Our Scans · Geneva · Weekly Summary

• [New] The G20 could take a step further and stand for a Geneva convention for cyberspace; civilian infrastructures should never become a target by state actors, even if in cyberspace. Friends of Europe
• JPMorgan economists lowered the risk of the US economy entering a recession to below 50% from 60% previously after the United States and China reached a trade breakthrough in Geneva last month. CNN
• Microsoft will upgrade its four data centers near Zurich and Geneva with advanced AI infrastructure, extending investments made since launching local data centers six years ago. Evertiq AB
• Diego Garcia's satellite communications would have been threatened because the UK relies on a UN agency in Geneva to maintain access to a particular electromagnetic spectrum; aircraft might not be able to fly in or out, for fear of breaching international law. The Week
• The growing normalization of violations of international humanitarian law poses an existential threat to the Geneva Conventions and international law more broadly. Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog
• Following a successful one-year incubation period led by the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator, the new, three-year CERN-based pilot will build on the efforts to date to help unleash the full power of quantum computing for the benefit of all. CERN
• A global agreement on cyber norms might be reached: perhaps a Digital Geneva Convention where countries pledge not to attack civilian grids and to cooperate on catching non-state hackers. Energy Central
• International humanitarian law, enshrined in the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, strictly prohibits deliberate, indiscriminate, or disproportionate attacks that endanger civilians or destroy critical infrastructure such as homes, hospitals, and energy projects. Daily Parliament Times
• Universal treaties that ban the use of certain particularly heinous weapons - like the Geneva Protocol, which bans chemical and biological weapons and is adhered to by all major powers - can be of great use in a multipolar world, as the risk of conflict will always remain. Marin Independent Journal
• The International Conference on Climate Change in Geneva could reshape global cooperation on environmental issues, potentially leading to stronger international agreements and commitments. Key Facts to Be Aware Of
• Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, occupying powers must use the Iraqi penal system to the extent possible, except where it would seriously endanger the security of the occupying powers or violate international standards. Refworld - UNHCR's Global Law and Policy Database
• Geneva will increase its minimum wage from 24, 32 to 24, 48 francs an hour, Basel will see its minimum wage rise from 21 to 22 francs, while Ticino will raise its minimum wage to between 20 and 20, 50 francs. IamExpat
• Iran and three European powers agreed to continue their dialog in the near future after a meeting in Geneva as intelligence officials warned Tehran's nuclear proliferation poses a critical threat in the coming months. RFE/RL
• Humanitarian laws of war, including the Geneva Conventions, require military forces to give civilians ample warning to flee before attacking. Economic Times
• The European Council expects international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Convention relative to the treatment of prisoners of war, to be fully respected. Council of the European Union
• Quagga mussels, an invasive species first discovered in Lake Geneva last month, threaten the ecological balance of Wisconsin's lakes and motivate new conservation efforts. Discovery of invasive mussels in Lake Geneva deepens Wi
• Scholz's policies will reverse current German law which, in line with the Geneva convention on human rights, prohibits the deportation of individuals to their home countries if they are warzones or if they are at risk of death, torture or inhumane treatment upon their return. The Spectator
• A team from the University of Geneva has identified and located 2700 enhancers - among millions of non-coding genetic sequences - that precisely regulate the genes responsible for bone growth. News-Medical
• In the Geneva Convention [which determines the status of refugee], a person's integration counts less than the risk of persecution in the country of origin. InfoMigrants
• GENEVA - Seven months after the onset of the international armed conflict in Ukraine, refugees remain grateful for the warm reception that they have received across Europe and most plan to stay put for now. UNHCR
• A Russian battalion comprised of Ukrainian prisoners of war will likely deploy to Ukraine in the near future in an apparent violation of the Geneva Convention on Prisoners of War. Institute for the Study of War
• Few, if any, will shirk from posing with a firearm, helping to load a multiple rocket launcher or incriminating themselves by interrogating Ukrainian prisoners of war on camera, in likely contravention of the Geneva Conventions. New Lines Magazine

Last updated: 25 June 2025