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Ifri & KAS program on multilateralism: Geneva meeting

In the framework of our program on multilateralism launched by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Frankreich & Ifri, our first meeting was held in Geneva with the friendly support of the KAS Geneva.

During three days we focused on four topics:

  1. trade,
  2. health,
  3. humanitarians matters and human rights, and
  4. technical standards.

 
After a first breakfast meeting with representatives from the Permanent Mission of Germany & France to the United Nations in Geneva, we went to the World Trade Organization (WTO). There we had the opportunity to exchange with Violeta Gonzalez Behar, Clarisse Morgan, Mateo Ferrero & with Jonathan Hepburn from the WTO.
 
Following to that we had lunch with the Executive Director from the Geneva Trade Platform, Dmitry Grozoubinski.

After having received this insight in topics at the intersection of trade, fishery, agriculture and environmental matters, we dived into health matters with Erika Dueñas Loayza & Dorine Van der Wal from the World Health Organization (WHO). We also heard from Vinay Patrick Saldanha, Director of the Regional Support Team for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
 
Our Thursday afternoon was dedicated to humanitarian matters with Benno Kocher from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). We than had the opportunity to discuss current challenges for flight and migration with Manfred Profazi from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Nicolas Brass from the United Nations Refugee Agency UNHCR and Atle Solberg from the Platform on Disaster Displacement (PDD).
 
Our Friday breakfast was dedicated to the International Telecommunications Union and we had the opportunity to have an exchange with Jaroslaw Ponder on technical developments, on standards, on the cooperation among industrial states and less developed states to bridge the technological gap, as well as on the upcoming of new standard-makers which had formerly been standard-takers.

Following to that, we had the opportunity to discuss with Raphael Ruppacher from the Permanent mission of Austria to the Office of the United Nations and Special Organizations in Geneva on the activities of the UN Human Rights Council which was chaired by Austria in 2020.
 
We could not have closed this program without having discussed with the European Union to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, and are thankful to Thomas Wagner who has given us his insights in this regard.

Our closing meeting with Catherine Fiankan-Bokonga, Vice-President from the Association of Accredited Correspondents at the UN, finally gave us an overview from a long-term observer of the Geneva institutions.