Global Negotiation Conference 2025: "Deep Sea Mining"
Hosted at the University of Zurich
7–11 July 2025
Program & Speakers
The Global Negotiation Conference 2025 will take place 7–11 July 2025 at the University of Zurich. The conference will include workshops and presentations on theoretical and practical aspects of negotiation before culminating in a multilateral simulation.
If you have any questions, please contact gnc@global-negotiation.org
Program
Speakers
Ana Palacio (Former Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs)
Ana Palacio, an international lawyer by training, was the first female Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain. She has held a distinguished career in public service – from leading positions in European institutions to General Counsel of the World Bank Group – she specializes in energy matters. Currently, along with leading Palacio & Associates, the European Union consultancy, Ms. Palacio sits on the corporate boards of several publicly-traded, energy-focused companies and is a member of the International Advisory Board of OCP Group (leading Moroccan fertilizer company). She also serves on the Industry Advisory Committee of the International Energy Forum, along with the External Advisory Committee of Secretary Ernest Moniz’s Energy Futures Initiative. Ms. Palacio was previously a member of the Executive Committee and Senior VP for International Affairs of Areva, leader in nuclear power and renewable energy. Ms. Palacio is also a member of the Board and the Strategy Committee of the Atlantic Council and was the first non-American member of its Executive Committee. She has recently been appointed as a member of the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies’ Academic Council. She is a regular speaker at international conferences and a contributor to different publications, including a monthly column for Project Syndicate, and a weekly column for El Mundo (Spain). She is a visiting professor at the Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
Dr. Zaza Elsheikh (Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution CEDR)
Zaza Johnson Elsheikh is a CEDR Faculty member and a Distinguished Fellow of the International Academy of Mediators (IAM). She is also accredited as an International Commercial Arbitrator through the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb). As a mediator, Zaza offers a unique blend of professional experience as a medical doctor (1994), a clinical negligence solicitor (2004) and Extremist Ideology Rehabilitation Mentor (2019). She was the Senior Partner at Commercial and Medical Dispute Solutions LLP where she ran a busy clinical negligence/end-of-life, commercial, family, probate, schools and workplace mediation practice based in Dartford, UK for 15 years. In 2021, Zaza decided to develop an international mediation practice informed by the breadth of her dispute resolution experiences in the UK as a commercial, family, workplace mediator and her mediation skills training achievements abroad. She actively promotes the growth of alternative dispute resolution services for all communities, and in particular, Sulh(a) a traditional form of dispute resolution used in many countries in the Far East, Asia, Middle East and North African regions. As a Muslim faith leader, who is influenced by her mixed cultural and religious heritage, Zaza has promoted the use of dispute resolution as an early intervention for disputes between and within faith groups through the charity Belief in Mediation and Arbitration (BIMA) which she co-founded in 2012 with multi-faith mediators and arbitrators. She has also developed seminars on "faithful dispute resolution" and "faithful leadership" which benefit mediators and leaders working with international faith communities.
%20(1).jpg)
Dr. Jack R. Williams (Institute for Global Negotiation)
Dr. Jack R. Williams is the President of the Institute for Global Negotiation, a non-profit association based in Zurich that promotes and supports the use of negotiation as an essential tool in building a more equitable, peaceful, and sustainable world. Jack teaches negotiation and conflict resolution at universities across the world including as an Adjunct Professor at Sciences Po Paris, University of Zurich and Leuphana University Lüneburg. He is also an External Consultant leading workshops and courses in various programs for the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Previously, Jack was an Assistant Professor of International Relations and Acting Dean of the College of International Studies at the American University of Kurdistan in Northern Iraq. Jack received his PhD in Political Philosophy from the University of Zurich, during which time he was a visiting researcher at Princeton University. Jack has also worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Institute of European and International Economic Law at the University of Bern as well as a Summer Academy and MILE Fellow at the World Trade Institute. Jack is a CEDR-accredited mediator and volunteers as a neighbourhood mediator for Mediation Plus in the United Kingdom.
Fiorella Erni (Negotiated Resolutions)
Fiorella Erni is a seasoned negotiator and crisis management expert with a rich, multifaceted background in both humanitarian aid, diplomacy and entrepreneurship. With experience as a former humanitarian worker in conflict zones for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Fiorella has honed her skills in high-stakes negotiations within complex, high-pressure environments. Her work with the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN) further refined her expertise in advanced negotiation training for frontline workers and diplomats. Currently, Fiorella is a professional negotiator at Negotiated Resolutions, representing clients in corporate negotiations and offering tailored negotiation training. Through her own company, Stand Tall, she specialises in accompanying women in negotiation, particularly in workplace settings, with the goal of advancing more women to C-suite leadership roles. Fiorella’s academic foundation includes a BA in Social Anthropology and Arabic Literature from the University of Zurich, a Master’s in Conflict and Development from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, and an MBA from Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. She also holds a diploma in Animal Behavior from the University of Oxford, offering unique insights into human behavior in negotiations.
Maude Pittet Nazareno (Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation)
Maude Pittet Nazareno is a seasoned humanitarian professional with over 15 years of experience in international organizations. She currently serves as the Project Manager for Pressure Management and Mentoring at the Centre of Competence on Humanitarian Negotiation (CCHN) in Geneva, Switzerland. She is a certified coach, hypnotherapist, graduate in neuro-linguistic programming and IPMA project manager. With a focus on supporting frontline practitioners, Maude has developed expertise in stress management programs for humanitarian negotiators. Her work at CCHN involves organizing workshops and sessions to enhance negotiation skills, particularly in high-pressure situations.
Carlos Alberto Alza (Senior Public Policy & Human Rights Expert)
Expert in public policy, governance and human rights. Holds a MSc in Regulation from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), UK, a Law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP), and is pursuing a PhD in Political and Social Sciences at the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona. Formerly National Deputy Ombudsman for Public Services and Environment, and Advisor to the Ombudsman. In these roles, he spearheaded the defence of indigenous peoples and vulnerable populations and promoted institutional reforms within the framework of socio-environmental conflicts arising from extractive policies in Latin America. He has experience in the policies, regulation and management of social conflicts, incorporating a human rights-based approach into public policy. He has over 20 years of experience as a national and international consultant, with expertise working with GIZ, UNICEF, CAJ-IOM, IDB, World Bank, Save the Children, UNDP, World Vision, Kené Institute, Kaleidoscope Trust, Acathi, Ministries, and other institutions. He has teaching, research and academic programme management experience in Latin America and Europe. He has been a stagiaire at the European Commission in Brussels and a Visiting Lecturer at University College London (UCL), London. Carlos Alza has also been a speaker at Oxford University, Sciences Po, Paris, Hertie School of Governance, LSE, UCL, Flacso/UNAM, and others. He consults as an expert in inclusion policies, innovation and public policy in Europe and the Commonwealth, serves as Senior Manager of Public Policy and Financing for Innovation, and he is Teaching Fellow in the Barcelona Institute of International Relations (IBEI)/Universitat Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. He is the author of numerous publications in Peru and abroad.
Stefanie Walter (University of Zurich & Institute for Global Negotiation)
Stefanie Walter is Full Professor for International Relations and Political Economy at the Department of Political Science at the University of Zurich. Her research examines distributional conflicts, political preferences and economic policy outcomes related to globalization, European integration, and financial crises. Current projects examine the backlash against globalization and the politics of international non-cooperation. Stefanie Walter’s work has been published in journals such as the Annual Review of Political Science, American Journal of Political Science, Comparative Political Studies, and International Organization. She is the author of “Financial Crises and the Politics of Macroeconomic Adjustments” (2013, Cambridge University Press) and co-author of “The Politics of Bad Options” (2020, Oxford University Press).
Peter Cunningham (Geneva Centre for Security Policy GCSP)
Peter Cunningham is Head of Leadership at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and Co-Founder of the Geneva Leadership Alliance—a collaborative network advancing leadership for peace and security worldwide. With nearly 20 years of experience in leadership development, adult education, and executive coaching across sectors and continents, Peter brings a rich and diverse perspective to his work. He is known for creating safe and inclusive spaces for learning, while also challenging individuals and groups to apply leadership mindsets in bold and transformative ways. Born in England, raised in The Netherlands, and having worked across Australia and the Asia-Pacific, Peter is now based in Geneva and works in English, French, and Dutch.
Johannes-Alexander Müller (OceanCare)
Johannes-Alexander Müller is a Policy Specialist at OceanCare, where he drives efforts in international ocean governance and multilateral environmental agreements. He represents the organisation in high-stakes global processes, including the BBNJ treaty negotiations and debates on deep-sea mining at the International Seabed Authority. With a strong academic background and a PhD from the University of St Andrews, Johannes has also lectured on the UN’s evolving role in human rights, terrorism, environmental protection, and peacekeeping. His work sits at the intersection of policy, security, and sustainability; where climate change, marine conservation, and geopolitics converge.