What lies ahead for International Geneva in 2026

Weakened by Donald Trump’s return and by a crisis of confidence in multilateralism, International Geneva is heading into 2026 under a cloud of uncertainty. It is also where the future international order is being shaped amid restructuring and inter-state competition. The year 2025 brought profound upheaval for Geneva-based international organisations. Already undermined by budget cuts and a loss of credibility amid a growing number of conflicts worldwide, the institutions of global governance were confronted with an unprecedented US disengagement following Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The US, the largest financial contributor and a historically influential player in the United Nations system, withdrew from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Human Rights Council – both based in Geneva. By dismantling the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the new US administration plunged the humanitarian sector and its leading Geneva institutions into deep crisis.