The eleventh annual Global Negotiation Conference (GNC) – renamed to the Global Negotiation Academy in 2026 – brought together teams of graduate students from around the world to participate in five days of workshops and presentations by leading academics and practitioners in the field of negotiation and conflict resolution.

In 2025, the international community stood at a critical juncture regarding the future of seabed mineral extraction. As states and industries championed early permissions to mine the deep sea, thirty-two countries called for a precautionary pause due to concerns over irreversible environmental damage. Representing a potential trillion-dollar industry, deep sea mining raised pivotal questions at the intersection of economic development, environmental stewardship, and global governance.

Against this backdrop, the 2025 Global Negotiation Conference focused on the theme “Deep Sea Mining”, bringing together graduate students and young professionals from around the world to explore negotiation pathways essential for balancing ecological, social, and economic interests in ocean resource management.

Speakers included Dr. Zaza Elsheikh, Dr. Jack R. Williams, Johannes-Alexander Müller, Gianna Blum, Fiorella Erni, Peter Cunningham, Maude Pittet Nazareno, Carlos Albero Alza, Asier Hernandez, and Jérôme Bellion-Jourdan.

The public keynote of the GNC 2025, delivered by former Spanish Foreign Minister Ana Palacio on 8 July at the University of Zurich, examined the geopolitical and governance challenges surrounding seabed resources and global environmental cooperation.

We thank Project Coordinator Lucas Steinbach and his team Asier Hernández Juez, Maximiliano Schilling, Karoline Möller, and Charlotte Zimmermann for their tireless work in making the GNC 2025 such a unique and inspiring experience for more than 25 participants.

The GNC 2025 was supported by the Ernst Göhner Foundation, the Hirschmann Stiftung, the Chair of Political Philosophy and the Chair of International Relations & Political Economy at the University of Zürich, and the French Embassy to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.