week’s theme. Introductory remarks by Ambassador Thomas Gruber and Sami Kanaan highlighted some of the major topics of Geneva Peace Week which were promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, addressing climate change through just transitions, and harnessing technologies to build a better future. In the opening keynote address, Zeid Ra’al Al Hussein, Former High Commissioner for Human Rights, discussed the critical peacebuilding nature of the United Nations Charter, and Articles 1 and 2 in particular. The Former High Commissioner acknowledged the bloodshed in the Gaza region by emphasizing the requirement of all nations, but the UN Security Council members in particular, to be morally consistent in their efforts to support civilians in the Global North and South. 

In the panel discussion following the opening keynote address, Leila Zerrougui, Former Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict and Head of the MONUSCO, United Nations discussed the importance of all nations having a seat at the table for peacebuilding decisions. When the UN Charter was written, she said, “my whole continent was not there.” In the context of the war in Gaza, she argued that the states that originally wrote the UN Charter are the ones that are actively pushing against it. She said that it was her country, and the ones that were colonized, that stand behind the principles to “maintain international peace and security.” Zerrougui emphasized that we must make the world a safer place for the next generation.

Furthermore, high-level panel discussions and lectures throughout the week discussed a variety of topics from navigating the digital world to peacebuilding efforts during the climate crisis. In a panel discussion on October 31st titled, “Accountability and oversight in state responses to cybersecurity incidents: preparing for the future,” panelists discussed the impact of digital technologies on developed and developing nations, as well as the impact on people of different ages and genders. The panelists discussed the importance of reporting cyber attacks in order to support resilience and cyber peacebuilding in the future.

Several IHEID students attended events during Geneva Peace Week 2023 and expressed their interest in the organizations involved and the topics presented. Some students participated in the workshops, which allowed for hands-on collaboration with individuals at different points in their careers. These workshops encouraged attendees to simulate peace mediation tactics and learn negotiation skills. Furthermore, students had the opportunity to network with Geneva Peace Week partner organizations like DCAF, GCSP, and the Kofi Annan Foundation throughout the week, which allowed them to seek career advice and information.

Finally, the Kofi Annan Geneva Peace Address was organized by the Kofi Annan Foundation and honored the fifth anniversary of the former UN Secretary General’s passing. The ceremony was opened by IHEID Director Marie-Laure Salles. In the city of peace, the Director emphasized that “peace is not a destination, it is a journey.” The address was given by Filippo Grandi, the 11th UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). In his address, Grandi placed his work in the context of the unfolding war in Gaza. He declared that the world is “almost driven toward polarization” despite the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He discussed that the UNHCR did not have a mandate to operate in Gaza at the time and that the “escalation [in Gaza] is counterproductive” to peacebuilding efforts worldwide. In his final remarks, he encouraged young people in the audience to “vote well… if you care for international issues.”

Overall, in its 10th year, Geneva Peace Week, hosted by the Geneva Graduate Institute, saw major success in bringing hundreds of individuals from different sectors to discuss peacebuilding and peacemaking. The week’s lectures and discussions sought to spark hope and encourage progress in peacebuilding efforts in Geneva, and around the world.

Photo credits: Ellie Winslow