The Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) presents its 2024 Annual Report. One of the greatest challenges for any organisation is transforming its vision into a wide range of effective and multifaceted real-world impacts. Looking back at 2024, we can proudly say that the GCSP has done exactly that, transforming our commitment to peace and security into meaningful action. 

This achievement stands out even more in a year marked by the resurgence of great-power politics and growing uncertainty about the stability of long-standing alliances, as well as new risks and opportunities emerging from artificial intelligence (AI). Global experience in 2024 has also reminded us that sustainable peace is not a given: it must be deliberately chosen, actively built and continuously nurtured. In the face of these challenges, we at the GCSP remained steadfast in our commitment to our mission.

Message from the President and the Executive Director

Mandated by the Government, the GCSP continued its active support of Switzerland’s membership of the UN Security Council focusing on the New Agenda for Peace and the strengthening of UN peace operations. In close cooperation with the UN, policy applicable research projects, courses and seminars fed into UN reform work at various levels, including the preparations for the 2024 Summit of the Future and the Peacekeeping Ministerial 2025.

In this turbulent year, with the support of our donors and partners and in collaboration with international agencies, we strategically expanded our customised education offerings across the Middle East and Africa. These initiatives have strengthened our global learning community and made high-quality security education more accessible than ever before.

Through courses such as Strategic Foresight: Planning for Impact in Uncertain Times, Inspiring Women Leaders and Climate Security Futures, we have provided professionals with forward-looking solutions, transformational ideas, and the critical skills needed to shape effective policy responses to today’s security challenges. Our global alumni network, now numbering more than 11,500 members from over 170 countries, continues to serve as a powerful force in shaping security policy and fostering leadership worldwide.

In parallel with our educational initiatives, the GCSP has continued to generate outstanding insights through thematic research and publications, public conferences, and our GCSP Prize for Transformative Futures in Peace and Security. These endeavours not only spotlight innovative approaches to peacebuilding, but also reinforce our commitment to ensuring that every voice – from both Europe and beyond – contributes to the collective pursuit of security and stability.

Education and policy research alone are not enough to address today’s security challenges. Diplomatic dialogue is central to building trust, reducing tensions and finding durable solutions to global conflicts. As traditional channels of communication between governments, international actors, and conflict-affected regions remain impaired, the need for neutral and impartial spaces for exchange has never been greater. The GCSP remains one of the few platforms where key stakeholders can engage in open, discreet, and constructive dialogue, bridging divides and generating new ideas to navigate an increasingly polarised and transactional world.

In 2024 we reinforced our commitment to facilitating high-level diplomatic discussions on some of the world’s most pressing security issues. Among our key initiatives, the High North Talks continued to support dialogue aimed at preventing tensions in the Arctic, while the Bridge States Project helped nations such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine manage their positioning between NATO, the European Union (EU), and Russia. We also advanced critical discussions through the P5 Expert Roundtable in Geneva on nuclear risk reduction and AI safeguards in an era where the margin for error is razor thin. Additionally, through the Space Security Dialogue, we facilitated discussions of themes such as space traffic management, strategic stability and international coordination.

Amid the war in Ukraine, the GCSP continued its efforts to maintain channels of communication and identify pathways to peace. Through a dedicated dialogue on the future of European security, we engaged experts from Europe, North America, Ukraine, and Russia to assess what building blocks are needed to rebuild a stable post-war European security order. This effort resulted in the development of what we call the Peace Matrix, a framework that outlines key steps toward security and cooperation at multiple levels. By addressing elements such as de-escalation mechanisms and the future of European security structures, the Peace Matrix provides a foundation for future consultations and offers policymakers concrete ways to restore stability in the region.

While the challenges we face may seem immense, our belief in the power of dialogue, education and advice remains unwavering. This annual report reflects our enduring conviction that peace is built by people through persistent, inclusive and courageous engagement. As we reflect on the past year, we do so with gratitude for the dedication of everyone at the GCSP. We remain committed to uniting diverse perspectives to overcome adversity and build a future were cooperation triumphs over conflict and division.