International drug policy sits at the intersection of health, security, and global governance, yet it is often misunderstood as a narrow law-enforcement issue.In this episode, Jennifer Thornquest is joined by Dr. Khalid Tinasti to examine how the international drug control regime is structured, why it remains so resilient, and where it is under strain. The discussion moves from the role of International Geneva and multilateral mandates, to the challenges countries face when global legal frameworks collide with local realities.

The conversation also explores how drug policy increasingly shapes foreign and security policy, from the fentanyl crisis to maritime enforcement and regional tensions, and what these dynamics reveal about the future of multilateralism. The episode concludes with reflections on where global drug governance may be heading and what debates will matter most in the years ahead.

About the People

Guest: Khalid Tinasti

Khalid Tinasti serves as a Visiting Lecturer at the Geneva Graduate Institute, where he teaches international drug policy and supervises Master students’ theses on drug control policies, and a Research Associate at its Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the International Center on Drug Policy Studies at Shanghai University. He is the former Head of Secretariat of the Climate Overshoot Commission, and the former Director of the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Earlier, he worked as a consultant for UNAIDS, WHO, OHCHR, and others. Prior to that, Khalid worked as a Press and Communications Officer in the office of the Minister of Urban Cohesion (cabinet du ministre de la Ville) in France, and as an Executive Officer in Gabon. Khalid holds a PhD in political science from the Institut Catholique de Paris, and held research and teaching fellowships at the Global Health Programme at the Geneva Graduate Institute (2015-16), at the Global Studies Institute at the University of Geneva (2018-2021) and an honorary fellowship at Swansea University (2016-20). 

His drug policy related books include: Historical Dictionary of International Drug Policy (Bloomsbury, 2027 – forthcoming); Contemporary History of Drug Policy (Ed. with Zhang Y, Routledge, 2026 – forthcoming); Drug Policy: A Multidisciplinary Approach (Ed., Edward Elgar, 2026 – forthcoming); International Drug Control Law, Trends and Reform Challenges (Anthem Press, 2025); Research Handbook on International Drug Policy (Ed. with Bewley-Taylor DR, Edward Elgar, 2020); Drug Policies and Development: Conflict and Coexistence (Ed. with Buxton J and Chinery-Hesse M, Graduate Institute/Brill | Nijhoff, 2020).

🔗 Related Resources

Host and Producer: Jennifer Thornquest, Research Associate, CCDP

Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest is a social science researcher whose current research focuses on participatory arts and peacebuilding at the intersection of migration and education. With a background in communication, she explores the role of language and storytelling in shaping public discourse. She is a research associate at the CCDP and producer of the Spotlight Podcast.

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is a production of the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development, and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

• Producer & Host: Jennifer Thornquest

Production Credits

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is produced by the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

🔗 Learn more about CCDP: https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/ccdp

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

Guest: Matt Waldman

Matt Waldman specialises in the mediation of armed conflict. He is currently a Senior Adviser at the European Institute of Peace, Associate of the Department of Politics and International Relations at Oxford University, and Expert Adviser and Facilitator at the European Leadership Network. Matt has served as a special adviser to UN envoys: the UN Special Envoy for Yemen (2019-2020), the UN Special Representative for Somalia (2016-2018), the UN Special Envoy for Syria (2014-2015), and the UN Special Representative for Afghanistan (2011-2012). He has undertaken mediation work in the Middle East and Africa as a Senior Adviser at the European Institute of Peace and Special Adviser to Inter Mediate. Matt was also a Senior Mediation Adviser at the United States Institute of Peace.

Host: Robert Watkins, Research Associate, CCDP

Robert Watkins joined the CCDP after a 35-year career working for international organisations in political, humanitarian, development and post-conflict recovery areas in some 13 different countries, principally in the Middle East, Central, and South Asia.  He served for the United Nations as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General in Lebanon (2011-2014) and Afghanistan (2009-2011) at the level of Assistant Secretary General, as well as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Bangladesh (2015-17), Djibouti (2014), and Georgia (2006-2009). Since retiring from the UN at the end of 2017, he has taught as a Practitioner at the Graduate Institute and at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, and presented papers on Conflict Prevention at AUB, Lebanon, and the University of Tianjin, China. 

Producer: Jennifer Thornquest, Research Associate, CCDP

Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest is a social science researcher whose current research focuses on participatory arts and peacebuilding at the intersection of migration and education. With a background in communication, she explores the role of language and storytelling in shaping public discourse. She is a research associate at the CCDP and producer of the Spotlight Podcast.

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is a production of the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development, and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

• Producer & Host: Jennifer Thornquest

Related Resources: 

🔗 Learn more about Matt Waldman's new study Peacemaking in Trouble https://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/peacemaking-in-trouble-waldman.pdf

Production Credits

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is produced by the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

🔗 Learn more about CCDP: https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/ccdp

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

🔗 Learn more about the projects: A Child of its Time; Communicating About Peace

🔗 Learn more about the UNPMM dataset website: https://www.peacemissions.info and associated App: on Apple store and Google Play

🔗 Learn more about Sara Hellmüller's new research project on consent, which will go on for another 4 years: Yes, I do

In this episode, Margaux Pinaud is joined by Sara Hellmüller, Fanny Badache, and Bilal Salayme to unpack what these shifts mean for peace missions today. They reflect on the origins of their joint research, the central questions that guided five years of inquiry, and the mixed methods used to analyze both global trends and in-depth case studies.

The discussion examines key findings from the UNPMM dataset, including the evolution of peace mission mandates since 1948 and how recent geopolitical changes have constrained political and peacekeeping missions. The expert guests also reflect on how their research has informed policy debates at the UN Security Council and beyond, and on the challenges of communicating complex research to policymakers, practitioners, and the wider public.

The episode concludes by looking ahead to the next phase of research at the CCDP, including new work on consent and peace operations, and invites listeners to explore the project platforms and tools developed through this work.

About the People

Margaux Pinaud is a postdoctoral researcher at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Since 2021, she has served as Academic Coordinator of the Executive Programme in Development Policies and Practices and the Conflict and Fragility Management Programme (CFM), a collaboration between the Institute’s Executive Education and the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP). Since February 2025, she has also been a postdoctoral researcher on Prof. Sara Hellmüller’s project Yes, I Do: A Theory on Belligerent Consent to UN Peace Missions. Previously, Margaux coordinated activities for the SNSF/Agora project Communicating About Peace: UN Peace Missions and Their Mandates, which focused on making academic research accessible to policymakers, practitioners, and the wider public through mobile and web apps and a roving pop-up exhibition.

Sara Hellmüller  is a Research Professor in the Department of International Relations and Political Science at the Geneva Graduate Institute. She is a peace researcher with over a decade of experience working in conflict-affected contexts and has spent more than a year conducting research in eastern DR Congo. Prior to her current role, she was a Senior Researcher at ETH Zurich and an SNSF Assistant Professor at the Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

Bilal Salayme is a lecturer and researcher in international relations and politics. He earned his PhD in International Relations and Political Science from the Geneva Graduate Institute, where he passed his dissertation defense with distinction and no revisions. He is currently a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, working on the project State-building and the Global Practices of Security Sector Reform at the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP). He teaches graduate courses on the politics of the Middle East and international peace and security, and has contributed to a range of policy projects and consultancies, providing empirically grounded analysis across multiple issue areas.

Fanny Badache  is a Lecturer in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Geneva and a postdoctoral researcher on the project A Child of Its Time: The Impact of World Politics on UN Peacebuilding at the Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP).Between 2015 and 2020, she was a teaching assistant and PhD candidate in political science at the University of Lausanne, and during the 2018–2019 academic year she was a visiting fellow at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at the City University of New York, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. She holds a master’s degree in public management and a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Geneva and has completed internships with NGOs and the United Nations in Geneva and Sierra Leone.

Jennifer Thornquest
Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest is a researcher and lead strategic communications professional at the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP) at the Geneva Graduate Institute, where she also produces the CCDP Spotlight podcast. Her research explores participatory arts as a form of peacebuilding, with particular attention to the intersections of migration, education, and community resilience.
Contact: jennifer.thornquest@graduateinstitute.ch

Production Credits

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is produced by the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

🔗 Learn more about CCDP: https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/ccdp

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

In this episode, Thornquest and Pollachi explore the challenges of researching military-style firearms in Brazil, including fragmented data systems and limited transparency. They discuss why focusing on these weapons is essential for understanding shifts in criminal power, territorial control, and violence.

The conversation traces national trends in the origins and circulation of firearms, examines differences between rifles, submachine guns, and machine guns, and assesses the effects of deregulation during the Bolsonaro administration on both legal and illicit markets. Pollachi also reflects on the international dimension of the problem, including the role of cross-border flows and regulatory gaps, and looks ahead to what Brazil’s evolving political and regulatory landscape means for policymakers, researchers, and international partners.

This episode is part two of a SNIS-funded research project on on the transnational circulation and control of small arms in Latin America.

🔗 Learn more about the project: https://armflowslatam.net/

🔗 Learn more about Instituto Sou da Paz website: www.soudapaz.org

🔗 Learn more about the Small Arms Survey: https://www.smallarmssurvey.org/

About the People

Guest: Natália Pollachi
Natália Pollachi is the Project Director of the Brazilian NGO Instituto Sou da Paz, where she has worked since 2013 to promote improved public security practices, particularly on arms control and police activity. Her work focuses on the lifecycle, origin, and effects of small arms and ammunition on human security, combining research, public policy development, advocacy, and pilot projects with police institutions. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of São Paulo (USP) and has twice been listed as a “Forces of Change” by UNLIREC.
Contact: natalia@soudapaz.org

Host and Producer: Jennifer Thornquest
Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest is a researcher and lead strategic communications professional at the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP) at the Geneva Graduate Institute, where she also produces the CCDP Spotlight podcast. Her research explores participatory arts as a form of peacebuilding, with particular attention to the intersections of migration, education, and community resilience.
Contact: jennifer.thornquest@graduateinstitute.ch

Production Credits

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is produced by the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

🔗 Learn more about CCDP: https://www.graduateinstitute.ch/ccdp

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

In this episode, Jennifer Thornquest and Nicolas Florquin explore these questions and more—tracing the region’s complex relationship between authorised arms trade, criminal economies, and state regulation. The discussion also touches on the forthcoming outputs of the research collaboration and its strategies for dissemination to policy, practitioner, and research audiences.

🔗 Learn more about the project: Mapping the Transnational Circulation and Control of Small Arms in Latin America [https://armflowslatam.net/]

🔗 Learn more about the Small Arms Survey: www.smallarmssurvey.org/

🔗 Learn more about the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding: www.graduateinstitute.ch/ccdp

About the People

Guest: Nicolas Florquin
Nicolas Florquin is the Small Arms Survey’s Head of Data and Analytics and a Senior Researcher. He employs innovative mixed methods to generate a better understanding of the illicit proliferation of small arms and its effects, illicit markets, and armed actors’ self-governance mechanisms. He led the Survey’s recent research on the illicit proliferation of privately made firearms and small-calibre ammunition and has overseen the design and implementation of several projects dealing with the Caribbean and Latin America since 2020. He holds a PhD from the University of Brighton's School of Applied Social Sciences.

Host: Jennifer Thornquest
Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest is a researcher and lead strategic communications professional at the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP) at the Geneva Graduate Institute, where she also produces the CCDP Spotlight podcast. Her research explores participatory arts as a form of peacebuilding, with particular attention to the intersections of migration, education, and community resilience.

Production Credits

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is produced by the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

Producer & Host: Jennifer Thornquest
Music: Eli Stonemets

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

Together, Watkins and Sayigh examine shifting patterns in U.S. foreign policy, especially under the Trump administration, noting a realignment away from traditional allies toward the Gulf states. They also discuss stark changes within Israeli public opinion, including recent polling that reflects growing support for Palestinian displacement and violence—marking a significant departure from public sentiment in earlier decades.

The episode closes with a sobering overview of ongoing regional instability, touching on the war in Sudan, economic decline in Egypt, and protracted crises in Syria, Iraq, and beyond.

For more information about today’s guests and topics:

Graduate Institute In-Depth Expert Analysis: War in the Middle East

In-depth analysis by our faculty and experts is compiled in this special section on the War in the Middle East. Explore comprehensive analyses and unique perspectives from our esteemed faculty and experts. Their insights provide a nuanced understanding of the region’s complex and rapidly unfolding developments, offering context on the key issues and dynamics driving this conflict.

About the People

Guest: Yezid Sayigh 

Yezid Sayigh is a senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, where he works on the comparative political and economic roles of Arab armed forces, the impact of war on states and societies, and the politics of authoritarian resurgence. Previously, Sayigh held teaching and research positions at King’s College London, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Oxford, and headed the Middle East program of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. Sayigh was also an adviser, negotiator, and policy planner in the Palestinian delegation to the peace talks with Israel 1991-2002 and advised on Palestinian public institutional reform until 2006.

Sayigh is the author of the award-winning Armed Struggle and the Search for State: The Palestinian National Movement, 1949-1993 (Oxford, 1997). More recent publications include The Second Republic: Remaking Egypt Under Sisi (2025); Civilians in Arab Defense Affairs: Implications for Providers of Security Assistance (2023); Throwing Down the Gauntlet: What the IMF Can Do About Egypt’s Military Companies and Retain, Restructure, or Divest? Policy Options for Egypt’s Military Economy (2022); Praetorian spearhead: The role of the military in the evolution of Egypt’s state capitalism 3.0 (2021); Owners of the Republic: An Anatomy of Egypt’s Military Economy (2019); Dilemmas of Reform: Policing in Arab Transitions (2016); Crumbling States: Security Sector Reform in Libya and Yemen (2015); Missed Opportunity: The Politics of Police Reform in Egypt and Tunisia (2015); The Syrian Opposition’s Leadership Problem (2013); Above the State: The Officers’ Republic in Egypt (2012); “We serve the people”: Hamas policing in Gaza (2011); and Policing the People, Building the State: Authoritarian transformation in the West Bank and Gaza (2011).

Host: Robert Watkins, Research Associate, CCDP

Robert Watkins joined the CCDP after a 35-year career working for international organisations in political, humanitarian, development and post-conflict recovery areas in some 13 different countries, principally in the Middle East, Central, and South Asia.  He served for the United Nations as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General in Lebanon (2011-2014) and Afghanistan (2009-2011) at the level of Assistant Secretary General, as well as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Bangladesh (2015-17), Djibouti (2014), and Georgia (2006-2009). Since retiring from the UN at the end of 2017, he has taught as a Practitioner at the Graduate Institute and at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, and presented papers on Conflict Prevention at AUB, Lebanon, and the University of Tianjin, China. 

Producer: Jennifer Thornquest, Research Associate, CCDP

Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest is a social science researcher whose current research focuses on participatory arts and peacebuilding at the intersection of migration and education. With a background in communication, she explores the role of language and storytelling in shaping public discourse. She is a research associate at the CCDP and producer of the Spotlight Podcast.

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is a production of the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development, and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

• Producer & Host: Jennifer Thornquest
• Music: Eli Stonemets

Related Resources: 

The Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center 

The Center draws on regional experts to provide in-depth analysis of political, socioeconomic, and security issues in the Middle East and North Africa. Founded in 2006, the Beirut-based center delivers on-the-ground research of the region’s challenges, examines long-term geopolitical trends, and proposes innovative policy options. As freedom of expression has become increasingly restricted in the wider Middle East, the center also creates a space for people across the region to convene and share diverse perspectives. The center works closely with the Middle East Program headquartered in Washington, DC.

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

Building on Gilmour’s decades of experience in human rights, mediation, and peacebuilding, this discussion examines the climate–conflict nexus, exploring how climate change exacerbates existing tensions, fuels instability, and impacts global peace efforts. Gilmour and Watkins discuss some of the political and practical dimensions of this challenge, emphasizing the need for integrated strategies to address both climate vulnerabilities and conflict prevention.

Field Notes Live – Mid-Episode Feature (S2, E2)

In this excerpt from Field Notes Live, Bilal Salayme reflects on his recent return to Damascus, where he witnessed both continuity and change in the wake of Syria’s ongoing transformation. Speaking with Jennifer Thornquest, Bilal discusses the fall of the Assad regime, the shifting political and social identities of Syrians, and the monopolization of violence—a key theme in his previous research. His insights provide a deeply personal and analytical perspective on the resilience of Syrian communities and the uncertain political landscape shaping the country’s future.

For more information about today’s guests and topics:

• Berghof Foundation – A global organization dedicated to conflict transformation, enabling communities to engage in peacebuilding and dialogue. Learn more:
  https://berghof-foundation.org/about

• More about Bilal Salayme's research:
  🔗 Personal Website
  🔗 CCDP Research Project
  🔗 Peace Missions Project

• ECCP - The ECCP is a community of practice that aims to strengthen networking and community building on environmental peacebuilding, conflict-sensitive conservation, climate security, and other related topics through collaboration, dialogue, and learning between institutions and individuals around the world. This community of practice is currently co-hosted by the Environmental Peacebuilding Association (EnPAx) and the Centre on Conflict, Development, and Peacebuilding (CCDP) at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Find out more here. 

Related resources: 

• Book: The Burning Question – Andrew Gilmour’s latest book explores the intricate connections between climate change and conflict, examining how climate-induced crises fuel instability and undermine peace efforts. Read more:
  https://berghof-foundation.org/library/the-burning-question
• Future of Environmental Peacebuilding Compendium is a collection of 50 articles by authors from all around the. Each article offers different visions and lessons learned for an ecosystem of peace. Access it here. 

About the People

Andrew Gilmour, Executive Director at Berghof Foundation (til January 2025)

A British national, Andrew Gilmour recently stepped down from the United Nations after a 30-year career in international diplomacy and human rights and serves as the Executive Director of the Berghof Foundation. He is the author of the recently published book, THE BURNING QUESTION: Climate and Conflict - why does it matter? (Published March 2024. From 2016 to 2019, he served as the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, following his role as Political Director in the office of the UN Secretary-General. Gilmour has held senior positions in numerous conflict zones, including Iraq, South Sudan, the Middle East, the Balkans, Afghanistan, and West Africa, working at the intersection of human rights, mediation, and peacebuilding.

Robert Watkins, Research Associate, CCDP

Robert Watkins joined the CCDP after a 35-year career working for international organisations in political, humanitarian, development and post-conflict recovery areas in some 13 different countries, principally in the Middle East, Central, and South Asia.  He served for the United Nations as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General in Lebanon (2011-2014) and Afghanistan (2009-2011) at the level of Assistant Secretary General, as well as UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Bangladesh (2015-17), Djibouti (2014), and Georgia (2006-2009). Since retiring from the UN at the end of 2017, he has taught as a Practitioner at the Graduate Institute and at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, and presented papers on Conflict Prevention at AUB, Lebanon, and the University of Tianjin, China. 

Bilal Salayme, Postdoctoral Researcher, CCDP

Bilal Salayme is a Postdoctoral Researcher on the project "State-Building and the Global Practices of Security Sector Reform" at the Centre on Conflict, Development, and Peacebuilding at the Graduate Institute, Geneva. His research focuses on state-building, security sector reform, and UN peace missions in an emerging multipolar world, with a particular emphasis on the monopolization of violence and the evolving social and political order in conflict-affected regions.

Jennifer Thornquest, Researcher, CCDP 

Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest is a social science researcher and graduate student at the Graduate Institute in Geneva. Her current research focuses on participatory arts and peacebuilding at the intersection of migration and education. With a background in communication, she also explores the role of language and storytelling in shaping public discourse in her approach to producing this podcast. Jennifer is a research assistant at the CCDP.

Production Credits

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is produced by the Geneva Graduate Institute’s Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding (CCDP).

• Producer: Jennifer Thornquest
• Host: Robert Watkins
• Music: Eli Stonemets

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

Through personal anecdotes and sharp political analysis, Bilal discusses the fall of the Assad regime, the evolving political and social identities of Syrians, and the monopolization of violence—a central theme of his doctoral work, which explores how power is distributed in post-conflict states. He shares insights on the oligopoly of violence, the resilience of communities, and the shifting political space shaping Syria’s future.

This conversation moves beyond theory to lived experience, offering a glimpse into the emotions, hopes, and realities of Syrians navigating change beyond the headlines.

About the People

Guest: Bilal Salayme, Postdoctoral Researcher, CCDP

Bilal Salayme is a Postdoctoral Researcher on the project "State-Building and the Global Practices of Security Sector Reform" at the Centre on Conflict, Development, and Peacebuilding at the Graduate Institute, Geneva. His research focuses on state-building, security sector reform, and UN peace missions in an emerging multipolar world, with a particular emphasis on the monopolization of violence and the evolving social and political order in conflict-affected regions.

More about Bilal’s research:

🔗 Personal Website

🔗 CCDP Research Project- A Child of It's Time, The Impact of Politics in Peacebuilding

🔗 CCDP Research Project - State-Building and Global Practices 

🔗 Peace Missions Project

Host: Jennifer Thornquest, Researcher & Podcast Producer, CCDP

Jennifer (Gigi) Thornquest  is a social science researcher and graduate student at the Graduate Institute in Geneva. Her current research focuses on participatory arts and peacebuilding at the intersection of migration and education. With a background in communication, she also explores the role of language and storytelling in shaping public discourse in her approach to producing this podcast. Jennifer is a research assistant at the CCDP.

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

In addition to her current role as Executive Director, Ms. Momal-Vanian worked in various senior positions and a variety of countries for the United Nations, most recently as Director of Conference Management at the United Nations Office at Geneva (2015-2020) and Director of Information (2010-2015). She served as Special Assistant to Kofi Annan in 2005 and 2006, traveling with him to some 20 countries as he worked to resolve crises, defuse tensions, highlight the plight of communities and individuals suffering from discrimination and abuses, build international cooperation and strengthen support for development and justice. She worked for a total of six years in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, after serving in two regional economic and social commissions of the United Nations.

The CCDP Spotlight Podcast is a production by the Geneva Graduate Institute's Center on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding. Episode credits - Producer: Jennifer Thornquest. Host: Robert Watkins. Music: Eli Stonemets. 

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP). 

The views and opinions expressed in the interviews featured on this podcast belong solely to the respective guests and interviewees. They should not be construed as representative of or endorsed by the Geneva Graduate Institute or the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacekeeping (CCDP).