In his editorial, Achim Wennmann, Director for Strategic Partnerships at the Geneva Graduate Institute and Professor in the Interdisciplinary Programme, Nagulendran Chair in Peace Mediation, notes that the GPO is being released “at a moment of real strain on the multilateral system.” While resources are tightening, rhetoric is hardening, and long-standing achievements are under pressure, he stresses that Geneva is not witnessing a system in collapse. Instead, he observes a “strong reaffirmation of core values, a determination to innovate diplomacy, and ongoing work — sometimes less visible but highly consequential — across the policy landscape.” In this context, 2026 emerges as a decisive year, one in which Geneva’s capacity to adapt will shape whether it remains relevant or risks becoming marginalised as a global hub.
Rather than portraying multilateralism as a system in decline, the GPO 2026 presents it as standing at a turning point. While uncertainty is widespread, there is also a clear commitment among Geneva’s actors to uphold core values and to find new ways of working together on issues ranging from peace and security to health, climate, and digital governance.
This year’s edition brings together diverse voices and perspectives on how international cooperation is evolving in practice. Contributors explore topics such as the complexity of global health governance, new approaches to sustainability, cooperative models for AI and digital policy, and the importance of keeping critical global issues on the international agenda. Several articles also highlight concrete examples of cross-sector collaboration, from food systems to youth engagement and sustainable finance.
For the Geneva Graduate Institute, the Geneva Policy Outlook is a strategic partnership initiative that brings together research excellence and policy insight to advance understanding and practice in global governance. As a “finger on the pulse” of discussions and negotiations in and beyond Geneva, the GPO provides a platform where perspectives from policy, practice, and research converge to address contemporary challenges in international cooperation.
Reflecting on the initiative, Marie-Laure Salles, Director of the Geneva Graduate Institute, emphasises that “at a time when multilateral collaboration is both more indispensable than ever and in urgent need of profound reinvention, the Geneva Policy Outlook stands out as an especially relevant resource.” She adds that the Institute is “proud to have pioneered this initiative, fully aligned with our mission as an academic institution to generate and disseminate cutting-edge knowledge, cultivate engaged and constructive dialogue, and confront contemporary global challenges through the exploration of bold and forward-looking solutions.” At what she describes as a decisive juncture for multilateralism, the Geneva Policy Outlook plays “a singular role in ensuring that International Geneva remains a central force—through the deep re-imagination that the moment demands.”
The Geneva Policy Outlook 2026 is an initiative of the Geneva Graduate Institute, developed in partnership with the Republic and State of Geneva and the City of Geneva.