IOCM Study Trip 2023

Day 1: Sunday, April 2nd, 2023

On our travel day, Professor Christian Kreuder-Sonnen led our 3rd cohort of the IOCM program on our journey from Jena to the city of Geneva, Switzerland. Upon our arrival, with a sense of anticipation, we rested and prepared ourselves for the busy days to come.

Day 2: Monday, April 3rd, 2023

The first full day of our trip took place at the famous Palais des Nations. We started at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) speaking to Nisha Manjooran and her colleagues working in the Office of the Director within the Humanitarian Financing and Resource Mobilization division. After a thorough overview of OCHA’s role in the UN’s humanitarian aid ecosystem, we discussed OCHA’s work in the context of the earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria in February 2023. We then enjoyed a tour of the grounds and the history of the Palais des Nations.

The next item on our agenda was a visit to the United National Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) where we met with Iva Brkic, an Economic Affairs Officer within the Sustainable Energy Division. Ms Brkic explained that despite its name, the UNECE not only covers countries in Europe, but also serves member states in North America and Asia. After a short briefing, we enjoyed a robust conversation on the future of sustainable energy in Europe and the role that international organisations (IOs) can (and should) play in it.

The final event of the day was a meeting at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) where we met with Clara D. Buehlhoff who is working at the Humanitarian Operations & Security Management division of the ICRC. In addition, we were joined by members of the ICRC Talent Acquisitions staff who were able to give us a clear picture of what working at the ICRC as young professionals could look like.

Day 3: Tuesday, April 4th, 2023

Day two of our trip began with a visit to the World Trade Organization (WTO). In our first meeting with Victor Stolzenburg (Economic Research and Statistics), we learned about his and the WTO’s work more broadly, which included evidence-based recommendations and insights to assist in the formulation of trade policies, as well as challenges like member state contestation.

Next, Daniel Ramos from the Trade and Environment Division focused on the WTO’s shift towards environmentally friendly trade agreements. He described how the WTO engages in discussions on trade-related aspects of climate change, such as the trade of environmental goods and services or the reduction of trade barriers for clean technologies. We concluded our visit to the WTO with a tour of the facilities, including impressive mural rooms overlooking Lake Geneva.

That afternoon, we met Paul Dillon, Director, Media and Communications Division at the International Organization for Migration (IOM). There, we talked about fields of crisis management beyond the external crises in the field, instead focusing on internal crises in International Organizations with special regard to communication. We left with a broadened understanding of crisis management and valuable insights to the decision-making processes inside of IOs.

On our final visit of the day at the World Health Organization (WHO), Teresa Zakaria, Technical Officer of the Health Emergencies Program with a background in medicine, guided us through the objectives of the WHO and its crisis response mechanisms in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hearing from an expert within the WHO about her perspectives and experiences was fascinating and gave us critical insights into global health governance. We then met Hans Willmann, the Team Leader of Talent Acquisition and Management, who encouraged us to apply for internships and pursue careers at the WHO.

Day 4: Wednesday, April 5th, 2023

Starting off the third day of our trip, we met Matthias Junge at the NGO “Switzerland for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)”. He told us about his role in fundraising and provided a general overview of UNHCR’s work across the globe. He highlighted modern humanitarian challenges, particularly in funding humanitarian aid efforts, refugee resettlement, and the problems associated with refugee camps.

In the afternoon, we visited the German Mission to the United Nations and met the director of the political division together with desk officers on human rights and humanitarian affairs. In particular, we discussed current developments in the Human Rights Council as well as the diplomatic interaction with Russia in various UN organs.

Later on, we completed our overview of the types of organisations in Geneva by visiting the Geneva International Centre for Justice, an NGO focusing on human rights advocacy. Meeting the director, Naji Haraj, we learned how NGOs raise awareness for their causes, contribute to Human Rights Council proceedings, and coordinate to speak with one voice. Our session concluded with an opportunity to network with current interns at the GICJ, which was really helpful for us considering our own mandatory internships.

Concluding our final day in Geneva, we went for a group dinner at “Little Ethiopia”. Besides wine, beer, water and sodas, the menu offered a variety of meats, vegetables and sauces, all to be had with Injera bread. Besides the great food, it was time to recap the past days, exchange thoughts, and enjoy a nice conclusion to our study trip.

Day 5: Thursday, April 6th, 2023

On the morning of April 6th, we grabbed plenty of snacks and began our long journey back to Jena. We arrived smoothly to start the new semester with new insights into the world of international organisations and a fresh outlook on our studies.

This study trip was only made possible by the generous contributions of our friends and partners, Ernst Abbe FoundationExternal link, PROMOSExternal link, and the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Friedrich Schiller University Jena.