#113 The G|O Briefing, October 13, 2022
GESDA: SCIENCE AT THE MULTILATERAL TABLE | HAITI 'S TOTAL COLLAPSE | LATEST ADDITION TO UN GVA CAMPUS STILL PLAGUED BY PROBLEMS | MUSICAL CHAIRS
UN GENEVA
Responding to events or setting the agenda? Behind the scenes with the UN spokespeople
From human rights to disarmament and development, UNIS crystallizes many of the UN’s key messages in Geneva thanks to its privileged location and extended network of UN bodies.
A guessing game around ITU
The election of Doreen Bogdan-Martin as the ITU's new chief may have settled tensions for now, but with an outgoing Chinese S-G and a contest for his successor that pitted a Russian candidate against an American, the scene was ripe for some intense speculations amongst the diplomatic community.
#111 THE G|O Briefing, September 29, 2022
WESTERN RELIEF AFTER ITU VOTE | ANXIETY AT CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT |SPEAKING FOR THE UN | AUROCRACIES NEVER COLLAPSE NICELY | FIFA AND WTO! FOUL
Backstage with the UN correspondents
Breaking an exclusive story amid a consistently massive output of embargoed press releases and communications of all sorts is often mission impossible, especially since the pandemic has dramatically decreased face-to-face encounters. It’s the kind of feat that arouses envy within the clique.
#110 The G|O Briefing, September 22, 2022
AT ITU, THE ELECTION THAT MIGHT DECIDE THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET - POST COVID, WILL THE PALAIS EVER GO BACK TO NORMAL? - BACKSTAGE WITH THE UN PRESS
Adjusted to hybrid working and afflicted by vaccine hesitancy, will the Palais ever go back to normal?
In 2021, just over 5,000 meetings were held, out of which around 2,300 were in person and 2,400 in a hybrid format. Geneva came close to a shut-down.
A tense moment for International Geneva—but also a faint hope, as informal spaces still allow dialogue with Russia
The West’s resolve has, for now, been reinforced. But so has that of China, Russia, and their allies, bent on seizing the moment to their advantage.
#109 The G|O Briefing, September 15, 2022
INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS WITH RUSSIA STILL HAPPENING IN GENEVA | ARE THE RUSSIAN PEOPLE COLLECTIVELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WAR?
The precarious reality of the UN's external employees
They represent nearly half of the UN’s global workforce, according to the latest figures available (published in a 2014 Joint Inspection Unit report), but Geneva’s UN consultants and individual contractors continue to suffer precarious employment conditions.
A freshly invigorated association has decided to address the issue. The Consultants