Ignazio Cassis to lead political discussions on managing new technologies
Bern, 11.10.2023 - The third summit of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) foundation, co-founded by the Swiss Confederation, is taking place from 11 to 13 October in Geneva. As part of the event, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will lead political discussions on science diplomacy – more specifically on the global governance of quantum computing. Nine ministers and other high-level government representatives will be taking part.
The Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) foundation, whose third summit opens today in Geneva, aims to anticipate technological advances and their impact on society, while proposing solutions to manage those changes as effectively as possible. In the spirit of collaboration between science and diplomacy, the head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Ignazio Cassis, will lead political discussions during the summit with nine ministers and other high-level government representatives on 13 October.
"I am convinced that global governance in the 21st century will depend on our ability to anticipate the effects of scientific advances. We need to invest in anticipatory scientific diplomacy," said Cassis. At the centre of the debate between the ministers invited to Geneva is quantum computing. Among other things, this technology will make it possible to hugely increase the speed and complexity of calculations carried out by computers, which will have a major impact on society. To manage the challenges and opportunities offered by quantum computing, in particular the potential to accelerate the attainment of the United Nations Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, GESDA has laid the foundations for a global governance structure – the Open Quantum Institute, which will be officially launched on 13 October this year.
The challenges of the future at the heart of the summit
For three days, scientists, diplomats, ministers and representatives of the private sector and civil society will be discussing topics such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, the deep sea, mycology and, of course, quantum computing. Ambassador Alexandre Fasel, state secretary of the FDFA, is taking part in the opening day and will moderate the political discussions. He underscored the importance of GESDA's work: "The worlds of diplomacy and science operate according to different rhythms and rules. GESDA enables them to work together to meet global challenges.
Geneva: the epicentre of science diplomacy
GESDA was set up in 2019 by the Swiss Confederation, the Canton of Geneva and the City of Geneva, and is helping to strengthen the city's role as a hub for international cooperation. Since 2023, GESDA, which works hand in hand with international organisations, academia, the private sector and civil society, has also had an office in Zurich. Science diplomacy is one of the key areas, along with digital diplomacy, of the Federal Council's foreign policy strategy.
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