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Today, I have attended to the 23rd New Issues in Security Course (NISC) graduation ceremony.
It was a short and moving ceremony. Ambassador Thomas Greminger welcomed the participants and their familly. NISC Course director Anna Brach reminded the participants of their upcoming challenges. Ms Assal Massoud held the participants speech and advised her colleagues to consider peace as a choice. Ms Bérangère Barthelmé, the NISC coordinator, told a brief, but heartful message.
In the end, Ms Danielle Marlyse Ngo Thena sang a wonderful, and moving, a capella rendition of the «Ode to Joy» from Ludwig van Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.
Congratulations to the participants and a safe return to their home countries and their (new) work positions.

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Pannelists at the symposium

Yesterday, the GCSP organized a symposium entitled « War in Europe: Global Perspectives for Military Leaders » at the Swiss Armed Forces Military Caserne in #Bern under the leadership of Tobias Vestner, Maréva Roduit and Christian Bühlmann. 85 general staff officers were offered strategic viewpoints and insights into the implications of #war.
In their introductory remarks, Ambassador Thomas Greminger and Lieutenant General Thomas Suessli presented the key points of the war and outlined the general implications from a #Swiss and global perspective. Ambassador Thomas Greminger explained the possible scenarios for the future and presented the necessary elements for rebuilding European #security, such as restoring #trust, military risk reduction and the transformation of « In-between countries » into « Bridge countries ». A panel of experts then discussed the geopolitical implications of the conflict for Europe (Ambassador Thomas Greminger), China, Russia, the United States (Neil Melvin) and the Global South (Ambassador Yvette Stevens), and how these countries are repositioning themselves in the international order.
In interactive workshops, our GCSP experts discussed the future challenges that could arise in terms of #defense postures, modern #warfare and non-military security threats to global security. Dr. Jamie Shea explained how NATO is taking a step backwards towards collective defense, and how the EU is moving forward with #coordination and consolidation of synergies. Jean-Marc Rickli demonstrated the exponential nature of emerging technologies and how their convergence should lead us to greater foresight, #resilience and polymath thinking. Finally, Christina Schori Liang highlighted the considerable influence of non-state actors on the balance of #power and international public opinion.
The symposium led to fruitful discussions between global experts and Swiss military leaders.

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PSOTC

Today, 25th June 2021, the Peace Support Operations Training Centre in cooperation with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy successfully completed 9th Defence Attaché Orientation Course in Defence and Diplomacy. Structure of participants and speakers presents the highest standards of education delivered during one week of the course. In total, 24 participants, defence attaches and defence diplomacy trainees, from 10 countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Bulgaria, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, North Macedonia, Slovakia, Slovenia and United States). Besides PSOTC and GCSP staff, participants had a privilege of having such a group of high level of speakers, the US, British and Swiss ambassadors, NATO HQ SA and EUFOR commanders as well current resident and non-resident defence attaches.

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GCSP

The GCSP hosted a new round of security dialogue with the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS), affiliated to the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Korea, on 9 July 2019 in Geneva. Both institutions have been holding a security dialogue for several years, alternatively in Geneva and Seoul, in line with the GCSP policy of promoting dialogue with all Korean actors, from the South and the North of the Peninsula.

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GCSP

Lieutenant General Esa Pulkkinen, Director General of the EU Military Staff (EUMS), payed a visit to the GCSP. In an engaging speech held in front of more than forty course participants, fellows and staff members, General Pulkkinen stressed the importance of values as the fundamental core of EU security and further underlined the importance of the GCSP in launching his international career.

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GCSP

The GCSP welcomed, on 6 May 2019, a Delegation from the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences (SASS), led by Prof. Liu Ming, to discuss recent geopolitical developments at global level. In a first part, the meeting focused on the triangular relationships between China, the US and Europe and the evolving posture of these actors in the light of increasing power competition.

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GCSP

On 20 November 2018, the GSCP hosted a VIP lunch in honour of Dr Mohamed ElBaradei, former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from 1997 to 2009, and winner of the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. Dr ElBaradei shared with the guests his experience and lessons learned from his career, in particular in dealing with the cases of Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. He stressed the importance of international dialogue and mutual respect. He identified insecurity and inequality as the main reasons behind today’s crises, fuelled by power politics, the danger of nuclear war, persistence of poverty and hunger as well as human rights violations.

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GCSP

On Thursday, November, 8th [2018], the Defence Attaché (DA) course in Amman came to a conclusion after a closing ceremony. 29 participants from 14 countries were awarded a course certificate from the hands of the Royal Jordanian National Defence College (RJNDC) commandant, Brigadier General Abdallah Al Shdaifat and General (Retd) André Blattmann, former Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces.

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GCSP

Depuis plus d’une décennie, le GCSP entretient des liens fructueux avec les Forces Armées du Sénégal, notamment avec le Centre des Hautes Études de Défense et de Sécurité (CHEDS) de Dakar créé en 2014. En particulier, depuis 2009, le GCSP organise chaque année à Dakar des cours destinés aux Attachés de défense et hauts fonctionnaires de l’Afrique de l’Ouest actifs dans le domaine de la politique de sécurité et la diplomatie.
Après avoir accueilli le Général de brigade Paul NDIAYE, Directeur du CHEDS, en août 2016, le GCSP avait l’honneur et le grand plaisir de recevoir en ce début de septembre 2018 le Général de Corps d’armée Cheikh GUEYE, Chef d’Etat-Major général des Armées (CEMGA) du Sénégal, accompagné de son aide de camp et d’un officier supérieur.

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BCN

The participant were introduced to Swiss institutions, Swiss History, Swiss Facts, And Swiss Geography. They also pictured their perception of Switzerland. I stressed the complexity and the stability of the Swiss system.

 

About CENTROC:

Commanders and Legal Advisers play a pivotal role in implementing the Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC), Human Rights Law (HRL) and rules governing the Use of Force in military operations. To discharge their operational tasks fully, they are increasingly required to understand the key legal principles at commanding levels and to apply them in both planning and execution. As a result, co-operation between commanders and legal advisers is also essential.
This international workshop is organised by Switzerland, in partnership with the GCSP, within the framework of the PfP Partnership Work Programme, Chapter XIII. It focuses on the current operational challenges, on case studies and practical exercises, preceded by contextual in-briefs by international experts and practitioners with operational experience.

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GCSP

During the following discussions, Gen Broeks expressed his interest for centres activities. He also underlined the advantage one gains through multinational trainings because, after a course, participants have created a long lasting network. He concluded by raising the importance of Humanitarian Law in modern conflicts and the need for an effective reform and governance of the security sector in conflict ridden regions.

According to NATO, the DGIMS “is responsible for the coordination between the decision-making bodies of the Alliance, the two Strategic Commanders, national military from NATO and Partner countries working in Brussels, and the civilian International Staff, that support the Secretary General and the North Atlantic Council, in order for the IMS to provide the best possible policy advice to the to the Military Committee”.

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