About the Cover Picture: Empty Seats, New Possibilities
The cover image of the Geneva Policy Outlook 2026 features empty chairs from the Geneva International Conference Centre. In the eyes of the GPO Team, this image symbolises the current state of International Geneva and, more broadly, global governance. Some seats are empty because international civil servants have lost their jobs.

Yet empty chairs are not only a sign of retreat. They also signal an opening. Global governance today is confronted with a defining question: as some seats are left vacant, who is willing to step forward?

The year 2026 presents an opportunity to reclaim these seats and to re-imagine multilateralism for the future-more inclusive, more resilient, and better equipped to respond to an era of radical uncertainty.

Picture Credit: Antoine Tardy

Disclaimer
All publications of the Geneva Policy Outlook 2026 are personal contributions from the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the institutions they represent, nor the views of the Republic and State of Geneva, the City of Geneva, and the Geneva Graduate Institute.