Hi there, this is Michelle. The sudden US foreign aid cuts, coupled with the declining support from other western donors, have rattled the international aid sector, Geneva’s included.

The impact on a city where half of the workforce depends on the economy driven by this sector is increasingly evident. But some glass-half-full observers believe all is not lost.

Also, this afternoon, our own Kasmira Jefford will be moderating a discussion where survivors, advocates and experts will examine the role of foreign governments in Sudan’s bloody war. Register to attend!

Michelle Langrand

05.03.2025

On our radar

Photo article

Original illustration. Economic threats to Geneva. (Le Temps/Florence Wojtyczka)

Multilateralism or survival of the fittest? International Geneva at a crossroads. US aid cuts and the departure of multinational firm SGS have raised concerns about whether Geneva might be losing its appeal, with major implications for the economy and the job market. Can the city adapt to this new reality, or will it succumb to a “survival of the fittest” logic?

Geneva Solutions

Here's what else is happening

♻️Geneva to host international talks on plastic pollution. States are hoping to break the deadlock and finalise a global agreement at another round of negotiations scheduled from 5 to 14 August.
Keystone-SDA via Swissinfo
⏰Countries fail again to decide timing of key IPCC climate science reports. China, Saudi Arabia and India rejected a proposal to conclude the scientific review process by August 2028, in time for the global stocktake.
Climate Home News
🪻Cop16 deal commits nations to raise $200bn annually for biodiversity. The agreement is a breakthrough after states failed to agree on a finance package in Colombia last November.
Health Policy Watch
🫁Stop TB Partnership looks at downsizing after USAid cuts. The UN-hosted initiative based in Geneva will have to tighten its belt after losing its biggest donor, according to its head Lucica Ditiu.
Devex
🚨Gaza aid stockpiles limited after Israel cuts flows, aid groups warn. Médecins Sans Frontières said the suspension of aid will add significant pressure on the two million Palestinians in the enclave still suffering from shortages of essential goods.
Reuters
🚸Infants as young as one raped in Sudan, Unicef says. The UN children’s agency cited data compiled by Sudan-based groups helping survivors of sexual violence.
Reuters

Join us today

Photo article

🇸🇩Sudan ravished by war crimes: The devastating campaign of the RSF and its foreign backers. Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by conflict, with mass killings, sexual violence and other atrocities committed against civilians with the support of foreign governments. The UN has uncovered credible evidence that the United Arab Emirates has been supplying weapons to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), fuelling the violence.

Join us at the Geneva Press Club for an in-depth discussion on the role of foreign governments in sustaining this devastating war in Sudan and the paths for justice, with insights from survivors, experts and advocates.

🗓️1 pm, 5 March
📍Domaine de Penthes & online

🎙 Speakers include:
🔹 Yaslam Al-Tayeb – Former hostage of the RSF
🔹 Ahmed al-Nuaimi – Exiled dissident from the UAE94 trial
🔹 Matthew Hedges – British academic arbitrarily detained by the UAE
🔹 Thierry Valle – President of CAP Freedom of Conscience
🔹 David Donat Cattin – Associate adjunct professor of international law at NYU

Moderated by: Kasmira Jefford – editor-in-chief of Geneva Solutions

🔗 Register now to attend in person or online.

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