Geneva Centre for Security Policy

The Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) is an international foundation governed by a 55-member State Foundation Council serving a global community of individuals and organisations. Our mission is to advance peace, security, and international cooperation. We provide the knowledge, skills and network for 360° effective and inclusive decision-making.

The GCSP believes that effective and forward-thinking leaders and organisations need to build a broad picture of what is happening in an increasingly connected world. We unravel the intricacies of geopolitics and help leaders develop new skills and the agility to lead in times of tumultuous change. The GCSP creates an inclusive environment for their global community from 174 nations and across sectors that come together to exchange ideas and develop sustainable solutions for a more peaceful future. Building Peace Together through Education, Dialogue, Policy, Creativity, and Community since 1995.

The GCSP provides analysis that covers several digital topics, including cybersecurity and transformative technologies. Its executive education is offered online and in blended formats. In response to COVID-19, the GCSP launched a series of webinars titled Global Crisis, GlobalRisk and Global Consequences.

Digital activities

The GCSP provides analysis that covers several digital topics, including cybersecurity and transformative technologies. Its executive education is offered online and in blended formats. In response to COVID-19, the GCSP launched a series of webinars titled Global Crisis, GlobalRisk and Global Consequences.

Digital policy issues

Artificial intelligence

As part of its Transformative Technologies cluster, the GCSP looks at artificial intelligence (AI) and several ‘disruptive technologies’; the term refers to synthetic biology, neuro-morphic chips, big data, quantum computing, 3D and 4D printing, brain-computer interfaces, hypersonic technology, and cognitive enhancement. In particular, the GCSP focuses on the dual-use character of these technologies, their potential use in warfare and the future of warfare, as well as the existing legal provisions among warfare and humanitarian rules in relation to such technologies. Overall, activities as part of this cluster aim to alert policymakers to both the challenges and opportunities associated with these technologies. These aims are also reflected in associated educational activities, such as the course on Transformative Technologies and the Future of Geopolitics.

As part of its Global risk and resilience cluster (GRRC), the GCSP has positioned itself as a thought leader on risks at the nexus of geopolitics and technology. To that purpose, it particularly monitors, analyses, and interprets the impact that emerging technologies such as AI, synthetic biology, neuroscience, quantum computing, and nanotechnologies will have on international politics, geopolitics, warfare, and conflicts. In addition to identifying emerging risks and future trends that will impact international security and warfare, the GRRC also promotes new responses that can be brought to deal with these emerging risks, notably through the concept of resilience.

The GCSP hosts ‘Geneva Security Debates’, which include discussions on AI topics, including a specific debate titled ‘How AI will transform the world: The need for a new strategic compass’. Through these debates, the GCSP engages with the global governance discourse around AI regulation, addressing concepts of ‘safe AI’ and ‘responsible AI’ while examining AI not just as a technological issue but as a strategic priority for nations and an element of potential power competition.

The GCSP is involved in the ‘Normandy P5 Initiative on nuclear risk reduction’, which they co-convene with the Strategic Foresight Group. This initiative, inspired by the Normandy Manifesto for World Peace issued in June 2019, engages with the five permanent members of the UN Security Council on nuclear risk reduction. Since 2021, the GCSP has held multiple experts’ roundtables in Caen, Normandy and Geneva, Switzerland. In December 2023, the GCSP held a roundtable in Geneva to discuss the nexus between AI and nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3). The GCSP has decided to focus its work in 2024 on the AI/NC3 nexus, with support from the Future of Life Institute and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation.

The GCSP is publishing detailed research on AI in the context of international humanitarian law (IHL) and the law of targeting. This research examines how AI technologies influence international law, particularly focusing on the evolution of IHL based on technological developments. The GCSP is analysing the intersection of AI and military applications, specifically in targeting processes, and producing content that examines the ‘mechanisation’ and ‘objectivisation’ of legal principles through AI technology.

• The Impact of Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence on Strategic Stability
• Perils of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems Proliferation: Preventing Non-State Acquisition
• Geopolitical Leadership for Organisational Impact

Looking at the Edge: Understanding the Frontiers of Geopolitical Risk

Cybersecurity

The GCSP tackles cybersecurity issues through education and training activities, as well as policy analysis and events. It also provides a platform for dialogue and exchanges on cyber challenges among cyber experts from the public, private, and civil society sectors. The training and education activities cover areas such as cybersecurity strategy formulation, international law relating to cyber issues, cyber diplomacy, and broader capacity-building initiatives (e.g. workshops and student challenges). Policy papers published by the GCSP focus on the nature of cybersecurity, developing norms in the digital era, international legal analyses, and developing holistic solutions. The flagship course is Cyber Security in the Context of International Security; other bespoke courses cater to public and governmental staff and private and non-governmental employees. The GCSP’s flagship annual cybersecurity event is the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge. In partnership with the Atlantic Council, this strategy and policy competition pits over 200 students from around the world in a strategy and policy competition. Teams are judged by experts, high-level policymakers, thought leaders from industry and the public sector (including NATO and the EU), and government representatives. The challenge normally takes place at the GCSP headquarters in Geneva, but in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 competition took place entirely online.

The GCSP has a specific ‘Global Cyber and Security Policy’ topic area with the tagline ‘Think Cyber, Act Global’. They offer comprehensive expertise in advisory, training, crisis management, and security policy related to cyber issues. The GCSP Cyber specifically focuses on enhancing awareness of threats, facilitating risk management, and aiding in the development of a cyber strategy aligned with organisational goals. They recognise cybersecurity as vital for multiple sectors: governments, private and public sectors, academia, NGOs, and civil society.

The GCSP offers comprehensive cyber-related services, including cyber crisis management and strategic advisory. Their cyber crisis management training focuses on equipping boards, executives, and teams with practical knowledge for risk mitigation, including components on cyber situational awareness and business continuity management. The GCSP conducts cyber simulation exercises to give teams hands-on experience responding to cyber incidents and offers strategic advisory services that include vulnerability assessments and practical security solutions.

The GCSP Cyber is described as a ‘dialogue hub’ that convenes and participates in high-level discussions with international organisations and partners. The organisation conducts continuous monitoring of the global cyber landscape and contributes to the development of national and international cyber policies. The GCSP researches offensive operations in cyberspace for cybersecurity purposes, with the goal of informing deterrence and defence strategies.

The GCSP is involved in a joint Sino-European Expert Working Group on the Application of International Law in Cyberspace (WG IL) alongside the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR), the EU Cyber Direct, and Xiamen University. This working group provides a platform for exchange between European and Chinese legal experts on international law in cyberspace. The GCSP has published reports titled ‘Countermeasures in Cyberspace’ and ‘Jurisdiction in Cyberspace’ as part of this collaborative research and dialogue project. The European side of these reports was sponsored by the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs.

• Podcast: The Battle for Cyberspace
• The World Health Organisation: The New Cyber Target During a Global Health Crisis and What we can Learn
• Technology in the Time of COVID-19
• A Snapshot Analysis of the Crypto AG Revelations
• Going Digital Testimonials
• Why Cybersecurity Matters More than Ever During the Coronavirus Pandemic?
• The Increasing Importance of Hybrid Politics in Europe: Cyber Power is Changing the Nature of Politics
• Spying in a Transparent World: Ethics and Intelligence in the 21st Century
• Why Should We Care about 3D-Printing and What are Potential Security Implications?
• Cyber Jihad: Understanding and Countering Islamic State Propaganda
• Cybersecurity Challenges in the Middle East
• Cyber Security in the Context of International Security
• Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge 2022

Capacity development

Many of the GCSP’s activities fall into the category of capacity development activities. The GCSP offers courses and other educational and training programmes related to the internet and digital policy, such as cybersecurity, transformative technologies, and strategic foresight.

In addition to capacity building through its executive education programmes, the GCSP leverages its considerable intellectual and networking resources (i.e. its fellows and alumni) to engage with communities worldwide and foster trust between regions. The GCSP’s cybersecurity dialogues aim to remove barriers to communication and encourage the uptake of the opportunities today’s digital landscape has to offer.

In partnership with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), the GCSP convenes the Track 1.5 dialogue process to ensure there is as much communication as possible between parties that are often in conflict with one another. This process provides a platform and a mechanism for the exchange of ideas to build consensus on topics as diverse as international norms, agreement on legal paradigms, and regional socio-economic development.

Several other events organised by the GCSP also have a capacity development focus; one example is the annual Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, a student competition in international cybersecurity strategy and policy. The challenge was held entirely online in 2022 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the publications produced by the organisation can help inform various stakeholders about the challenges and concerns in the area of cyber governance.

• Cyber Security in the Context of International Security
• Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge 2022
• Global and Emerging Risks
• Geopolitics and Global Futures Symposium 2022

The GCSP offers online courses, webinars, and an online dialogue series.ries.

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