The Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies is an institution of research and higher education, based in Geneva Switzerland, dedicated to the study of world affairs, with a particular emphasis on the cross-cutting fields of international relations and development issues. It's Centre for International Environmental Studies (CIES) was established in 2010 to develop scholarly discourse on problems related to the global environment. It is dedicated to the better understanding of the social, economic, political and legal facets of environmental issues. CIES is also intended as a focal point for studies on the role of international institutions and governance in the resolution of international environmental problems for the Institute, Geneva and the wider academic research community.