Geneva goes Lucerne ! with Christine Beerli

What are the significance and challenges of international Geneva today, and how do multilateralism and city-networks come into play there today? These were questions asked by foraus Director Lukas Hupfer to our president Christine Beerli, Welcome Center Geneva CAGI Director Salman Bal and Lucerne City council member Adrian Borgula on Thursday 16 May 2019 in Lucerne, Switzerland. This was the last of a series of events on “International Geneva: The world in Switzerland” which was organized by foraus, a think-tank on Swiss foreign policy.

Starting the conversation, IofC Switzerland’s former communications intern and current Policy Advisor Digitalisation and Human Rights at GIZ and foraus researcher Salome Eggler delivered a captivating presentation of her findings on “City Leadership - Towards Filling the Global Governance?” with over 50% of the worlds’ population living in cities, these start forming transnational alliances and influencing international diplomacy alongside traditional actors like states.

While Adrian Borgula pointed to the incoherence between Switzerland’s humanitarian tradition and engagement and some of its finance and economy policies, Salman Bal drew the audience’s attention to the fact that Switzerland is known as a bridge-builder within the United Nations and that even if we have the impression that multilateralism and trust are in crisis, they are more needed than ever to respond to the world’s complex challenges.

Christine Beerli highlighted that multilateralism strengthens the role of Switzerland and that in a time in which all are speaking but no one is listening, it is important to have a space like Caux where it is possible to listen, ask key questions, reflect and ask ourselves whether we have to change something.

For more information read the Swissinfo Article about the event here.

Photos: foraus