Forum Suisse de Politique Internationale (FSPI)

What Forum Suisse de Politique Internationale (FSPI) does

Forum Suisse de Politique Internationale (FSPI) is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 1997 in Geneva by former Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Edouard Brunner, banker Pierre Keller, and coordinator Alain Nicollier. It operates as a dialogue and reflection platform for international-relations practitioners, organizing the bulk of its activity through recurring luncheon debates and occasional conferences held primarily at the Château de Penthes in Geneva and at venues including the Palais des Nations. Discussions operate under Chatham House Rules and feature senior speakers such as UN and WTO officials, ambassadors, and academics, with content archived on the FSPI website dating back to 2012.

Its core product portfolio comprises regular luncheon debates, public conferences, written publications (including the edited volume "100 years of multilateralism in Geneva from the LoN to the UN"), member interviews, and an annual Prix Lombard Odier award delivered in partnership with the Lombard Odier Foundation and the University of Geneva's Global Studies Institute. The technology stack is minimal — Stripe for online payments and Google reCAPTCHA for form protection — consistent with an event-and-membership operating model rather than a software platform.

FSPI is funded through annual membership subscriptions (CHF 200 standard, CHF 350 couple, CHF 500 benefactor/institutional; free for students), per-event participation fees (CHF 80 for members and partner-organization members, CHF 100 for non-members), and voluntary donations. It serves diplomats, international civil servants, NGO staff, academics, and business professionals active in the Geneva international community, and operates exclusively from Geneva with a ~10-person team.

Name

Forum Suisse de Politique Internationale (FSPI)

Legal name

Forum Suisse de Politique Internationale (FSPI)

Website

https://fspi.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Forum Suisse de Politique Internationale (FSPI) is a Geneva-based non-profit association, founded in 1997, that organizes Chatham House Rule luncheon debates and conferences for diplomats, UN officials, academics, NGO staff, and business professionals active in international relations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Policy Dialogue & Think Tank Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAGAGAH

Government & Public Sector Conferences

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

SECONDARYMPAGAGAD

Academic & Scientific Conferences

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

Keywords

• International policy dialogue
• Luncheon debate forum
• Think tank events
• Multilateral relations platform
• Geneva civil society forum

Headquarters

HQ city

Geneva

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees ranging from CHF 200 (standard) to CHF 500 (benefactor/institutional), with free membership for students. This is the primary recurring revenue stream.
2. Event Participation Fees: Revenue from luncheon debate registrations: CHF 80 for members and partner organizations, CHF 100 for non-members. Students contact the organization directly.
3. Donations: The organization accepts donations through a contact form, described as contributions to support the association's activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FSPI organizes regular luncheon debates and conferences in Geneva featuring high-level speakers from international organizations, governments, academia, and civil society, providing a platform for intellectual exchange on international policy. It sustains these activities through an annual membership program and accepts donations, while publishing event outputs (presentations, interviews, and select books) and maintaining an online archive of past debates dating to 2012.

Product overview

FSPI operates as a discussion platform for international relations practitioners, offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered around luncheon debates and conferences. The core offering comprises regular luncheon debates featuring expert speakers on geopolitical, diplomatic, economic, and cultural topics; public conferences at prestigious venues; published presentations and articles from speakers; member interviews; and comprehensive archives dating to 2012. Supplementary offerings include a media gallery with event photography, an annual award (Prix Lombard Odier), and tiered membership access. The organization functions as a civil society forum promoting intellectual exchange in all areas of international policy while maintaining confidentiality through Chatham House Rules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Luncheon Debates FSPI's flagship recurring service: organized lunch debates in Geneva featuring international relations experts, diplomats, and thought leaders discussing current geopolitical, diplomatic, economic, and cultural topics, held under Chatham House Rules. Registration is CHF 80 for members and partner-organization members, and CHF 100 for non-members, with lunch included.
• Conferences Public conferences organized by FSPI at venues including the Palais des Nations and Domaine du Château de Penthes, often featuring high-profile speakers such as UN Secretaries-General and heads of international organizations, co-organized with partner bodies such as the British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and the Geneva Chamber of Commerce.
• Membership Program Annual membership providing access to debates and conferences, networking with international relations practitioners, and participation in FSPI activities. Available in standard (CHF 200/year), couple (CHF 350/year), benefactor (CHF 500/year), and institutional (CHF 500/year) tiers; students join free of charge. Benefactor and institutional members receive speaker-table seating and the option to invite two guests per year at the member rate.
• Publications Written outputs from FSPI debates and conferences, including presentation PDFs, speeches, and articles on international affairs topics distributed via the website, plus co-published book compilations such as '100 years of multilateralism in Geneva from the LoN to the UN' (Editions Hurter).

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GreycellsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization providing member-rate access (CHF 80) to FSPI luncheon debates for their members.
• USAP (Union des Suisses de l'Aide aux Personnes âgées)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization whose members receive discounted FSPI event rates.
• Diplomatic Club of GenevaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization providing member-rate access to FSPI luncheon debates.
• BSCC (British-Swiss Chamber of Commerce)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerKey co-organizer of joint events including the May 26, 2025 luncheon debate with ITU Secretary-General on 'Bridging the digital divide in the AI era'. Provides member-rate access.
• AICminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization providing member-rate access to FSPI events.
• AGAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner organization co-organizing events with FSPI, including cultural history presentations.
• Château de PenthescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue for FSPI luncheon debates and conferences. Located in Geneva, hosting most regular FSPI events since the association's founding.
• Foundation for the Adaptation of International Geneva (FAIG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization addressing reinvention of International Geneva, featured as speaker at February 2026 debate.
• Geneva Chamber of Commerce (CCIG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized the May 2025 luncheon debate with UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan on 'A new vision for the United Nations'.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Geneva Diplomatic Club: Members-only club in Geneva convening accredited diplomats and international civil servants for networking and cultural events. Closely comparable membership-driven format for the same Geneva diplomatic community; FSPI board member Gregory Licker serves as its Secretary-General.
• Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP): Geneva-based executive education and dialogue institution serving diplomats, policy practitioners, and international civil servants. Highly comparable mission of convening international security and policy professionals, with deeper course-based programming but similar Geneva ecosystem.
• Wilton Park: UK-based executive agency of the FCDO convening off-the-record policy dialogues under Chatham House Rule on geopolitics, security, and international affairs. Closely comparable format, governance posture, and Chatham House Rules-based dialogue model serving diplomats and policy practitioners.
• Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD): Geneva-based independent mediation organization convening conflict parties and international actors. Comparable as a Geneva-anchored convening body operating under Chatham House-style discretion and engaging senior diplomats and policy practitioners.
• foraus – Swiss Forum on Foreign Policy: Swiss think tank producing independent foreign policy analysis and convening practitioners in Bern and Geneva. Directly comparable as a Swiss policy dialogue forum with overlapping membership among diplomats, academics, and policy professionals; FSPI board member Alexandre Biedermann also sits on foraus's Steering Committee.

Broad incumbents

• swisspeace: Swiss peace research and policy institute based in Bern and Geneva, focused on conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Comparable as a Swiss-based international policy organization hosting events and convening practitioners, but with a research-driven mandate broader than FSPI's dialogue focus.
• Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID): Leading Geneva academic institution hosting debates, lectures, and policy dialogue on international affairs. Comparable convening function for diplomats and policy experts, though IHEID's primary mission is graduate education and research; multiple FSPI board members are IHEID-affiliated.
• World Economic Forum (WEF): Geneva-headquartered international organization convening heads of state, executives, and civil society at high-profile forums. Comparable convening function for senior international affairs leaders, though vastly larger scale and corporate-driven membership model.

Emerging players

• Geneva Policy Outlook (GPo): Geneva-based student-led policy platform convening young professionals and students for dialogue on international affairs. Comparable audience overlap with FSPI's academic and student membership tier, with a younger demographic focus.

Regional players

• Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD): Geneva-based international organization focused on mine action policy and convening humanitarian practitioners. Comparable as a Geneva-headquartered convening body for policy practitioners, with similar reliance on the International Geneva ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ForumSuisse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqul-sO-tA3sPLhcQxMseow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fspi
• Instagraminstagram.com/fspi_ch/?hl=fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Forum Suisse de Politique Internationale (FSPI)