On 22 December, the Institute and the FDFA (through the State Secretariat) signed a new framework agreement that affirms the complementarity of their strategic orientations. The Institute is the only Swiss academic institution to have concluded such an agreement with the FDFA; two agreements had already been signed in 2012 and 2016.
The FDFA wishes to strengthen the link with the academic community and benefit from the Institute's contribution in its fields of excellence. The FDFA notes that the Institute "has acquired an original international profile on the international studies and development scene, particularly on the major challenges of the world related to peace, equity and sustainability".
The Institute, for its part, "consolidates one of its important missions from the outset - to link excellent academic research with the world of expertise and practice on issues of international relations, development and governance of global challenges. In doing so, it reaffirms its strong contribution to the influence of international Geneva and to Switzerland's special role in the multilateral dynamic," says Marie-Laure Salles, Director of the Institute.
Through this agreement, the Institute and the FDFA establish a framework for bilateral consultation at the highest level, including collaborative projects in the areas of facilitation and diplomatic training, as well as applied research on international relations issues, particularly those related to peace, equity, sustainability and the digital challenge. They also commit to bringing mutual awareness to new themes and trends that may emerge in the field of international relations and development.