PART 1
Message from the President 2020 will certainly go down in history as the year of COVID-19 – a year during which humankind was confronted with a huge global threat and experienced devastating infection rates and losses of life similar to those during the pandemics of past centuries like the Black Death and Spanish Flu. But, unlike the plagues of the past, it was also a year during which humanity showed an unprecedented capacity to react quickly and effectively: within months, several vaccines were in mass production; automation and the internet had made extended lockdowns viable; and most governments took the bold decisions needed to save the world economy from collapse. In this tough year the GCSP has once more demonstrated an amazing capacity to adapt quickly and successfully address huge challenges: it continued at a brisk pace to design and deliver innovative and impactful executive education activities and diplomatic facilitation workshops. And the creative mindset and boldness of its staff have inspired, shaped and accelerated the transformation of the Centre almost overnight into a fully virtual organisation. To me, this institutional and staff agility, creativity and dedication are primarily the result of the exceptional diversity of the GCSP staff, who comprise 21 nationalities and range from diplomats and members of international organisations to military officers, executives from the private sector and academics, all of whom are committed to making the GCSP a socially responsible actor. Social responsibility, crisis management and leadership are not only taught at the GCSP, but are also practised by the organisation and its staff. And here I want to pay a special tribute to Ambassador Christian Dussey who, during two amazingly successful mandates, has been the inspiration for and driving force of a deep transformation of the Centre. Thanks to him – thanks to his vision, talent and energy – the startup mindset was enthusiastically supported by an empowered and dedicated staff. Because most other comparable institutions were going virtual in 2020, for the GCSP, navigating through this very crowded and competitive environment was like participating in a sailboat race during which the whole team, under the dynamic leadership of its captain, had to continually adjust to the winds, the seas and the manœuvres of the other boats. And the result is there for all to see: the GCSP is certainly among 2020’s major winners. And here it is worth noting that the virtual delivery of the GCSP’s courses led to an even higher satisfaction rate among the participants than was the case in the previous face-to-face courses!
Ambassador Jean-David Levitte GCSP Foundation Council President
Transformative Journeys to Create a Safer World | 2020 Annual Report | 3
