OSCE conference in Geneva: Anticipating technologies – for a safe and humane future

Rapid technological progress – from AI to quantum technologies – is permanently changing the foundations of security and international cooperation, including in the OSCE region. New technologies bring great opportunities, but they also harbour risks that can exacerbate existing tensions. The aim of the conference is to show ways in which trust can be strengthened through anticipation, dialogue and cooperative approaches. Especially in an increasingly complex geopolitical environment, such efforts are crucial in order to reduce misunderstandings, defuse conflicts over the use of resources, and build the basis for sustainable security and cooperation.

The conference in Geneva is the first of its kind to be held on this topic within the OSCE framework. For years, Switzerland has been pursuing an approach that combines scientific and technological anticipation with concrete political action. At Switzerland's initiative, the UN Security Council recognised the link between scientific and technological developments and international peace and security for the first time in 2024. Building on this, Switzerland has made the anticipation of technologies a priority for its 2026 term as chair of the OSCE. It thus underscores the key role of trust and transparency for cooperative security.

The conference will be opened by the OSCE chairman-in-office, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, in the presence of the OSCE's secretary general, Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu, UNESCO's director general, Khaled El-Enany, and the director of stakeholder relations at CERN, Ursula Bassler. The event will bring together around 200 participants and around 50 delegations. The conference will also be attended by representatives from international organisations, academia and the private sector.

Four thematic priorities

During the conference, the different dimensions of technological development and their impact on security will be examined in various panel discussions:

• Anticipation of technologies: using the example of quantum technologies, the discussion will focus on how technological change affects geopolitical dynamics and why forward-looking action is a prerequisite for peace and security.
• Water and energy security in the digital age: the focus will be on the question of how resource scarcity, increasing demand and conflicts of use create new security policy challenges and how technological innovations can contribute to confidence-building and increased cooperation.
• AI and conflict prevention: here the discussion will focus on the use of AI in early warning systems and conflict analysis, and the need to bind its application to legal and human rights standards.
• Practical approaches and experiences from the field: this panel discussion will seek to combine strategic foresight with concrete examples, and will show how international actors can move from a reactive to a proactive approach by anticipating technological developments.

International Geneva as venue

The conference will take place in International Geneva – a global hub where science, diplomacy and multilateral cooperation are intertwined. Institutions such as CERN and initiatives such as the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) are exemplary for the combination of scientific innovation and international policy-making.

The conference will include an official reception organised in conjunction with the Canton of Geneva and the City of Geneva, as well as visits to CERN and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. The programme will enable participants to directly experience the thematic diversity, the significance and the role of International Geneva.

Links:

• Switzerland's OSCE chairpersonship in 2026
• Swiss OSCE chairpersonship news platform
• Media corner for the OSCE conference in Geneva