The fifth edition of the International Cooperation Forum (IC Forum) was held on February 26-27th at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) with Federal Councillors Ignazio Cassis and Martin Pfister in attendance. The central theme was the future of humanitarian aid in an international context marked by a proliferation of crises and a significant reduction in funding. On this occasion, three Swiss startups were recognized.
The IC Forum provides a platform for exchanges between political leaders, representatives of international organizations, humanitarian actors, academic experts and private sector partners, many of whom are based in Geneva.
Agility, innovation, impact
In the opening session, Mr. Cassis reflected on Switzerland’s role in promoting multilateralism, dialogue and respect for international humanitarian law – a role underpinned by a humanitarian tradition, rooted firmly in Geneva. Mr. Cassis stressed the need for a critical analysis of humanitarian aid, which must become more agile, more innovative and resolutely impact oriented.
The UN under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator (OCHA), Tom Fletcher, also spoke, as did the director general of the FDFA’s Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Patricia Danzi.
Three companies receive IC awards
At the end of the first day, the IC Forum recognized innovative business ideas in the field of development cooperation. Mr Cassis presented three companies with IC awards:
Openversum (Zurich) Openversum transforms access to clean water through affordable, state-of-the-art Swiss water filters, creating jobs at local level.
Watalux (Geneva), produces solar-powered water treatment systems that replace chlorine tablets. WATALUX SA, a spin-off company of the Antenna Foundation in 2018, produces its systems in Geneva.
Ha Hu (Zurich) is a Swiss edtech on a mission to harness timeless local linguistic knowledge and generative AI in a scalable system that archives, digitizes, and gamifies niche languages—including some of the world’s most underrepresented and least digitalized writing systems. The result is immediate access to high-quality educational, linguistic, and cultural data for all.
The second day concluded with a speech by Federal Councillor Martin Pfister on the need for a comprehensive approach to security in a complex and volatile geopolitical context. Humanitarian aid, like development cooperation and peacebuilding, is an integral part of Switzerland’s preventive security policy measures.
With this fifth edition, the IC Forum confirms its role as a platform for strategic dialogue on the major global challenges facing international cooperation.
(PR – ES)
Photo: Ha Hu team