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Our story
by GCSP
The Geneva Centre for Security Policy has its roots in the Geneva Summit of 1985: the first meeting between President Ronald Reagan of the United States and General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to discuss international diplomatic relations and the arms race during the Cold War.
The meeting exposed the pressing need to strengthen national expertise in the field of disarmament and international security, so the Swiss Confederation took the initiative to design a nine-month executive training programme (“SIPOLEX”) for government officials. It met the needs of officials not just in Switzerland, but in many other countries in Europe and beyond.
The course was uniquely designed to address the most critical issues in a round-table format that facilitated exchange among experts and practitioners. These officials not only gained knowledge, but also built relations and trust across political divides, and thus the course became a vehicle to build and maintain peace, security and stability, and foster international cooperation. The GCSP Way was born.
In 1995 Mr Adolf Ogi, Swiss President and Federal Councillor in charge of the Federal Department (Ministry) of Defence, initiated the establishment of an international foundation in Geneva to expand the reach and impact of the course and serve as a contribution of the Government of Switzerland to peace in Europe. Eleven states agreed to nominate a representative to serve on the Foundation Council (Board of Trustees).
The GCSP’s mission was strengthened when, in 1996, Switzerland joined the Partnership for Peace (PfP), an initiative led by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to enhance transatlantic security cooperation. The GCSP was a Swiss contribution to the PfP and is now recognised as a Partnership Training and Education Centre.
Since the Centre’s creation a quarter of a century ago, we at the GCSP have delivered high-quality executive education programmes in international security policy for participants coming initially from the Euro-Atlantic area and then worldwide. The complex, interconnected nature of security challenges has also led us to expand our portfolio of expertise and the professional and geographic diversity of our staff, participants, associates and experts.
In 2014 our move to the Maison de la Paix (House of Peace), a state-of-the-art glass structure in the heart of International Geneva, led to a significant transformation and expansion of the GCSP.
