Celebrating Commitment to International Solidarity

Speech by Ms Anne de Riedmatten, Deputy Head of the Directorate of the graduation ceremony of the Executive Programme in Development Policies and Practices (DPP) at the Graduate Institute
6 February 2026

Ladies and gentlemen,
Dear colleagues,
Dear graduates,

🙏 On behalf of the Canton of Geneva, I would like to thank the Graduate Institute for giving me the opportunity to address you this evening. 

🤝 The Canton of Geneva has been supporting the Executive Programme in Development Policies and Practices for several years, and it is always a great pleasure to be here to celebrate this important moment with you.

🎓 A graduation ceremony marks a significant milestone. Tonight, we celebrate your achievements and your commitment. Each of you has invested time, energy, and determination to reach this point, often while balancing demanding professional responsibilities. 

👏 For that, allow me to extend my warmest congratulations to all of you.

🌍 More than ever, our world needs professionals who are willing to make a difference - within their institutions, their communities, and their societies. More than ever, we need individuals who believe in a more inclusive, equitable, and fairer world, and who are ready to work collectively to achieve it.

💡 The Canton of Geneva supports programmes such as this one out of the conviction that training professionals from across the world is an investment in shared global solutions. Strengthening capacities where challenges are most acute benefits local communities, international cooperation, and ultimately Geneva and Switzerland themselves.

🏛️ Geneva has a unique role to play in this regard. As a global hub for international cooperation and multilateral dialogue, International Geneva is built on the conviction that complex global challenges can only be addressed collectively. 

🤲 Here, states, international organisations, academic institutions, NGOs, and civil society actors work side by side to promote peace, sustainable development, global health, and human rights.

🌐 With hundreds of NGOs, dozens of international organisations, and nearly all countries represented through permanent missions, Geneva is not only a place of dialogue—it is a place where ideas are translated into action. 

🌉 In a world marked by interconnected crises, Geneva remains a space where bridges are built across sectors, regions, and perspectives.

📚 Programmes like the DPP contribute directly to this ecosystem. Through its decentralised model and strong academic partnerships across the globe, the programme strengthens ties between Geneva and institutions in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. Its alumni - now numbering in the hundreds - form a diverse and committed network of development professionals who share a lasting connection with Geneva and its values.

🎯 For the Canton of Geneva, supporting this programme is fully aligned with our objectives in the field of international solidarity. 

🔄 The programme has evolved in line with today’s realities by strengthening capacities at the local level, valuing the expertise of professionals from partner countries, while reinforcing international cooperation. By addressing experienced professionals, it reinforces capacities in key areas of International Geneva and benefits, directly or indirectly, many of the organisations and partners with whom the Canton collaborates.

⚠️ Yet the current global context remains profoundly challenging. Inequalities are rising, conflicts are multiplying and growing in complexity, and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe. At the same time, the spread of misinformation and growing cyber insecurity are eroding trust. More broadly, the international order founded on shared norms and the value of multilateral action is increasingly being called into question. 

🕊️ Many of you come from regions facing severe tensions and instability, including the Middle East and North Africa, Sudan, Myanmar, and others. On behalf of the Canton of Geneva, I would like to say this clearly: your engagement matters. Your work, your expertise, and your commitment are essential to maintaining dialogue, cooperation, and hope in an increasingly fragile world.

✨ Geneva believes in your role as professionals and as ambassadors of international solidarity. Even in uncertain times, your capacity to act, to connect, and to think critically is part of the solution.

🎓 Chers diplômés, en guise de conclusion, permettez-moi de vous adresser ces quelques mots en français.

🤝 Vous êtes désormais membres d’une communauté engagée en faveur de la coopération internationale.

🌱 Le Canton de Genève vous encourage à poursuivre votre engagement, à croire en la force du collectif et à continuer à œuvrer pour des sociétés plus justes et plus humaines.

🌱 Je vous souhaite beaucoup de succès pour la suite de vos parcours.

Merci de votre attention.

Only the spoken text shall prevail