Commissioner Michel Kazatchkine participated in the annual executive training course on global health diplomacy, « Santé et diplomatie » (“Health and Diplomacy”), held in Geneva from 20 to 24 April 2026. The programme is co-organized by the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (Geneva Graduate Institute), in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Senegal and the Institute of Global Health of the University of Geneva , under the high patronage of the International Organisation of the Francophonie. It brought together diplomats, public health officials and international experts to strengthen capacities in global health governance, negotiation and policy, covering issues such as access to medicines, universal health coverage, and lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic.

On 20 April, Commissioner Kazatchkine also spoke at a seminar entitled « Un Monde en Mutation: Quels Défis pour la Diplomatie de la Santé? » (“A Changing World: What Challenges for Health Diplomacy?”). Organized by the Global Health Centre of the Geneva Graduate Institute in partnership with the same institutions, the event examined evolving global health challenges in a shifting geopolitical context.

The discussion featured contributions from Suerie Moon (Co-Director, Global Health Centre, Geneva Graduate Institute); Salomon Eheth (Permanent Representative of Cameroon to the United Nations in Geneva); Marie-Laure Salles (Director, Geneva Graduate Institute); Tovar da Silva Nunes (Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations in Geneva); Gaudenz Silberschmidt (Director, Health Partnerships and Multilateral Relations, World Health Organization); and Pierre Vimont (Ambassador of France). The session was moderated by Stéphane Bussard (Journalist, Le Temps), with concluding remarks by Henri Monceau (Permanent Representative of the International Organization of the Francophonie to the United Nations in Geneva).

Discussions addressed the implications of geopolitical shifts, pandemic risks, climate change, and inequalities in access to care for the future of global health diplomacy.

View the seminar on YouTube.