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international

international Geneva forever many actors that have been in war or are in
a conflict situation. When they do want to sit
down to talk peace, very often the first place
they think of is Geneva. It is a place where you
Interview with have a lot of the elements necessary for making

michael moller an environment conducive to peace talks. It is
an international city, a place where agendas
Chairman, Diplomacy Forum are not going to cut across your own, and
nobody shoots at you in the streets of Geneva!
Geneva Science & Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) and former Director- The infrastructure is tried and true. We have

General of United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) had it for many many decades, and it works.
As I have said, the neutrality of Switzerland
is an important element of that. I remember,
Most of us remember the days when Michael such as the business community. Geneva is a couple of days after I arrived as Director
Moller was the Director-General. It was well then operational of the international system General back in 2013, we had the Iran talks,
before the renovation of the Palais started and with up to 100 International Organisations, and at a certain point we were having coffee,
many of us, look back with nostalgia. Our more than 180 countries are represented, over and I asked the Foreign Minister, “Why did
beloved press-bar was still around, and we 700 NGOs are based here and over 1,600 you chose to come to Geneva?” His answer was
did not have dust everywhere. It was also a multinational companies have offices here. All very quick: “We thought about a few places,
time when the UN was a meeting and melting of this makes for an extraordinary ecosystem but very quickly we realized that Geneva was
place. It was bustling with people everywhere, that’s working better and better. It makes the place we needed to come to and everybody
and never a dull moment. The Covid changed International Geneva stronger. More people agreed to it.” So, there is this natural attraction
much of it all, Mr Moller retired and we were are coming here. to the city. It is one of its strengths that it is
curious to know, what exciting things this understood to be the City of Peace.
dynamic man was up to today. So we were Where I am working now, in the Geneva
lucky enough to get a chance to meet with him Science and Diplomacy Anticipator –is not You are still one of the VIPs in International
and ask a lot of questions, that he so kindly coincidentally based in Geneva. It is because Geneva. Could you please tell us about your
answered. So Mr Moller, it’s over to you. Geneva is considered a city of peace, a city activities and undertakings?
of international cooperation. International I do a number of things. I was asked to be
Your contribution to International Geneva Geneva is a place for so many things including the chairman of the Diplomacy Forum of
during your tenure as Director General was – hopefully – peace talks on what is happening a new initiative created a little over two and
outstanding, and you received the prestigious in Ukraine, and the sooner the better. half years ago called the Geneva Science and
award Le Prix de la Foundation pour Genève Diplomacy Anticipator. It was set up by the
for your work. Do you feel that International Do you think in-person diplomacy is the only Federal Government in collaboration with the governments, NGOs and other actors such
Geneva has lost any of its importance since way to resolve conflict? Canton and the City of Geneva. Its objective as the business community, civil society,
the pandemic? If so, why? No, but it is an important aspect of it. If you is to identify the sciences and technologies academia – we bring all these people together
On the contrary in this fragmented world, I want to make peace and in particular if you of tomorrow by scanning what is happening and ask them to give us their views on which
think that International Geneva is even more want to sign a peace agreement, it is almost in laboratories and universities across the issues we should concentrate on. Then we work
important now than before. It is getting more an imperative to have personal contact. world. We invite scientists and bring them with them and accompany the conversations,
important on a lot of issues. In a world that Technology is being used more and more, together with the potential end users of the enriching them by bringing in other actors
is as confrontational as it is now, it is always and that can help us and will in the future. We technologies they will come up with. We such as ethisists, philosophers, young people,
important to have a neutral space, a peace- have seen lots of very good things happening enable them to talk together, scientists and artists, a broad selection of society, to create
loving and peace-making space. Geneva online for the last couple of years, and we have diplomats, scientists and politicians, scientists trust in that science. Then we help bring the
is that par excellence! Of course, the Covid strengthened the coordination of it as well, so, and international organisations. The goal is solutions that come out of these conversations
pandemic, starting two and a half years ago, it’s an important element, but it is not the only for them to agree on which of these many to market if we can and to make sure that they
put a damper on activities. It has also slowed one. technologies and scientific breakthroughs are being used for the benefit of humanity and
down the implementation of the Sustainable that are coming out with great speed would not the opposite.
Development Goals. During your tenure several important talks be the most appropriate to translate into tools
took place here. Could you please tell us about for those whose job it is to make life better for There are three very important words
The collaborative gene is finally growing them and how you managed to get them humanity. that are at the basis of what we do: ethics,
in Geneva, both among international here? governance and equity. It is very important to
organisations and with other actors in society As I said, there is a sort of natural reflex in So, to sum up: international organisations, us that the ethical dimensions of all these new

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