Programme

This session will set the stage for the IFDT discussion on training for multilateral diplomacy, including questions such as: what are the critical (and missing) skills for fast-changing multilateral diplomacy? What is the interplay between traditional and new skills needed in multilateral diplomacy? Inputs by heads of international organisations will trigger discussions involving directors of diplomatic academies, and practising ambassadors involved in Geneva’s multilateral diplomacy

Venue: Council Chamber at the Palais des Nations

Ms Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva
Dr Francis Gurry, Director General, World Intellectual Property Organization
Mr Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR
Mr Nikhil Seth, Executive Director, UNITAR, (tbc)
Moderator: Ambassador Valentin Zellweger, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva

Ambassador Barbara Bodine
Ambassador Emil Brix (for IFDT)

Heads of hosting organisations:
Prof. Philippe Burrin, Director, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies,
Ambassador Christian Dussey Director, Geneva Centre for Security Policy,
Dr Jovan Kurbalija, Executive Director, DiploFoundation,
Mr Nikhil Seth, United Nations Assistant Secretary General, Executive Director UNITAR

Diplomacy in different shapes and roles

Mr Peter Maurer, President, International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)

Moderator: Prof. Cédric Dupont, Director Executive Education, Graduate Institute

Opening of IFDT Bazaar

Artificial intelligence, cyber-attacks, fake news, and e-commerce are becoming part of diplomatic reality and diplomatic training. Leading practitioners of digital diplomacy will outline the training needs: skills and knowledge that digital diplomats should have. Based on the needs, the discussion will address training approaches and methods for diplomacy in the digital age. In particular, it will focus on the interplay between traditional skills (negotiations, representation) and new ones (interaction with tech companies, understanding of digital technology).

Ms Anne-Rachel Inné, Executive Director Government Affairs and Public Policy, American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN)
Mr Torbjörn Fredriksson, Chief, ICT Policy Section, UNCTAD
Mr Christian Simm, Director, swissnex Boston
Mr Jivan Gjorgjinski, 2019 Chair of the UN CCW GGE on LAWS [Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems] Moderator: Dr Jovan Kurbalija, Director, DiploFoundation

As diplomacy progresses with the evolution of global issues, developing partnerships become more pivotal in addressing diplomatic challenges. This provides diplomats with the opportunity to create robust partnerships with stakeholders across various sectors in order to implement global solutions. These stakeholders must come together to discuss methodologies of how to find common grounds in order to pursue substantial partnerships in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goal number 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development. In this session, panelists will explore how to develop viable and dynamic partnerships between civil society, private sector, academia, and governments.

Mr Vincent Subilia, General Director, Geneva Chamber of Commerce
Ambassador Elayne Whyte Gómez, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Costa Rica to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva, (tbc)
Prof. Liliana Andonova, Academic Co-Director, Centre For International Environmental Studies, Graduate Institute, (tbc)
Mr Jos Verbeek, Manager and Special Representative to the UN and the WTO in Geneva, World Bank
Moderator: Mr Rabih El-Haddad, Director, Division for Multilateral Diplomacy, UNITAR

In a complex and increasingly uncertain world, diplomatic training institutes should be prepared for different possible futures. Foresight offers a range of tools to envisage those futures and this session will use some of those tools to stimulate strategic thinking on the future of our respective institutes.

Prof. Cédric Dupont, Director of Executive Education, Graduate Institute
Ms Valérie d’Hoedt-Meyer, Deputy Director of Executive Education, Graduate Institute

Dress code: business attire

Integrating the latest learning tools into diplomatic trainings to encourage knowledge sharing represents both a fundamental challenge and an opportunity for diplomatic academies and institutes. Leveraging learnings and best practices from academia and governmental sectors can act as a strong benchmark of the roadmap to achieving progress in this field. Throughout this session, participants will engage with the most recent developments in innovative learning methodologies and how to implement them in diplomatic training activities.

Mr Jaime de Aguinaga, Vice Dean for Management and Development, Global and Public Affairs School at IE University
Dr Jessica Dehler Zufferey, Executive Director, Center for Learning Sciences at EPFL
Mr Jerome l’Host, Senior Consultant, UNITAR
Mr Francesco Pisano, Director of the United Nations Library at Geneva
Moderator: Mr Rabih El-Haddad, Director, Division for Multilateral Diplomacy, UNITAR

IFDT Bazaar

Science diplomacy follows growing relevance of science for development of societies worldwide and addressing global issues such as climate change, food production, energy and sustainable development. Diplomats and scientists interact more frequently than in the past. The session will discuss how to train diplomats to both deal with scientific issues and interact with scientific communities.

Prof. Paul Berkman, Director of Science Diplomacy Center, Fletcher School of Diplomacy)
Dr Katharina Hoene, Senior Lecturer and Researcher, DiploFoundation
Ms Charlotte L. Warakaulle, Director of International Relations, CERN
Moderator: Dr Tereza Horejsova, Director Project Development, DiploFoundation

Family photo

The session will start with outlining training trends in international organisations; it will be followed by an analysis of leadership awareness building and training; it will be concluded by outlining training approach for diplomats posted to multilateral centres such as Geneva.

Ambassador Petru Dumitriu, Inspector, UN Joint Inspection Unit
Ms Christina Orisich, Deputy Director and Head of Executive Education, GCSP
Ambassador Salman Bal, Director, CAGI
Moderator: Dr Jovan Kurbalija, Director, DiploFoundation

This session connects our debates on the future of diplomacy to the debates/concern about the ongoing disruptions in the workplace. The focus will be on two key questions: first, how (and to what extent) will the work of the diplomats be disrupted by the ongoing transformations of the workplace? Second, what role can diplomacy play in managing/mitigating the disruptions to the workplace across the globe?
It will draw upon the insights from all previous sessions with the aim to end with a collective discussion on the toolkit of skills needed by diplomats in line with the range of challenges they will face in the future.

Prof. Cédric Dupont, Director of Executive Education, Graduate Institute
Dr. Ekkehard Ernst, Chief, Macroeconomic policy and Job Unit, International Labour Organization