The Role of International Geneva in the UN 2.0
An Intergenerational Dialogue
17:30 - 20:00 CEST
ABOUT THE EVENT
Multilateralism at a Crossroads: The UN Faces Unprecedented Threats
Multilateralism, and more specifically the role of the UN, is under threat. The crisis is not confined to the security and political dimensions. Far beyond the paralysis of the Security Council, it also concerns all other domains of international values, rules, goals and cooperation, from health to human rights, trade to environment, internet governance to social policies. New York diplomacy is deeply affected and makes the headlines very often, heavily focused on the paralysis of the Security Council and the political debates at the General Assembly.
The “International Geneva” is also affected but it is less visible in the news, often forgotten or underestimated. Inevitably, a process of adjustment and adaptation of multilateralism to new political, military, economic, social, and environmental forces will start – is already starting, insofar as we are already in a sort of new Cold War. The risk of resorting to improvised solutions, fragmented reactions and short-sighted decisions is high: future agreements and new mechanisms should be grounded on analysis and in-depth debates and cannot ignore the role of civil society that is paramount for legitimacy and sustainability.
The ecosystem of International Geneva: what it is and why it matters?
The agenda of multilateral issues addressed by the International Geneva is very broad, complex and essential for any « UN 2.0 » that humankind can envisage if it survives. It should not be seen as a « collateral » piece attached to the political agenda but rather as located at the core of the multilateral system.The ecosystem of the International Geneva encompasses 40 international organisations (including five UN specialised agencies and several UN entities), 180 Permanent Missions, 400 NGOs. Almost all the “non-military threats” and the “roots of current multifaceted crises” are addressed in Geneva. This ecosystem is highly «technical», complicated, and diverse, covering more than the 17 SDGs. It matters, in particular, because of three main features: (i)
its normative and regulatory work in many economic, social, environmental and human rights areas; (ii) its impact at the country level by transforming the research and rules into concrete world-wide technical assistance; (iii) it is a puzzle: it is the main multilateral crossroads of intersectoral, multidisciplinary issues characterising today’s increasingly complex globalisation and crises. (Please refer to the Reference Note on the role of International Geneva, that sets the background of this Dialogue).
Main features of this Intergenerational Dialogue
The overarching goal is to highlight the specificities of the multilateral work done by the International Geneva in the context of the preparations of the UN Summit of the Future and beyond. This Dialogue is genuinely intergenerational, involving young and less young experts and non-experts in multilateral affairs, and it provides a civil society perspective through non- governmental entities based in Geneva, New York and other capitals around the world.
The main target audiences are diplomats, decision-makers, academics, journalists, students, civil society and the general public, particularly in New York and in Geneva. The Dialogue is not an academic exercise: it is meant to complement rather than competing with other initiatives related to the Summit.
The debate that will take place at the Dialogue will be inspired by an anonymous online
survey among the targeted audiences encompassing the networks of all Greycells’ partners. This survey will be launched in early February 2024.
Expected Outputs
- The main output should be a Communiqué summarising the issues discussed at the Dialogue and the results of its online survey. This Communiqué aims at sending concrete proposals to the Nairobi UN Civil Society Conference to be held on 9-10 May 2024, to New York negotiators and to other global or regional civil society consultations on the Summit (such as the People’s Pact for the Future being prepared by the Coalition for the UN We Need, of which Greycells is a member).
- Launching of a Youth Contest for our young partners: The Greycells International Geneva Prize will award multimedia and written articles on the role of International Geneva.
Greycells welcome your questions and requests for more information. To ensure a comprehensive response, please direct your emails to their contact address.
Take part in the Survey
This anonymous online survey aims to gather information on perceptions, knowledge, awareness, and concerns of a diverse audience across the globe on the role of the International Geneva ecosystem. The results of the survey will provide inputs to the panellists and the moderator of the dialogue which will take place on 25 April 2024 in Geneva. They will be also conveyed to the UN Civil Society Conference on the Summit of the Future to be held in Nairobi on May 9 and 10, 2024 and other relevant fora.
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