Month: June 2026
Research
CSEND conducts research on issues of public interest. The results of this ongoing research on socio-economic topics are published in academic and professional journals, in books or as CSEND monographs.
CSEND focuses on the following research areas: Public sector and Governance, Poverty Alleviation, Quality in Higher Education, Environmental Conflict and Mediation, Trade Negotiation, and Diplomacy Dialogue.
Mediterranean Port Cities and their Hinterland: Evolution of Trans-Mediterranean Commerce and Culture Exchange – a challenge for Euro-Mena Cooperation (12 April 2018)
Project Design and Coordinators: Professor Raymond Saner, University of Basle & CSEND Geneva
Professor Lichia Yiu, Centre for Socio-Economic Development, Geneva
Overview
Port cities are facing today new challenges related to environmental management and the management of territorial conflicts (conflicting uses of coastal space, conflicts for the allocation of coastal resources, etc.). As a consequence, environmental and territorial policies and management arrangements at a variety of scales (local, regional, national and international) are becoming mandatory strategic consideration for port cities and their coastal regions. In particular, for ports, the capability to cooperate at regional scale and that of promoting innovation in technological and organizational issues are as much factors shaping their success as are traditional forces of competition.
Stakeholder Interactions & Dialogues
CSEND designs and facilitates stakeholder interactions on issues of public interests through workshops, forums, action research, conferences and use of role-play simulations.
Negotiating Trade and Foreign Direct Investment Agreements Workshop
Climate Change: Policy and Outreach
Together with its partner and associates, CSEND has been active in the UNFCCC arena in order to promote public awareness, effective participation and socio-eco-logical sustainable solutions to the climate change challenge.
- Economic Potentials of CDM click here
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change UNFCCC
- Cop 13, scaling up click here
- Cop 13, Bali, Indonesia, 1-12 December 2007
- Scaling Up Energy Efficiency – “Plan B”? click here
- Summary Report on the side event click here
- COP 14, Poznań, Poland, 1-12 December 2008
- Advancing Energy Efficiency under the Bali Action Plan click here
Geneva Global Leadership Programme
This Global Leadership programme provides senior university students and young professionals with an in-depth briefing and exposure to the global policy debates on issues related to different aspects of sustainability and governance of the global system. It is envisioned that such in-depth briefing and first-hand experiential learning will facilitate the development of a global perspective, cultivate a system thinking mindset and elicit humanitarian interests amongst the participants. All these elements are essential components of global leadership competencies.
This Geneva Global Leadership Study (GGLS) will be of two weeks duration and will take place in Geneva. It will be a complementary learning experience to the international relation studies at university level. GGLS creates synergies between general studies of international relations and topical studies focused on the Geneva-based international community and actors. The programme outlined below is integrated with the use of a “problem-based learning” approach so that participants can go deeper into a specific issue of sustainable development.
The GGLS will be structured in a modular manner, consisting of two components: Common Base and Focal Issues. Focal issues may vary from year to year according to demand.
Programme Brochure:
2018 Edition (Programme and Timetable)
2019 Edition (Programme and Timetable)
2020 Edition (Programme and Timetable)
2023 Edition (Programme and Timetable)
2024 Edition (Programme and Timetable)
2025 Edition (Programme and Timetable)
2026 Edition (Programme)
Snap shots: 20 students attending, representing a collection of university from Taiwan and China. Their educational attainment was also varied, from freshmen to PhD candidates.
Titles and Issues of Capstone Projects carried out by GLP 2025:
Trade and Financing for Development: Circularising the Indonesian Palm Oil Industry
The Disappearing Two Minutes: The Severe Working Conditions of China’s Food Delivery Riders
Uban Planning and Sustainable Development: Connected & Integrated Public Transport System in Chiayi (County)
Environmental Sustainability and Responsible Consumption and Production: Case of Wildfires in Spain
Solutions to Taiwan’s Emergency Department Crisis: Stakeholder Engagement and Partnerships
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the Social and Solidarity Economy
Raymond Saner, Lichia Saner Yiu, and Samuel Bruelisauer, (2022) “Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the Social and Solidarity Economy”
Encyclopedia of the Social and Solidarity Economy (forthcoming 2023) published by Edward Elgar Publishing Limited in partnership with United Nations InterAgency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (UNTFSSE).
Principles and values associated with the SSE played an important role in the early production and use of information and communication technology (ICT). What began with the ‘free software movement’ which promoted the development of operating systems and applications for computers, servers and smart phones based on collaboration, openness, and control by users, has grown into a variety of organizations that offer products and services. At the same time, a few large ICT companies of the commercial private sector lead and dominate. This entry explains the emergence of ICT and its impact on the economy and describes the role of SSE organisations and enterprises (SSEOEs) in developing and producing ICT. It further discusses how SSEOEs respond to trends associated with ICT by using and operating technologies in line with their principles and values. The entry closes with an examination of the challenges and opportunities of SSEOEs in the face of recent ICT-related trends.
UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (TFSSE)
The UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (TFSSE) was established to raise the visibility of the SSE in international knowledge and policy circles.
SSE holds considerable promise for addressing the economic, social and environmental integrated approaches of sustainable development.
CSEND has Observer status in TFSSE since August 2017
European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels, 5th September 2017
European Economic and Social Committee, Brussels, 5th September 2017
Hearing in the framework of the EESC opinion on The core role of trade and investment in meeting and implementing the SDGs
Raymond Saner, Invited Speaker
”The core role of trade and investment in meeting and implementing SDGs”
ESG Implementation and governance boundaries in cooperatives: a cross-sector managerial perspective – EURICSE Publ. WP 139 | 26 Trento, Italy
Authors: Raymond Saner Lichia Saner-Yiu
Publication date: 14 April 2026
Publication categories: Working papers
Tags: Cooperatives; Cooperative ESG; Governance; Boundary workers; Members versus externals; Platform support
Cooperatives are frequently presumed to align with sustainability due to their democratic governance and community focus, yet empirical evidence on their implementation of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards remains fragmented. This article analyzes ESG practices across six cooperative sectors—agriculture, finance, housing, consumer/retail, utilities, and worker/platform cooperatives—using comparative document analysis, sectoral case studies, and emerging federation guidelines. We introduce the cooperative boundary of responsibility to examine how ESG and Decent Work obligations extend beyond member-owners to employees, contractors, seasonal laborers, and platform workers. Findings reveal that while cooperatives excel in democratic governance and community-oriented social metrics, ESG adoption varies significantly by sector. Performance weakens where labor relations diverge from membership structures, particularly in outsourced, seasonal, or digitally mediated work. Environmental reporting is inconsistent, with gaps in accountability for non-member workers. For example, agricultural cooperatives often lack robust environmental metrics, while platform cooperatives struggle to ensure fair wages and protections for gig workers.
By synthesizing cross-sector evidence, this study advances debates on cooperative governance by demonstrating how institutional design, labor models, and sectoral constraints shape ESG outcomes. It highlights the tension between cooperatives’ member-centric ethos and the broader sustainability expectations of global supply chains, regulatory frameworks, and consumer demands. The article concludes with actionable recommendations: (i) strengthening ESG capabilities through federation-led training and capacity-building initiatives; (ii) standardizing reporting frameworks to address sectoral disparities and improve transparency, and (iii) reconciling cooperative identity with global sustainability expectations, particularly for non-member labor. The analysis underscores the need for policy and managerial interventions to close responsibility gaps and uphold ESG commitments across cooperative ecosystems. By addressing these challenges, cooperatives can better align their operations with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reinforce their role as drivers of inclusive, sustainable development.