Research and Policy Advice

Today’s complex security challenges require careful analysis and smart ideas.

We assist states’, international organisations’ and firms’ analysis, policy-making and decision-making to help develop smart solutions to pressing challenges.

GCSP’s Research and Policy Advice is offered in various forms:

  • Knowledge and analysis for understanding new trends and issues;
  • Studies exploring questions according to specific needs;
  • Public discussions and conferences to share new thinking;
  • Workshops to jointly develop new insights;
  • Tailored advise for policy- and decision-making.

Our portfolio covers a wide range of topics, in particular:

  • Strategic anticipation;
  • Geopolitics and global risks;
  • Multilateral security cooperation;
  • Emerging and disruptive technologies;
  • Arms control and disarmament;
  • Terrorism and organized crime;
  • Peace operations and peacebuilding;
  • International security law.

Notable resources are:

GCSP Publications

Besides research published in academic and policy-oriented journals, the GCSP offers a variety of publications series. For more information on our series, click here.

  • Geneva Papers;
  • Strategic Security Analyses;
  • Policy Briefs;
  • In Focus;
  • Tailored Studies.

Geneva Security Debates

The Geneva Security Debates consist of public discussions on current security challenges. Uniting the world’s leading thinkers and practitioners for interactive discussions, the Geneva Security Debates inform policy makers in Geneva for new insights, joint reflection and networking.

Notable projects are:

The Future of Peace and War

The Future of Peace and War aims at developing the methodological frameworks and tools to better identify the relevant trends and counter-trends shaping the future of peace and war. This work, in collaboration with the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) and the Columbia University’s SIPA Kent Leadership Programme on Conflict Resolution, will lead to the establishment of a permanent forum advising high level policy makers on the nature of future conflicts and the ways to address them.

Geneva Process on AI Principles

The Geneva Process on AI Principles explores and clarifies the meaning, operationalization and legal implications of new policies and principles on the use of military artificial intelligence (AI).

Outlook and Opportunities in the MENA Region

The project Outlook and Opportunities in the MENA Region assesses current and future challenges to the region as well as potential developments, with the aim of developing policy options and recommendations for the next Swiss MENA Strategy.

Polymath Initiative

The Polymath Initiative addresses the “silo thinking” which can lead to policy and governance failures when anticipating the consequences of emerging technologies.

The Processes of International Negotiation (PIN) program

The GCSP is now home to the Processes of International Negotiation (PIN) program, a network of integrated negotiation academics and practitioners, in partnership with the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA). As host institution, the GCSP can now count on the expertise of PIN's negotiation experts for its education, dialogue and research activities as well as contribute to PIN’s cutting-edge negotiations research and analysis.

Trends and Implications of Military Robotics

The project Trends and Implications of Military Robotics analyses the different advances of military robotics and explores the most salient developments at the global and European levels.

Strategic Foresight in Ministries of Foreign Affairs

The project Strategic Foresight in Ministries of Foreign Affairs explores how ministries of foreign affairs around the world use strategic foresight and other anticipatory practices to conduct long-term planning by identifying good practices and analysing institutional foresight capacities.

Study on the Impact of United Nations Supervision Organization (UNTSO) and its Lessons for Future Missions and Operations

In cooperation with the Effectiveness of Peace Operations Network, the GCSP is leading a study on the role, relevance and impact of UNTSO. The purpose of the project is to explore best practices, challenges, and identify innovative approaches that can inform the development of future options and models for peace operations and missions.