Thomas Greminger Explained

Thomas Greminger (born 22 April 1961 in Lucerne) is a Swiss diplomat. He served as Secretary-General for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) from July 2017 to July 2020.[1] Since May 2021, he has been the Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).[2] He is a general staff officer in the Swiss army (lieutenant colonel).

Education

Thomas Greminger studied history, economics, and political science at the University of Zurich, completing his studies with a doctorate in history with the dissertation Ordnungs-Truppen in Zürich. Der Einsatz von Armee, Polizei und Stadtwehr, Ende November 1918 bis August 1919.[3]

Diplomatic Career

In 1990, Greminger joined the diplomatic service of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). After his posts in Bern, Tel Aviv, and Geneva, he held various senior positions within the FDFA, both domestically and abroad. Between 1992 and 1998, he was a diplomatic staff member, then deputy section head, and finally section head in the Politics and Research section of the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development (SDC).

From 1999 to 2001, Greminger was the coordinator of Swiss development cooperation and acting chargé d'affaires at the Swiss Embassy in Maputo, Mozambique. From 2002 to 2004, he served as deputy head of the Human Security Division and head of the Peace Policy Section. He then became the head of the Human Security Division and was simultaneously appointed Ambassador.[4] He led the competence center for peace, human rights, humanitarian, and migration policy from 2004 to 2010.

From 2010, Greminger was the Swiss ambassador to the OSCE, the United Nations, and international organizations in Vienna. During Switzerland's OSCE chairmanship in 2014, he chaired the OSCE Permanent Council and played a key role in establishing the observer mission for Ukraine.[5] From August 2015, Greminger was the deputy director and head of the Southern Cooperation Division of DEZA in Bern, responsible for a budget of 730 million USD and 900 staff members in Bern and abroad.[6]

On July 11, 2017, Greminger was designated as the Secretary-General of the OSCE, succeeding Lamberto Zannier. He was officially confirmed on July 18, 2017, for a three-year term. His term could have been extended once for another three years. Greminger was selected over four other candidates: Štefan Füle (Czech Republic), Erlan Idrissov (Kazakhstan), Alena Kupchyna (Belarus), and Ilkka Kanerva (Finland). The Secretary-General is the deputy of the annually rotating OSCE chairman and the administrative head of the OSCE and its secretariat.

In July 2020, Greminger's re-election was blocked, along with Harlem Désir (France), Representative on Freedom of the Media, Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir (Iceland), Director of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), and Lamberto Zannier (Italy), High Commissioner on National Minorities. Azerbaijan, supported by Tajikistan, blocked the extension of Désir's mandate due to his "excessive criticism" of the media situation in Azerbaijan. Tajikistan and Turkey also blocked the extension of Gísladóttir's term. France, Iceland, Canada, and Norway insisted on re-electing all four officials as a package, which led to the blocking of Greminger and Zannier's re-elections as well.[7] Helga Maria Schmid (Germany) was elected as Greminger's successor in December 2020.[8] Matteo Mecacci (Italy) succeeded Gísladóttir, Teresa Ribeiro (Portugal) succeeded Désir, and Kairat Abdrachmanow (Kazakhstan) succeeded Zannier.[9]

Since May 1, 2021, Thomas Greminger has been the Executive Director of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP). In this role, he promotes dialogue and cooperation on security policy issues and leads various initiatives and programs aimed at fostering peace and security. His focus includes enhancing the GCSP's research and analysis capabilities and supporting diplomatic processes at international, regional, and global levels.[10] Examples include dialogues on geopolitical tensions and strategic stability, particularly nuclear risks, as well as discussions between American and Russian experts on the Syrian conflict. Another focus is European security and the Ukraine conflict, analyzing current developments between Russia and Ukraine and the long-term impacts of the war. The role of the OSCE is also discussed in this context.[11] Additionally, there are regional security initiatives addressing geopolitical challenges in states outside NATO and the EU, such as conflict resolution in the Mediterranean and security issues in the Arctic.[12]

Personal Life

Greminger grew up in Adliswil, lives in Nyon, and has four daughters. He speaks German, English, French, and Portuguese. His hobbies include mountain biking, modern and classical music, and photography.[13]

Awards

Selected Publications

Weblinks

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Neuer Schweizer OSZE-Generalsekretär Thomas Greminger. "Heute haben wir eine tiefe Vertrauenskrise" . . Heidi . Gmür . 18 July 2017.
  2. Web site: GCSP Welcomes Ambassador Thomas Greminger as New Director . . 26 October 2021.
  3. Book: Greminger, Thomas . Ordnungs-Truppen in Zürich. Der Einsatz von Armee, Polizei und Stadtwehr, Ende November 1918 bis August 1919 . Helbing & Lichtenhahn . 1990 . 978-3-7190-1155-0.
  4. Web site: Ernennungen im EDA . Website des schweizerischen Bundesrates . 28 October 2004.
  5. Web site: Fünf Kandidaten für OSZE-Chefposten . . Jutta . Sommerbauer . 20 February 2017.
  6. https://www.osce.org/de/node/457774
  7. Web site: OSZE ohne Führung. Chaos bei den Friedenswächtern . . Alexander . Sarovic . 26 July 2020.
  8. Web site: Geschickt, ausdauernd, zugewandt . deutschland.de . Hans . Monath . 21 December 2020.
  9. Web site: PA President and SG welcome appointments of top four posts at the OSCE, urge renewed commitment to multilateralism . . 4 December 2020.
  10. Web site: Ambassador Thomas Greminger . . 3 July 2024.
  11. https://www.gcsp.ch/department-of-international-security-dialogue
  12. https://www.gcsp.ch/department-of-mediation-and-peace-support
  13. Web site: Greminger Thomas . akademie.notenstein-laroche.ch . 12 June 2014 . 21 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170821003726/https://akademie.notenstein-laroche.ch/de/referenten/greminger-thomas .
  14. Web site: Thomas Greminger . Website der OSZE.

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