GDCOO serves as a platform offering a variety of resources for responsible policies and business practices to support communities in reaching their potential.  We aim to equip professionals with the knowledge and skills to face an uncertain future with solutions embracing sustainability and social responsibility.

We offer assessment, consultancy and training in development of alternative solutions in North-South and South-South people-to-people cultural and economic relations.

GDCOO integrates the UN SDGs 2030: Quality Education (goal 4), Responsible Consumption (goal 12) and Partnerships for the Goals (goal 17).

Inquiries regarding consultancy services may be sent using the following contact form.

Projects

Executive Training Centre in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Project Leader: Aigul Jarmatova

The Executive Training Centre (ETC) in Bishkek, is a subsidiary of the Geneva Desk for Cooperation (GDCOO), a Swiss registered non-governmental organization. It is designed to help stimulate local economic, cultural, and technical cooperation in rural communities across Central Asia. It does this through the development and on-the-ground implementation of executive study modules and business consulting. The key theories and practice to be transferred via these activities relate to regional cooperation, sustainable development, the environment, and impact investment aiming to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) 2030. The ETC is engaging with partners initially locally in Kyrgyzstan and will develop activities in neighboring Central Asian states. The ETC is also an international cluster point for professionals from the Central Asian region, presenting a structured opportunity to network between themselves, as well as with the project’s roster of experts. Finally, the project is designed to implement a Swiss educational and training experience by employing in the main Swiss experts and trainers, as well as other international consultants as required. Read more

Sustainable Agriculture in Senegal and West Africa
Project Leader: Dicko Balde

This pilot project aims to boost the sustainable agriculture sector in Senegal and West Africa by improving the productivity of the cultivation of fonio (Digitaria exilis).  Currently the world production of fonio is very low, being estimated to be only 300,000 tons annually mainly in West Africa. To meet this challenge, this pilot project is being carried out in Kolda (in the south of Senegal) where fonio cultivation has been practiced for generations but has undergone a decline in recent years. The pilot project is developing local entrepreneurship among women producers and processors and helps to enhance the fonio value chain. In this way the fonio sector is playing a increasingly important role in food security through a research and development program that improves the qualities of seeds, all stages of fonio production and processing, and the development of suitable technologies to modernize production equipment. The project mobilizes local traditional knowledge and practices, research results, successful initiatives in the countries of the region andlays the foundation for new international technical and academic partnerships. Read more

Sustainable Tourism in the Centre of Portugal
Project Leader: Tooka Pourgive

The project aims to establish an online institution promoting sustainable tourism in the Centre Region of Portugal through digital media and e-learning. It will conduct research to explore the role of digital media in preserving cultural and natural heritage, identify stakeholders, review sustainability models, and evaluate intercultural communication measures. The project will create online training courses and consultancy services for sustainable tourism, intercultural awareness, and digital media promotion. The main objectives are to improve sustainability in tourism, provide training and consultancy services, and design intercultural awareness tools. The project's outcomes include online workshops, evaluation of digital media presentations, and promoting sustainable tourism practices through local and international collaborations. The focus is on sustainability, circular economy, digital media, and innovation, targeting the Sustainable Development Goals of Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure; Sustainable Cities and Communities; andResponsible Production and Consumption. The project targets eight municipalities in the Centre Region of Portugal, with governmental and regional actors as the primary audience for collaboration. Read more