Is Geneva still the capital of peace?

As multilateral diplomacy and Swiss neutrality come under pressure, Geneva’s reputation as a place of peace is also at risk. “Geneva, capital of peace.” The slogan is well known to journalists accredited to the Palais des Nations, the United Nations (UN) office in Geneva. But is it still relevant today? “It’s been a few years since we saw any negotiations here,” laments a colleague, whose work frequently takes him to the Palais. Until 2022, the international press went regularly to the UN’s European headquarters to follow progress in the negotiations on Syria. Since 2015, rounds of talks on Yemen have sporadically attracted strong media interest. In 2020, a ceasefire for Libya was even signed there. Today, however, most of the peace processes under way on the shores of Lake Geneva seem to have stalled. This may be blamed on unsuccessful multilateral diplomacy, but also Russia’s efforts to boycott Geneva. Moscow, which no longer considers Switzerland to be neutral since the start of ...