Geneva Centre’s First Youth Policy Lab Brings Students and Experts Together on International Justice and Conflict Prevention 

Geneva – On 18 September 2026, the Geneva Centre for Human Rights Advancement and Global Dialogue held the first edition of its Youth Policy Lab, bringing students, academics and a diplomatic practitioner together for an exchange on international justice and conflict prevention. 

Under the theme “International Justice and Conflict Prevention: The Tortoise and the Hare,” the event examined these questions in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It combined expert-led discussion with collaborative group work, giving students space to question, reflect and develop their own perspectives. 

Three experts brought their academic knowledge and diplomatic experience to the discussion: 

  • Ambassador Dr Walid Abdel Nasser, Adjunct Professor at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations; 
  • Dr Ibrahim Saïd, Adjunct Faculty Member at the International Institute in Geneva and Co-founder and Research Director of Think Ahead; 
  • Professor Joseph Marques, International Relations faculty member at the Geneva School of Diplomacy and Webster Campus Geneva. 

The discussion was led by Dr Fabrice Crégut, Executive Director of the Geneva Centre. The experts’ diplomatic and academic perspectives helped connect the issues under discussion with the challenges of international practice. 

Building on a briefing shared before the event, students engaged directly with the experts before moving into working groups to consider possible recommendations. This participatory format placed young people’s ideas at the centre of the exercise and encouraged them to connect analysis with proposals for action. 

The first edition’s success lay in the participants’ engagement, the exchange of perspectives and the opportunity for sustained dialogue between students and practitioners.  

The Youth Policy Lab forms part of the Geneva Centre’s commitment to human rights education and dialogue. This first edition provides a foundation for future sessions that bring young people into discussions on human rights, international justice and multilateral cooperation. 

The Geneva Centre thanks all participating students and experts for their time, contributions and support in making this first edition a success.