Organized by Catalonia International and the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia in Switzerland as a complement to the course "Action in international and European organizations"

Catalonia International and the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia in Switzerland have organized a study visit to Geneva on 15 and 16 June to learn first-hand about the work carried out by international organizations in the city and to explore opportunities for collaboration. The activity was aimed at participants in the fourth edition of the course "Action in international and European organizations", who are professionals from various Catalan public administrations and from the entities that form part of the Consortium.

In this way, Catalonia International promotes the practical application of the topics covered during the course through direct interaction with officials from international institutions and with Catalans working within them. The group of 30 participants who travelled to Switzerland included staff from the Government of Catalonia, the Catalan Agency for Development Cooperation, the Catalan Waste Agency, ACCIÓ, Barcelona City Council, the Catalan Institute of Public Security, the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC) and the University of Vic (UVic).

The programme includes meetings with representatives of organizations such as the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the Office of the High Commissioner for Business and Human Rights, the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions (BRS), and Global Cities Hub. Participants will also attend a conference entitled "Diplomacy and Multilateralism at Risk", delivered by Josep Garí, Senior Policy Adviser for Nature and Climate at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Helionor De Anzizu, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). The visit will end with a meeting with Catalans working in international organizations based in Geneva.

The course "Action in international and European organizations" was jointly organized by Catalonia International and the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI), in collaboration with the Department for European Union and External Action and the School of Public Administration of Catalonia. The course, aimed exclusively at staff of Catalan public administrations and member organizations of Catalonia International, is designed to train professionals who must engage with international bodies, representing and defending their interests with competence, effectiveness and flexibility.