The United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR), the United Nations’ independent policy think tank, is delighted to announce that it will open its doors in Geneva with the support of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Working on strategic research priorities of concern to the New York and Geneva policy and research communities, the new office will promote engagement between these two UN hubs on a range of critical issues — from global governance innovation to conflict prevention, with a specific focus on human rights, sustaining peace, justice, and human mobility.
Since its inception, UNU-CPR has partnered with the Swiss Government on a range of policy research projects, including on sanctions and mediation, humanitarian action, and conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The Centre also has strong relationships with many UN agencies and programmes headquartered in Geneva, along with academic and civil society partners, that it will continue to develop and extend through this new addition to International Geneva.
Dr David Malone, Rector of United Nations University and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations said: “The United Nations University Centre for Policy Research was created to undertake rigorous analysis and identify evidence-based solutions for the United Nations system and Member States. This new initiative builds off the Centre’s tremendous success to date, having quickly become a recognized contributor and advisor to key UN policy actors. A presence in Geneva will enable UNU-CPR to bridge between the two major policymaking centres of the United Nations and also support additional outreach to research communities around the world, particularly those in the Global South.”
The United Nations University Centre for Policy Research – Geneva will commence operations in mid-2022. Dr David Passarelli, Executive Director of the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research, added: “The creation of this new office will strengthen UNU-CPR’s capacity to bring together and apply the talents of leading researchers from around the world to operational and strategic decision-making in the UN. The new office will bolster the Centre’s international network of partners and its capacity to co-develop solutions for a more peaceful, just, and prosperous world. We are very grateful to the Swiss Government for their support and continued commitment to the mission of the United Nations University.”
“We are delighted to be supporting the creation of the United Nations University Centre for Policy Research – Geneva,” noted Ambassador Jürg Lauber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations and other Organizations in Geneva. “Geneva is home to the highest concentration of international organizations in the world together with an equally vibrant academic network. On such fertile ground, we look forward to welcoming UNU-CPR and contributing to its successful integration into the Geneva ecosystem for multilateralism. We are convinced that the Centre’s practical, solutions-oriented research will enrich International Geneva and, ultimately, be of great benefit to the global policymaking community.”
The new office in Geneva will develop new projects in UNU-CPR’s four principal areas of work: conflict prevention and sustaining peace, development equities and global governance, modern slavery, and anticipatory action and innovation. The United Nations University Centre for Policy Research was recently appointed the Secretariat of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Global Public Goods, working closely with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, which will be co-run from New York and Geneva. UNU-CPR’s co-located centres will support the Board with substantive research to arrive at concrete recommendations for the Secretary-General and Member States.
Media Enquiries
Anthony Dursi
Head of Communications
United Nations University Centre for Policy Research
dursi@unu.edu | +1- 646-905-5229
Frederic Ballenegger
Second Secretary, Communications
Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations in Geneva
Frederic.ballenegger@eda.admin.ch | +41 79 726 66 30
About
The United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR) is an independent UN think tank advancing innovative solutions to global public policy challenges. Since its inception in 2014, the Centre has developed close working relationships with the UN Secretariat, a wide range of UN agencies and Member States, with staff regularly briefing UN forums including the Security Council.
The United Nations University (UNU) is a global think tank and postgraduate teaching organization headquartered in Japan. Its mission is to contribute, through collaborative research and education, to efforts to resolve the pressing global problems of human survival, development and welfare that are the concern of the United Nations, its Peoples and Member States.
International Geneva: Geneva, sometimes referred to as the “powerhouse of multilateralism”, is host to the world’s densest ecosystem of international organizations, NGOs, scientific and academic actors and businesses, all working for a world of peace, rights, and prosperity.
