The Climate Chain Coalition (CCC), a multistakeholder network focused on advancing distributed ledger technology and related digital solutions (e.g. IoT, big data) to address climate response for mitigation and adaptation, released its stocktake report at COP27, Egypt. The document presents a review of the CCC members, showing their priorities for different types of applications, issues/sectors, stakeholders and target users, among other indicators. The data reveals, for example, that although 15 members have blockchain products commercially available, a significant number of members (97) are still researching the use of blockchain.
To continue promoting the CCC membership and partnership, the network launched a new strategy to enhance cooperation among members and other partners, deploy digital solutions, and encourage co-creation and co-leadership to build data and digital infrastructure through Climate Chain Labs to accelerate innovations for climate action.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) launched the Methane Alert and Response System (MARS) initiative to support global efforts to detect and act on major methane emissions sources. Established as part of UNEP’s International Methane Emissions Observatory strategy, MARS is a satellite-based system designed to detect emissions of methane and alert governments, companies, and operators so they can take rapid mitigation action.
Findings of the ‘Farmers and Digitalisation’ survey reveal that there is already intensive use of digital technologies on farms to reduce fertiliser use, optimise water use, and improve soil health. Although farmers are willing to continue to invest in digital tools, they face a number of barriers to doing so, mainly related to the cost and availability of devices and lack of connectivity.
In the view of farmers, greater government support is needed to promote the digitisation of farms and overcome these barriers. Support is not limited to increasing access to the internet, but also involves providing training and capacity development, as well as subsidies and inventions for the adoption of digital solutions.
The survey conducted by Savanta ComRes and commissioned by Vodafone Group interviewed farmers from 13 countries in Europe and Africa about their perspectives on digital farming, environmental challenges, and current geopolitical and socio-economic pressures.
Given that digital exclusion mirrors and magnifies existing social, cultural, and economic inequities and pushes vulnerable children closer to the edges of marginalisation, the digital transformation of society has an uneven consequence on all children. To address the effects of the shifting digital and governance landscape, as well as emerging and embedded technologies, on children’s experience with digital technologies, a future-oriented framework for an equitable digital future was proposed by UNICEF. The framework highlights the need to move from digital inclusion to digital equality.
The framework can be used as a foundation for developing and evaluating digital inclusion policies, as a roadmap for structuring the involvement of pertinent stakeholders in achieving digital equality for children, and as a tool to assist in the design of policies and interventions by state authorities, civic groups, and the private sector. For this framework to effectively respond to new trends and technologies, a wider range of stakeholders must be engaged in its implementation.
Created in 1991, Fongit serves as an innovation hub dedicated to supporting innovative tech ventures in the Geneva region. The Foundation empowers innovative companies to successfully transform technology through innovation into a growing sustainable business, delivering economic and social value. Fongit is supported by the State of Geneva.
Digital activities
Fongit’s mission is to transform technological innovation into social and economic value. In doing so, the Foundation assists innovative companies in the digital economy, by providing them with access to offices and labs; administrative, governance, and legal support; and access to financing.
Digital policy issues
Digital economy
Through its activities dedicated to supporting innovative tech start-ups, Fongit contributes to the growth of the digital economy. Over the years, entrepreneurs supported by the Foundation have developed companies in areas such as information and communications technology (ICT), engineering, and life sciences.
Fongit’s Incubator Program assists start-ups in transforming ideas and technologies into viable products, by helping them prepare to fundraise and facilitating connections with angel investors, institutional funds, and corporate venture capitalists. After the three-year incubation period, start-ups tend to remain engaged with the ecosystem, sharing their experiences, insights, and best practices. The programme accepts applications from all over the globe.
The Foundation also offers financing tools – through the Fongit Innovation Fund (FIF)– to support innovation processes within Geneva-based universities, research institutes, and technology companies. The Fund is supported by the Republic and Canton of Geneva, the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services of Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).
Sustainable development
All Fongit-supported startups are required to ensure that they directly or indirectly contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) through their work. Fongit works closely with UNEP and ITC to identify the contribution by its startups towards the SDGs.
Interdisciplinary approaches
Fongit, as an innovation leader, recognised the increasing integration of seemingly unrelated technologies, prompting a move towards tech convergence. This trend is notably advanced in the life sciences domain, where addressing medical challenges involves multidisciplinary interactions across technologies like ICT, hardware, physics, and medical expertise. The acceleration in Geneva’s innovation landscape occurred when life sciences projects from the Eclosion Foundation were integrated into Fongit. The positive outcomes include enhanced collaboration among entrepreneurs, facilitated by communal spaces, leading to the exchange of ideas benefitting various sectors. This tech convergence has driven further innovation at Fongit’s headquarters, with anticipation of future developments in their startup ecosystem.
Housed at the Palais des Nations, UN Geneva serves as the representative office of the UN Secretary-General at Geneva. A focal point for multilateral diplomacy,UN Geneva serviced around 6,000 meetings in 2022, making it one of the busiest conference centres in the world. With more than 1,600 staff, UN Geneva is the most prominent duty station of the UN Secretariat outside the UN headquarters in New York.
Digital activities
UN Geneva hosts many meetings and processes related to disarmament, human rights, e-commerce, health, labour, development, and other areas. In addition to these meetings, UN Geneva also hosts several thematic cultural activities and organises the Ciné ONU project, which uses films to shine a light on the UN’s work on gender equality, human rights, humanitarian aid, health, peace and reconciliation, and many other issues.
Digital policy issues
Sustainable development
Led by UN Geneva, the SDG Lab is a multistakeholder innovation space for the sustainable development goals (SDGs), that inspires and promotes system change through new lenses to long-term sustainability. An example of a concrete initiative is the Geneva SDG Data Forum, launched in 2022 in partnership with the Geneva Graduate Institute and Deloitte Switzerland. The Geneva SDG Data Forum acts as an informal platform for individuals and organisations to share SDG data knowledge through a series of hands-on ateliers on data, monitoring, and accountability.
The SDG Lab also played a key role in the inception of the GESDA Open Quantum Institute (OQI) through its function as an OQI advisory board member, offering guidance and insights into potential case studies and applications of quantum technologies for the SDGs and long-term sustainability.
Other examples of initiatives launched or supported by UN GGeneva in the area of sustainable development include SDG Acceleration Actions, an initiative dedicated to mobilising Geneva-based actors working to make SDGs a reality, and Building Bridges Week, dedicated to creating an international movement for sustainable finance.
In addition, the International Geneva Perception Change project – managed by a team of the Office of UN Geneva’s Director-General– has among its four areas of work the promotion of the SDGs. SDG Mapping, for instance, showcases who does what in Geneva towards the global goals. The other three areas are related to making information accessible, changing the narratives, and promoting the work of Geneva-based organisations.
Capacity development
The UN Library & Archives Geneva serves as a space for knowledge and learning. It facilitates knowledge exchanges, encourages innovation and collaboration, and acts as a centre for research on multilateralism.
The library provides access to a diverse set of resources (books, articles, UN documents, etc.), on digital-related topics such as economy, trade, human rights, and peace and security. It also facilitates access to numerous databases (maintained by various UN entities), such as the UN Digital Library.
The library coordinates the UN Knowledge and Learning Commons, together with the Centre for Learning and Multilingualism. The Commons hosts activities and learning experiences on various subjects, including some with a digital dimension, such as technology and innovation, information literacy, hybrid meetings, digital accessibility, and multilingualism.
The Conference Primers platform gives rapid access to all conference summaries and to key decisions taken at meetings held at UN Geneva. It continues to grow, with advice from experts, contributions from partners, and research led by the UN Library & Archives Geneva.
In 2022, the Library & Archives also completed a major five-year project to provide online access to the entire original archives of the League of Nations between 1919 and 1946: The Total Digital Access to the League of Nations Archives Project (LONTAD). As a result, nearly 15 million pages of materials are now available online, free of charge. Thanks to this project, every person connected to the internet now has an opportunity to consult various documents of the League of Nations online
The UN Geneva’s podcasts reinforce the organisation’s outreach efforts, spotlighting issues and bringing the key messages of the UN to another platform. Scripted, recorded, and edited at the Palais des Nations, the English-language podcast UN Catch-up Dateline Geneva and the French-language podcast ONU Info Genève offer up the week’s biggest stories from International Geneva, including from UN agencies and their partners. The podcasts are available weekly via social media platforms and UN News.
Digital tools and initiatives
Geneva has been traditionally strong on peace initiatives. It is often regarded as a city of choice for mediators and special envoys because it provides a neutral, discreet, secure space for dialogue. Many peace talks, and conflict prevention and mediation efforts are hosted at the Palais des Nations.
Digital Mediation Toolkit 1.0, developed by the UN and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in 2019, assesses opportunities and risks associated with the use of digital technologies in the mediation context and provides concrete examples and advice from experts and practitioners. The digital technologies and tools currently used by mediators include social media, geographic information systems (GIS), and data analytics.
Mandate Review and Management System (MRMS), a tool used by UN Secretariat entities to support the decision-making of the member states. Each year, over 100 complex oral statements of programme budget implications can emanate from draft resolutions and decisions of the Human Rights Council, the intergovernmental body of the UN system which is headquartered in Geneva. The MRMS greatly promotes efficiency and transparency and enhances real-time collaboration in the creation of oral statements, archiving of data, and the overall workflow of this process.
UNTERM is a multilingual terminology database maintained jointly by the UN Secretariat and certain specialised agencies of the UN system, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). UNTERM provides terminology and nomenclature in subjects relevant to the work of the UN system. Information is provided in the six UN official languages, and there are also entries in German and Portuguese. This database is a linguistic tool created primarily to facilitate the work of the staff of the UNsystem and other people around the world who participate or are interested in the organisation’s activities.
UN Geneva’s Fully Automated Speech-to-Text (FAST) project generates conference transcripts with the help of AI. Since the launch of the English version in 2019, FAST has scaled up to process thousands of hours of recordings per year, covering meetings for 40 UN entities. In 2022, UN Geneva rolled out French and Spanish transcription, with support from the International Organization of la Francophonie. The FAST project team has been collaborating with the machine learning researchers at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to improve the latter’s proprietary speech recognition models on thousands of hours worth of UN Geneva’s training data in six languages. Thanks to the common pool of data shared by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), WIPO, WTO, and other international organisations, the retrained speech-to-text instances have become more relevant to, and accurate for, the conferencing environment and multilingual international speakers. The resulting raw transcripts are an essential building block for deploying further text analysis services underpinned by extractive or generative AI.
The Digital Recordings Portal is the online repository for all meetings recorded at the Palais des Nations and Palais Wilson. It is available in English and French, and the interface is compatible with standard accessibility tools and controllable via keyboard navigation. Since its update in 2022, meeting transcripts are generated in English, French, and Spanish and uploaded to the portal completely automatically. This allows those with hearing impairments to readily access the content of meetings held at UN Geneva. The portal also serves as a crucial tool for reporting on meeting outcomes. In 2022, more than 2,800 meetings were recorded and published on the portal, most of them in multiple languages.
With approximately 700,000 users across the globe, Indico.UN is the UN’s standard solution for participant management. The software establishes a web-based workflow, covering the creation of the event page and set-up of the registration form, participants registration, registration vetting, as well as badging and check-in activities. The system also has a series of elements related to the dissemination of information and documents, event statistics, timeline management, and accreditation of users in need of long-term badges. Indico.UN is a modular system, very easy to customise by the users of the UN-system organisations.
Extra-budgetary Cost Calculator is a financial planning tool that enables extra-budgetary conferencing clients to generate unofficial cost estimates on a self-service basis. Users can run multiple scenarios to match their available budgets by selecting which services to include or exclude, altering the duration of meetings/conferences and/or the requirements for meeting services and seeing the associated cost impact. The calculator includes costs for services provided by DCM (e.g. interpretation, documentation, and accessibility services), the Division of Administration (e.g. sound and audio-recording operators, technicians, mechanics, IT support), UN Library & Archives Geneva (e.g. cultural events), and the UN International School (UNIS) (e.g. webcasting).
Future of meetings
UN Geneva provides a key international dialogue and diplomacy platform. The Division of Conference Management (DCM) facilitates these discussions and conferences by providing high-quality services (logistically and substantively) for UN agencies, international organisations, and highly sensitive political negotiations. You can find all the information about meetings and events on UN Geneva’s meeting and events calendar.
The Datasphere Initiative is a global network of stakeholders with a mission to develop agile frameworks to responsibly unlock the value of data for all.
It has been incubated by the Internet & Jurisdiction PolicyNetwork – a multistakeholder organisation addressing the tension between the cross-border nature of the internet and national jurisdictions.
The Datasphere’s main objectives are the following:
Bring a new, holistic and positive approach to the governance of the Datasphere
Provide a platform to unlock the social and economic value of data access and
Improve coordination and accelerate the adoption of concrete proposals to overcome the current tensions and polarisation around
Produce evidence-based analysis on data policy
Catalyse human-centric technical, policy, and institutional innovations.
Digital activities
The Datasphere Initiative works on three programmes that promote transnational cooperation and mission-oriented partnerships: Dialogue, Intelligence, and the Lab.
Digital activities are dedicated to increasing awareness, building capacity, and identifying real-world challenges that can be addressed by data and innovative data governance frameworks.
Digital policy issues
Data governance
The Datasphere provides the fundamental perspective shift needed to govern data for the well-being of all, building innovative data governance frameworks that are inclusive, agile, and scalable.
The Intelligence Program gathers evidence on concrete challenges, identifies innovative data governance practices, and translates complex technical data issues into actionable outcomes. The main objectives of this programme are mapping the relevant actors, policy processes, innovative approaches, concepts, and trends on data governance and developing holistic analytical and measurement frameworks for the Datasphere. The Intelligence Program includes Framing the Datasphere, Datasphere Observatory, Mapping the Datasphere, Sectorial Deepdives, Datasphere Reviews, and Datasphere Toolkit(s).
The Datasphere Governance Atlas maps organisations from around the world all with a mission to address the multi-dimensional topic of data governance. The analysis identifies technical and normative approaches to data governance and puts forward insights into how the data governance environment is evolving across regions and sectors.
The Lab Program creates a collective space to showcase and experiment with innovations in governance frameworks and technical solutions advancing the vision of a Datasphere for all. Cross-border Datasphere Sandboxes, Framework Convention for the Datasphere, Protocol(s) for the Datasphere, and Datasphere Hackathons are an important segment of this programme. Moreover, it is foreseen to launch a Global Sandboxes for Data Forum in 2024 that will spur the development and implementation of innovative data governance frameworks across borders, through a multistakeholder process, to which local, regional, and global experts will be invited to contribute and learn from each other. As the first regional application of the Global Sandboxes Forum, the Datasphere Initiative has launched the Africa Forum on Sandboxes for Data.
Capacity development
The objectives of the Dialogue Program are to inform (increase awareness of data opportunities and challenges across regions), advise (develop capacity-building programmes with a regional partner), and innovate (identify real-world challenges that can be addressed by data and innovative data governance frameworks). The Datasphere Dialogues seek to engage systematically with stakeholders in Europe and North America but will count with a special focus on the Global South and sustainability challenges, supporting local and regional empowerment and leadership on Data Governance. In addition to global dialogues, it consists of structured regional efforts in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Asia. The Dialogue Program includes Datasphere Dialogues, Datasphere Academy, Datasphere Challenges, and the Datasphere Summit.
Digital tools
Mapping the Datasphere seeks to investigate paths to enable the visualisation of the Datasphere as a whole and its different dimensions, building on datasets of personal and/or non-personal data in collaboration with data engineers and policy practitioners. The ultimate objective is to develop an interactive Datasphere Observatory platform where the Datasphere and the repository of collected information can be visualised in its different layers and segments of different dataspheres tangible for users and decision-makers.
Since its establishment in 1983–84, CUTS International has been a leading southern voice in the space of trade, economics, and development to ensure consumer sovereignty. As digitalisation accelerated across sectors, CUTS has undertaken many research, advocacy, networking, and capacity building initiatives, within the realm of the digital economy to enable consumers, particularly the poor and marginalised social groups, to achieve their right to basic needs, sustainable development, and good governance through strong consumer movement. Being a global independent non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on public interest issues, CUTS addresses four main thematic areas: Trade, Economic, Regulation, and Governance. Within these focus areas, CUTS has undertaken multiple initiatives promoting competition, investment, regulation, trade, and governance reforms across sectors, through evidence- based research in least developed and developing countries. This is being done through a strongly rooted presence across India and at the global level including Lusaka, Nairobi, Accra, Hanoi, Geneva, and Washington, D.C.
Established in 2008, CUTS International Geneva is a non-profit NGO that catalyses the pro-trade, pro-equity voices of the Global South in international trade and development debates in Geneva. Through its work, it has made a name for linking people and issues in the world of multilateral trade with their counterparts in related policy areas. These include regional integration, agriculture, environment, competition, investment, and consumer protection, among others. Its vision is to pursue social justice and economic equity within and across borders by persuading governments and empowering people. Its mission is to establish and promote a pro-trade pro-equity credible southern NGO voice as well as the means to achieve this in the policymaking circles working on trade and development and other related issues in Geneva. Its objectives are to:
Improve inclusivity in relevant policymaking processes and decisions through better participation of developing countries’ stakeholders, including at the grassroots level.
Build capacity of policymakers, negotiators, and other important stakeholders through demand- driven and needs-based research and analysis.
Contribute to a deeper and broader understanding of relevant issues through targeted and research- based outputs.
Enhance policy coherence at all levels by analysing and raising the profile of issue linkages.
Facilitate mutual learning through information and knowledge sharing across networks.
Stimulate common interests among developed and developing countries through advocacy, dialogues, and networking.
CUTS adopts a bottom-up approach that promotes the engagement of key stakeholders in designing and implementing economic development policies, from the national to the international level. Their successful work methodology relies on research and analysis to inform advocacy and training activities, involving networks of beneficiaries at all stages. With offices in India, Kenya, Zambia, Vietnam, Ghana, Geneva, and Washington DC, CUTS’s family of organisations has made its footprints in the realm of economic governance across the developing world and beyond. As a vibrant advocate of South-South Cooperation, CUTS has been forming and maintaining strategic alliances with like-minded organisations in over 40 countries, particularly in the developing world. At the international level, it has established formal institutional relationships with several international governmental organisations, which their work seeks to influence. These are the World Trade Organization (WTO) – Accredited NGO; the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) – Observer Status; East African Community secretariat (EAC) – Memorandum of Understanding; and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) – Observer Status.
Digital activities
CUTS’s work and expertise span five functional areas:
International trade and development
Competition, investment, and economic regulation
Consumer safety
Human development
Consumer protection and good governance
CUTS International Geneva and its sister CUTS organisations in India, Kenya, Zambia, Vietnam, and Ghana have made their footprints in the realm of economic governance across the developing world. Their activities stretch from Asia to Africa, South America, and beyond.
Digital policy issues
E-commerce
CUTS works towards sound digital policy, fair rules, and e-commerce readiness, which can enable developing countries to harness the potential of e-commerce for their sustainable development, firms, and vulnerable communities. CUTS supports developing countries in effectively harnessing innovation and intellectual property systems to spur industrialisation in the digital era, while responding to climate change, food security, and other sustainable development challenges.
Support facility on WTO E-Commerce Joint Statement Initiative
As WTO JSI talks on Electronic Commerce gained momentum in 2021, CUTS’s ad-hoc support facility on the subject established under its WTO Umbrella Grant attracted trade negotiators’ interest beyond its initially intended audience. Indeed, beyond delegates from the 11 targeted beneficiary countries, other developing country negotiators sought to benefit from the support. Through over 70 interventions, CUTS provided beneficiary delegates with clarifications on negotiating texts, factual briefings on negotiated topics, and occasional drafting support for submissions and proposals. This informed their participation in e-commerce talks, on topics such as e-signatures, electronic contracts, open government data, online consumer protection, spam, paperless trading, cybersecurity, and others.
E-Commerce and African Regional Integration
From April 2019 to June 2020, CUTS International Geneva undertook a project titled E-Commerce and AfricanContinental Integration, with funding support from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). The objective of the project was to ensure that African stakeholders, policymakers, and trade negotiators knew suitable policy options through which African continental integration could harness the sustainable development potential of e-commerce, specifically in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Through research and dialogue, the project contributed to, inter alia: (1) better-informed participation of African negotiators, with lessons learned discussed with them at various dialogues; and (2) supported structures and processes involved in promoting e-commerce development in Africa, including on regulatory matters and AfCFTA discussions, etc.
Economic policy
CUTS strives for well-functioning markets that support inclusive and progressive structural transformation and helps developing countries enact and implement effective competition regimes that improve the level-playing field for their firms and the welfare of their consumers. CUTS promotes sound investment regimes that foster increased and sustainable foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows, and supportive structural transformation for people and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in developing countries. It empowers consumers to uphold their rights to fair, safe, and informed access to basic necessities, and advise governments accordingly. It supports the effective design and implementation of balanced, transparent regulations to foster better access to key services for businesses and consumers towards sustainable development, job creation and structural transformation.
Sustainable development
Trading system
CUTS strives to preserve a strong and functioning multilateral trading system including through support for better participation of smaller developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs), and to promote balanced and fair rules for all to support sustainable development at the national, regional, and international levels. Its work helps WTO members converge on creative solutions to restore WTO’s leadership for setting global trade rules sensitive to small developing countries’ special needs. CUTS also helps developing country groups to identify, defend, and advance their interests in WTO discussions and negotiations on a level-playing field, backed by evidence and private sector feedback. CUTS works to bring together developed and developing country negotiators to share information and perspectives with a view to building trust and convergence among them and in the trading system as a whole.
Between 2019 and 2022 for instance, CUTS’s WTOUmbrella Grant project strengthened the capacity of developing and LDC trade officials as they determined their level of engagement, strategy, and approach to the WTO JSIs: E-Commerce; Investment Facilitation forDevelopment; and MSMEs. Undertaken jointly with the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and with funding support from the UK’s Trade and Investment Advocacy Fund (TAF2+), project achievements notably included (1) clarified national positions on the Electronic Commerce JSI in six countries; (2) text proposals submitted by beneficiary countries in JSIs, notably outlining options for capacity building; (3) contributions to the establishment of a ‘Scope and Definitions’ Subgroup in Investment Facilitation Talks; (4) and realising the MSME Informal Working Group’s (MSME IWG’s) vision for a Trade4MSMEs.org online platform.
Plurilateral and regional agreements have become a major driving force of global trade integration, creating new opportunities for people, provided agreed regimes are fair and sound. CUTS’s work seeks to ensure that preferential trade agreements negotiated by and among developing countries leverage trade integration in pursuit of inclusive and sustainable development for people.
Trade Policy at Work may be a powerful force for sustainable development, structural transformation, and poverty reduction. It helps developing countries monitor and wisely use standards and non-tariff measures (NTMs) to support their sustainable development, as well as boost their participation in global trade and value chains. CUTS assists developing countries in effectively implementing agreed trade rules, while also leveraging preferences and special and differential treatment (SDT) granted by trading partners. CUTS helps them promote predictable and efficient administrative procedures that make moving goods across borders cheaper and faster, hence boosting the competitiveness of MSMEs.
Environment and climate change
CUTS helps developing countries participate in climate talks on a level-playing field and to identify, defend, and advance their interests in UNFCCC negotiations, backed by evidence and private sector feedback. Through research and advice, they help developing countries devise adaptation strategies for more resilient economies and support developing country negotiators and policymakers in crafting mitigation solutions in areas of their interest, for example agriculture. CUTS strives for the implementation of the Paris Agreement in a gender-sensitive, inclusive, and sustainable way (i.e. supportive of economic and social development).
CUTS also strives for climate-resilient, sustainableeconomies, and livelihoods by supporting environmentally sound policies and strategic use of global climate talks. The economies of developing countries typically rely on sectors that are highly dependent on environmental resources, such as agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Developing countries have embraced environment-related issues in their policy agendas, although their implementation capacity often remains limited. CUTS sensitises governments about key linkages between the environment and other areas, for example agriculture, the rise of global value chains, and the ongoing digital revolution. It promotes the sustainable management of life on land and life below water, highlighting the potential roles of trade therein.
Sustainable agriculture
CUTS promotes sustainable agricultural systems that secure food for all by advising on the adoption of climate-resilient policy solutions, as well as holistic policies for agro-processing. Most developing countries remain net food importers, while their exports are faced with a complex global agricultural trade regime. CUTS’s work promotes properly functioning agricultural trade rules and food commodity markets, which should allow developing countries to leverage trade to improve their food production, value addition, and security. Commercial farming is rare in developing countries, the potential of agriculture is huge, and solutions exist. For instance, technology and digitalisation can help transform agricultural systems, making them more sustainable and attracting youth into new jobs.
Capacity development
Since 2017, CUTS’s just-in-time Course on DigitalCommerce, jointly undertaken with DiploFoundation and ITC has been pursuing a very concrete goal: to assist trade professionals to better understand what digitalisation and the internet mean for trade negotiators, and help them ensure their countries reap the benefits of the digital economy. The training has equipped them with up-to- date, neutral, objective knowledge, in a user-friendly and informative format. Over the years, the course has helped trade negotiators and policymakers navigate an ever more complex digital commerce agenda. It has provided them at common space to explore the connection between trade and the digital economy and the development implications of this interplay. In 2021, the course was thoroughly reviewed and updated to answer the pressing needs of digital commerce practitioners by exploring in depth the issues covered by the JSI on Electronic Commerce, such as cross-border data flows and data localisation, network neutrality, online consumer protection and privacy, spam, open government data, customs duties on electronic transmissions, cybersecurity, and access to the source code of computer programs. Throughout the years, the course received over 300 applications from 98 countries and delivered training to 138 individuals from 72 countries. The most represented regions among course participants were Africa, Asia, and Europe. According to the results of a survey, 93% of the course alumni would recommend this course to colleagues working in their organisations. Also, 100% of the alumni were of the opinion that it is important to continue offering the course in years to come on a regular basis.
The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a global collaboration dedicated to understanding our Earth in all its complexity. As a collaborative intergovernmental body, GEO is dedicated to co-producing user-driven Earth Intelligence solutions. By collecting and sharing vital information, ranging from satellite images of forests to oceanic temperature readings and beyond, GEO provides a comprehensive view of our planet’s well-being, allowing us to monitor and safeguard its health. These are not just datasets; they’re the tools that inform decisions, shaping policies and initiatives worldwide that guide society towards a sustainable future.
Why GEO?
Our planet faces challenges that don’t stop at borders. From the pressing issues of climate change, and the alarming loss of biodiversity, to the widespread pollution affecting our lands, skies, and seas, there’s much at stake. While the challenges are integrated, the global response often remains fragmented. Among the ever-growing flood of information and data sources, there’s a noticeable gap in cohesive global partnerships. This is where GEO steps in, striving to unify these fragmented efforts and championing inclusivity in seeking holistic solutions for global challenges.
Digital activities
At GEO, we serve as a collaborative platform where science, policy, and community interests unite for the greater good.
Enhanced coordination: Building on our unique role to lead the development of integrated Earth Observation (EO) solutions, we focus on coordination from global to local levels, sharing beneficial practices and building capacity.
Broad engagement: We actively engage with youth, indigenous communities, women, and other groups to amplify voices whose potential to contribute to EO solutions has not yet been fully realised.
Transformative programmes: Our strategic work programme activities generate high-added value towards policy goals, support sustained services for decision-making, build capacity, and advance equity.
Inclusivity: We are committed to increasing engagement and building capacity, especially in the global south. There is a call to fully address and embed equality, diversity, and inclusivity (EDI) principles in all GEO undertakings.
Digital policy issues
Data governance
GEO recognises that the societal benefits arising from EOs can only be fully achieved through the sharing of data, information, knowledge, products, and services. Ever since its inception, GEO has been a strong advocate for broad and open data-sharing policies and practices (OpenEarth Observation Data). The Data Sharing Principles(2005-2015) inspired a few members and participating organisations to evolve from restricted data policies to Open Data approaches. Data sharing was also recognised as one of the greatest successes of the first GEO decade. Embracing the international trend of Open Data, GEO principals endorsed a new set of Data ManagementPrinciples. These principles promote ‘Open Data by Default’ and address the need for discovery, accessibility, usability, preservation, and curation of data.
To enable Indigenous peoples to equitably participate in and benefit from data creation, application, and stewardship within contemporary data environments, the GEO Indigenous Alliance advocates for the implementation of CARE (collective benefit, authority to control, responsibility, ethics) with FAIR (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) principles. The CAREPrinciples for Indigenous Data Governance are people- and purpose-oriented, reflecting the crucial role of data in advancing Indigenous innovation, and self-determination. These principles complement the existing FAIR principles encouraging open and other data movements to consider both people and purpose in their advocacy and pursuits.
Sustainable development
GEO leads global initiatives that explore our planet’s ecological health, climate challenges, disaster readiness, resource optimisation, urban sustainability, and public health priorities. By integrating EOs with global frameworks like the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, GEO demonstrates our commitment to fostering a healthy, sustainable, and resilient world.
The GEO Work Programme is the primary instrument to encourage collaboration among our members, participating organisations, associates, and other partners. It aims to fulfil GEO’s mission and vision by addressing information needs in various fields where EOs play a crucial role.
Digital tools and initiatives
The current flagship programmes in the GEO work programme are GEO Land Degradation Neutrality, GEO Biodiversity Observation Network, GEO Global Agricultural Monitoring, the Global Forest Observation Initiative, and the Global Observation System for Mercury. To facilitate access to EO applications, we are developing the GEO Knowledge Hub, a digital library. Ministers and ministerial representatives adopted the Group on Earth Observations 2023 Cape Town Ministerial Declaration on 10 November 2023. The Declaration endorses the GEO post-2025 strategy Earth Intelligence for All, charges GEO with developing an implementation plan to guide the execution of the strategy, and reaffirms the integral role of young people as catalysts for sustainable development, among other statements.
GEO assists countries in its region in addressing sustainable development challenges. The vision of the GEO Indigenous Alliance is to protect and conserve indigenous cultural heritage by using EOs science, data and technology to create a knowledge base that sustains the Earth we live on.
GEO has developed a series of tools and initiatives to promote the use of EOs as evidence for decision-making.
GEN, established in 1999, is a cooperative partnership of more than 100 environmental and sustainable development organisations based at the International Environment House in Geneva and at other locations in the surrounding region. The Secretariat is supported by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment and is administered by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
GEN organises and hosts meetings, roundtables, briefings, and workshops in preparation for major environmental negotiations and to promote the dissemination of information and public awareness of environmental issues. In addition, GEN actively promotes increased cooperation and networking among its partners and publishes a weekly newsletter highlighting the latest news, resources, events, and jobs in the region.
Geneva is one of the main global hubs where digital policies are debated, evaluated, and adopted. As such, digital cooperation is one of the region’s key areas for international environmental governance activities and for reinforcing synergies among stakeholders.
Although advancing technology has always been coupled with significant impacts on the environment, recent advances in technology offer ground-breaking opportunities to monitor and protect the environment, as well as overall planetary health. By harnessing them appropriately, the digital revolution can be steered to act on the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, and to advance global sustainability, environmental stewardship, and human well-being, towards achieving the right to a healthy environment for all.
GEN supports International Geneva activities and hosts meetings, roundtables, briefings, and workshops to
promote the production of and access to transparent and high-quality data, which are crucial to achieving the 2030 Agenda and the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
discuss digital technology as a carbon producer and its widespread impact on global sustainability.
discuss the contribution of digital technologies, including Earth observation, data collection and monitoring, sustainable consumption and production patterns, as well as sound environmental management.
emphasise the importance of good governance in the digital arena and the need for cooperation among governments, institutions, and other data producers and users for better sustainability outcomes.
The organisations in the region that contribute to the environmental dimension of digital cooperation listed and partnering with GEN, include the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP), Group on Earth Observations (GEO), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Global Resource Information Database (UNEP/GRID-Geneva), and World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Sustainable development
Most GEN activities under this basket discuss the following:
How technology advancements are associated with major environmental consequences.
How recent technological breakthroughs provide opportunities to monitor and protect the environment and global health of the planet.
How the digital revolution may be used to tackle the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution, while also advancing global sustainability, environmental stewardship, and human well-being.
These discussions are held in preparation for major environmental negotiations and as outreach on their outcomes. They act on the triple planetary crisis of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution that the world is facing, through science-based governance, leveraging data and technology respectful of the environment, and ensuring its access to all, to achieve everyone’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
The website is an important tool for GEN. Updated daily, it includes information on all partners, their events, and other resources. All summaries, videos, and related resources on the events organised by GEN are accessible through the website. All events are now hybrid to allow better participation and tools are developed to encourage active participation.
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