Time: 6 May 2026, 18h15
Place: Fribourg, Salle Peter Jäggi, MIS 4112
About the Speakers
For this expert talk, FriMUN will host Erik Armando Schnetzler and Nadira Mukhamejan – two experts from the Geneva Water Hub and the University of Geneva respectively.
Mr. Schnetzler is a Project Manager at the Geneva Water Hub. He has previously worked as an Environment Officer at UNEP in Nairobi and as a Water Security Consultant for the OSCE in Astana.
Ms. Mukhamejan is a PhD researcher on international discourses in Syr Darya water policy at the University of Geneva, focusing on water security & environmental governance, while supporting youth water initiatives via the Swiss Water Partnership.
About the Event
This event hosted by FriMUN is part of a broader reflection on how natural resources, and particularly water, can become both a factor of vulnerability in crises and a vector for dialogue and peace in contemporary international relations.
It introduces students to the approach of the Geneva Water Hub, a centre of competence on Water for Peace. The session explores how water and environmental considerations can be integrated into mediation and peacemaking processes, and how they can contribute to addressing broader political and social dynamics.
The session combines theoretical and practical perspectives. On the theoretical side, it examines key concepts in environmental peacebuilding and peacemaking, as well as the role of mediation as a tool for conflict resolution. On the practical side, the session looks at how the inclusion of water and environmental issues in mediation processes can help address underlying political and social tensions, and how political processes, in turn, can support more effective governance and resolution of water related challenges.
Through selected case studies, students will critically assess both the potential and limitations of integrating water into peacebuilding and mediation practice.
Who can attend?
No restrictions apply. Registration is possible here.