Published on 10 April 2025
Stability in the Balance
Geneva, French-speaking Switzerland’s largest city, is celebrated as the birthplace of Henry Dunant, founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the seat of the League of Nations, and the home of the Geneva Conventions, the bedrock of international humanitarian law. Today, it is the headquarters of the United Nations in Europe and the ICRC, a large number of diplomatic missions, 40 international organisations (IOs), 759 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and many other private and public institutions, including CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research. Geneva has a population of 203,000, rising to 600,000 in the surrounding region, with the international sector directly supporting 33,000 jobs and another 220,000 indirectly across hospitality, transport, services and construction. The announcements made by the U.S. administration have sent shockwaves through Geneva’s humanitarian and diplomatic circles[1]Geneva Solutions, International Geneva in crisis: the fallout from US aid cuts in numbers, 14 March … Continue reading. The new U.S. government’s decision to drastically reduce, or even eliminate, international cooperation and its funding is inevitably having a profound — if not traumatic — impact on the sector.
Political Reaction to Trump’s Funding Cuts
Just days after the U.S. announced a freeze on all international aid, prompting urgent warnings from humanitarian organisations, the State of Geneva[2]In Switzerland, government is divided into three levels, from local to national: municipalities and cities, cantons (also known as States) and the Confederation. Each level has its own legislative … Continue reading took swift measures. In early February 2025, under the leadership of State Councillor Nathalie Fontanet, the government of the Republic and Canton of Geneva introduced a bill[3]Grand Conseil de la République et du Canton de Genève, Projet de loi relative aux aides financières extraordinaires de l’Etat destinées aux organisations non gouvernementales à Genève … Continue reading allocating 10 million Swiss francs to help cover the salaries of NGOs facing financial difficulties. Parliament approved the plan, but right-wing parties opposed the emergency clause that would have accelerated the aid process. As a result, the measure will not take effect until the end of the year — potentially too late for some NGOs that rely heavily on funding from the U.S. government.
The right-leaning Swiss People’s Party also sought to challenge the substance of the bill, pushing for a referendum on the grounds that taxpayer money should prioritise Geneva’s citizens, not NGOs, conveniently ignoring the fact that NGO staff are taxpayers too. In early April, the referendum initiative collapsed after failing to gather enough signatures[4]Frédéric Julliard, « Aide d’urgence de 10 millions pour les ONG à Genève : le référendum de l’UDC a échoué», Le Temps, 1er avril 2025, … Continue reading — a show of support and solidarity from Geneva’s residents for the struggling sector.
Research, Analysis and Discussions
The future of Geneva as a centre for international cooperation and multilateralism was a subject of debate long before recent events shook the city. The latest edition of the Geneva Policy Outlook[5] Geneva Graduate Institute, «Geneva Policy Outlook », mars 2025, https://www.genevapolicyoutlook.ch/author/gpo/, published regularly by the Geneva Graduate Institute, calls for a “Multilateralism 2.0” grounded in sober judgment and a new agenda for sustainability. Geneva has the potential, experts believe, to be central in redefining international cooperation and shaping a new multilateral diplomacy.
Although most of the articles were written before the U.S. president announced his decision, they reflect an ongoing and lively debate about the future of multilateralism and democracy, with many contributors calling for practical reforms to strengthen a system under growing strain. Illustrating this point, Heba Aly of the UN Charter Reform Coalition makes the case for using Article 109 to modernise the charter, written 70 years ago in a vastly different world[6]Heba Aly, « It’s Time for a New UN Charter », Geneva Policy Outlook, mars 2025, https://www.genevapolicyoutlook.ch/its-time-for-a-new-un-charter/.
It was also Heba Aly, speaking on the publication’s presentation panel, who shared the news — then breaking on social media — that Elon Musk’s new Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) was poised to review the UN system (DOGE-UN), further clouding the outlook for U.S. contributions.
By early April 2025, humanitarian organisations had already laid off scores of workers. Mirroring actions by other organisations, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) announced a major reduction in its workforce, cutting 250 positions in Geneva[7] Swissinfo, « Geneva-based UN migration agency details swingeing job cuts”, 18 mars 2025, https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/workplace-switzerland/iom-confirms-staff-cuts-including-in-geneva/89028129 alone. The Geneva employment office reports receiving dozens of claims for unemployment benefits.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
In Geneva, several international organisations and NGOs received a questionnaire from the Trump administration to gauge the relevance of their work and lay the groundwork for funding cuts. “The message behind the questionnaire was clear: you are no longer eligible for support from the U.S. administration if you believe in equality between men and women, if you work on issues like diversity, equity and inclusion, if you fight climate change or even if you promote respect for international law and institutions,” explained Phil Lynch, Executive Director of the International Service for Human Rights, a Geneva-based NGO, on Swiss national television news[8]Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS), Television programme “19h30”, 17 March 2025, available from … Continue reading.
The backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion policies is no longer confined to international bodies — it is increasingly present in Switzerland as well. Some multinational companies, such as UBS, Roche and Novartis, have already removed all references to diversity and inclusion from their annual reports.
Solidarity and interdependence
Recognising the sector’s vital role in the Geneva region and the high stakes at play, the business community is now joining political leaders in their efforts. The Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Services has called on the Swiss government to launch a full-scale “Marshall Plan” to safeguard Geneva’s role as a centre for international cooperation, warning, in the words of its director Vincent Subilia, that “U.S. budget cuts will inflict considerable damage.” Many NGOs and international organisations risk collapse in this crisis, and the authorities are being urged to act decisively. The 2 million Swiss francs from Geneva’s City Council and the 10 million pledged by the State Council — the subject of a referendum initiative by the Swiss People’s Party — will fall far short. Subilia is calling on the Swiss Confederation to inject 1 billion Swiss francs “to show the world how much Switzerland values International Geneva and, through it, its diplomatic commitments.”[9]Antoine Menuisier, « Il réclame un milliard à Berne pour sauver la Genève internationale », Watson, 17 mars 2025, … Continue reading
It remains unclear how the federal authorities in Bern — particularly the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), part of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) — have responded. As humanitarian crises become more complex, the SDC must make difficult choices while operating with an international aid budget already reduced by the federal parliament. This reflects a broader
challenge for the Swiss government: balancing the urgent need to provide large-scale support to International Geneva with the constraints of a shrinking aid budget and competing economic and security priorities — a situation further complicated by the new U.S. policy on the war in Ukraine and the introduction of American tariffs, both of which are having a significant impact on Switzerland.
Resilience and engagement for a better world
The Trump administration’s harsh and rash decisions will not determine how this dramatic story ends. Geneva’s international cooperation community is among thousands across the globe who remain committed to a fairer world. Although these changes are irreversible, they have given us renewed purpose and a stronger commitment to a better, fairer, more inclusive future. The strong backing from Geneva’s population and key stakeholders shows we are not alone in this endeavour.
Photo caption: Broken Chair is a 12-metre-tall wooden sculpture by Swiss artist Daniel Berset, constructed by carpenter Louis Genève. A giant chair with a broken leg, it has stood on the Place des Nations in Geneva since 1997. It symbolises opposition to anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions, conveying a clear message from civil society to visiting heads of state in Geneva. © Daniel Suda-Lang.
