Thomas Greminger appointed head of GCSP for contributions to peace

Ambassador of Switzerland Thomas Greminger has been appointed head of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) starting 1 May 2021. This Geneva-based organisation provides training and facilitates cooperation around the world, with a particular focus on security issues and the promotion of dialogue between different sectors. Together with the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, the GCSP is a key pillar of International Geneva.

Portrait of Thomas Greminger, Ambassador of Switzerland.

Ambassador of Switzerland Thomas Greminger appointed head of Geneva Centre for Security Policy. © Keystone

Thomas Greminger is strongly committed to peace and security. As the former director of Human Security (now Peace and Human Rights) and former secretary general of the OSCE in Vienna, he has devoted much of his life to the study and promotion of peace policy in the world. He embodies the values promoted by Swiss foreign policy in the areas of conflict management, civilian peacebuilding and the development of human rights measures.

At the beginning of 2021, Greminger was appointed head of the GCSP by the Foundation Council, a position held by Christian Dussey for the past eight years. Mr Greminger will take up his post on 1 May 2021. This flagship organisation for International Geneva specialises in training, dialogue and the sharing of experience in the field of security policy. The GCSP is a recognised facilitator among stakeholders active in peacebuilding worldwide. This multidisciplinary organisation brings together representatives of the security sector, private sector, diplomacy, science and NGOs and also serves as a fully-fledged training centre recognised internationally for the quality of its courses. Its public panel discussions, lectures and executive events allow actors from different sectors to engage in dialogue on topics they would otherwise not have the opportunity to discuss.

From the OSCE to the GCSP

Thomas Greminger served for three years, from 2017 to 2020, as secretary general of the OSCE. His work at the helm of the OSCE was highly valued by the Swiss government, which expressed its strong support for him throughout his tenure. At a meeting held in July 2020, representatives of the organisation's participating states decided not to renew the mandates of the four highest-ranking OSCE officials, including Thomas Greminger. Despite his qualifications and valuable work for the OSCE, he will therefore not serve a second term as secretary general.

At the GCSP, Greminger will continue to contribute to a field in which he is highly qualified in close contact with professionals from all over our increasingly interconnected world. The GCSP has strong ties with Switzerland and shares the values embodied in the new foreign policy strategy approved in January 2020. Switzerland's military and civilian peacebuilding efforts not only aim to protect and promote Swiss liberties but also to contribute to the lasting settlement of conflicts through a variety of instruments. The GCSP is one of these instruments.

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