CEO @Global_Neighbrs | 30 years @UN 🇺🇳 (Ex-UN RC to China 🇨🇳 & Kenya 🇰🇪) | Committed to building global 🌎 🤝understanding & solidarity in a polarized 🌍.
China & Austria
Joined October 2011
- Tweets30.3K
- Following4.3K
- Followers37.1K
- Likes11.3K
Pinned Tweet
I began my career with the United Nations 🇺🇳 in 1997, but my commitment to peace was shaped earlier, during a decade of military service 🇮🇳 . That period instilled discipline, duty and loyalty and also exposed me, at close range, to the human cost of violence. Over time, a growing unease took hold: the realisation that force alone cannot address the underlying drivers of conflict. That recognition ultimately led me to seek a different path.
un-dco.org/stories/three-dec…
From Duisburg, Germany 🇩🇪, we set Tracks to the Future in motion.
There could be no more fitting place to begin this journey. Duisburg is home to Europe’s largest inland port — and, since 2011, the western terminus of the China 🇨🇳 –Europe Railway Express, where freight trains from across Asia arrive on real tracks, every week, carrying about a third of all rail trade between Europe and China.
It is a city where continents genuinely meet. A shared commitment to a better future.
As we explore the possibilities of AI and digitalisation, let us keep people at the heart ❤️ of progress — connecting ideas, strengthening cooperation and turning dialogue into meaningful action.
Together, let us move forward as global neighbours.
#TracksToTheFuture #GlobalNeighbours #Duisburg #SilkRoad #ChinaEuropeRailExpress #InternationalCooperation #SharedFuture
Partnership matters when it turns our shared ambitions into better opportunities for people. 🌍🤝
On 9–10 October, I was pleased to represent Global Neighbours at Temasek Foundation’s Asia Leaders Connect 2026 in Singapore 🇸🇬. The theme, “Scaling Impact Together,” resonated strongly with my own conviction that complex global challenges can only be addressed through trust, dialogue and sustained cooperation.
This is the ambition that drives Global Neighbours: bringing Europe and Asia closer together, building relationships across sectors and cultures, and turning mutual understanding into practical cooperation. 🇪🇺🌏
A particularly moving visit to The Purple Symphony and the Connexions Integrated Learning Hub reminded me why this matters. Development is ultimately not about systems or statistics alone. It is about human dignity, inclusion and creating the conditions in which every person can realise their potential. 🎶
My sincere thanks 🙏 to Ms. Jennie Chua and Mr. Boon Heong Ng of Temasek Foundation for convening this valuable gathering. Having known Boon for several years, I particularly appreciate his quiet effective leadership and steadfast commitment to the public good.
At Global Neighbours, this is the work I believe in: building bridges that lead somewhere—towards greater understanding, meaningful collaboration and lasting impact for people and our planet. 🌍
#GlobalNeighbours #AsiaLeadersConnect #TemasekFoundation #ScalingImpactTogether #EuropeAsia
🌍 In a divided world, mediation is the bridge we need.
Here is a look back at an inspiring dialogue hosted by @Globa_Neighbrs at our Vienna office 🇦🇹.
🤝 A sincere thank you to Prof. Teresa Cheng, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation, @Amb_LiSong, and our distinguished guests for driving this vital conversation.
Special gratitude 🙏 to our Founder, Ms. Jovanka Porsche, for her tireless dedication to advancing collaboration and understanding across borders and continents.
We remain committed to turning diverse perspectives into actionable pathways for peace and cooperation.
#GlobalNeighbours #IOMed #Mediation #Diplomacy #InternationalCooperation #Dialogue
🌍 From Confrontation to Conversation: Can mediation help bridge a divided world?
On 14 October, Global Neighbours had the pleasure of hosting Professor Teresa Cheng, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), at our Vienna office for a dialogue on the future of diplomacy and international cooperation. With opening remarks by our Founder and Chairwoman, Ms. Jovanka Porsche, and a fireside conversation moderated by our CEO, @sidchat1, the event brought together ambassadors, diplomats, legal experts and academics to explore how mediation can build trust, prevent conflict and create pathways towards peaceful solutions.
🤝 The discussions reminded us that meaningful dialogue does not require agreement, but a willingness to listen, understand different perspectives and seek common ground. At Global Neighbours, we remain committed to bringing diverse voices together and turning conversations into opportunities for practical cooperation. Our sincere thanks to Professor Cheng and all our distinguished guests for an engaging and thought-provoking exchange.
#GlobalNeighbours #IOMed #Mediation #Diplomacy #InternationalCooperation #Dialogue
Siddharth Chatterjee 常启德 retweeted
🌍 From Confrontation to Conversation: Can mediation help bridge a divided world?
On 14 October, Global Neighbours had the pleasure of hosting Professor Teresa Cheng, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed), at our Vienna office for a dialogue on the future of diplomacy and international cooperation. With opening remarks by our Founder and Chairwoman, Ms. Jovanka Porsche, and a fireside conversation moderated by our CEO, @sidchat1, the event brought together ambassadors, diplomats, legal experts and academics to explore how mediation can build trust, prevent conflict and create pathways towards peaceful solutions.
🤝 The discussions reminded us that meaningful dialogue does not require agreement, but a willingness to listen, understand different perspectives and seek common ground. At Global Neighbours, we remain committed to bringing diverse voices together and turning conversations into opportunities for practical cooperation. Our sincere thanks to Professor Cheng and all our distinguished guests for an engaging and thought-provoking exchange.
#GlobalNeighbours #IOMed #Mediation #Diplomacy #InternationalCooperation #Dialogue
Siddharth Chatterjee 常启德 retweeted
🚆 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻?
📰 From the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Handelsblatt and WELT to Süddeutsche Zeitung, DIE ZEIT, FOCUS online and Augsburger Allgemeine, alongside international outlets Salzburger Nachrichten, China Gate and Confirmado, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀.
The idea is simple: a small group of people from politics, business, science and culture travel together for days, share meals, debate and actually get to know each other’s perspectives. Or, as our founder Jovanka Porsche puts it in the article, “everyone has to fit into one carriage for dinner and discussions.”
🌍 The journey along the historic Silk Road begins on 18 October.
🔗 Read the full article in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (in German): faz.net/agenturmeldungen/dpa…
#TracksToTheFuture #GlobalNeighbours #GlobalDialogue #EuropeAsia
Siddharth Chatterjee 常启德 retweeted
Great to reconnect with Jovanka Porsche, Founder and President, and Siddharth Chatterjee, CEO of Global Neighbours, at the Global Neighbours offices this morning! 🌍🤝
Looking forward to the Africa Synergy Summit in Kenya - perhaps with a memorable journey aboard the SGR! 🇰🇪
Mediation shouldn’t just manage crises—it should prevent them. 🕊️
Yesterday at the Vienna International Centre 🇺🇳🇦🇹, I shared lessons from 30 years with the UN, including in Somalia 🇸🇴 and South Sudan 🇸🇸.
My core message: we need behavioural scientists and anthropologists at the negotiating table alongside legal experts. Decoding the cultural and domestic pressures behind a state's position is how we uncover real room for agreement.
At Global Neighbours, this same conviction drives our work connecting Europe and Asia. Trust only grows through sustained, cross-cultural engagement. 🌍🤝
My sincere thanks 🙏 to Ambassador Li Song 🇨🇳 and Prof. Teresa Cheng (IOMed) for convening, and to my distinguished co-panelists from UNCITRAL 🇺🇳, Ghana 🇬🇭, and Kenya 🇰🇪 for a brilliant exchange.
The dialogue continues today at our Global Neighbours office in Vienna, where we are proud to co-host: “From Confrontation to Conversation.”
Thank you 🙏 Ambassador Li Song 🇨🇳 🇺🇳 🇦🇹 for convening such a timely and thoughtful VIC Chat.
It was an honour to join Secretary-General Teresa Cheng, Anna Joubin-Bret 🇺🇳 and distinguished Ambassadors from Ghana 🇬🇭 & Kenya 🇰🇪 on the panel yesterday.
The UN 🇺🇳 Charter names mediation among the first tools for the peaceful settlement of disputes. In a world 🌍 growing more fragmented, that promise has never mattered more, and IOMed gives it a new institutional home.
Carrying that spirit forward, today Global Neighbours is pleased to host a discussion with #IOMed here in Vienna: "From Confrontation to Conversation: Strengthening Global Negotiation and Mediation in a Fragmented World."
We look forward to working with you and with more Member States to help IOMed grow steadily and robustly, and to become a trusted bridge for mediation. 🤝 @Amb_LiSong @matildaalomatu @SingoeiAKorir @annajoubinbret @matildaalomatu @GhanaVienna @KenyaEmbVienna
Delighted to co-host the VIC Chat with the International Organization for Mediation (#IOMed) and Secretary-General Teresa Cheng to explore mediation culture. Thank you @annajoubinbret @matildaalomatu @GhanaVienna @KenyaEmbVienna @AmbAlger @sidchat1 for sharing your valuable insights and contributing ideas at this event. We look forward to working together with more Members States to cultivate a culture of mediation. Let us help the IOMed grow steadily and robustly, and play a positive role in peacefully resolving international disputes.
Siddharth Chatterjee 常启德 retweeted
🌍 What role should universities play in shaping our future?
We were delighted to welcome a delegation from Finland’s @UniLUT to Global Neighbours in Vienna! 🇫🇮🤝🇦🇹
Our engaging discussions explored new opportunities for international collaboration, the power of connecting academia with society, and the importance of accelerating innovation and knowledge exchange across borders.
Together, we reflected on how stronger global partnerships can turn shared ambitions into meaningful impact and help address the challenges of tomorrow.
💡 Because innovation knows no borders, and neither should cooperation.
#GlobalNeighbours #LUTUniversity #InternationalCooperation #Innovation #ScienceDiplomacy
When official diplomacy stalls, dialogue must find another track. 🚆
It was a pleasure to meet H.E. Mr. Zenon Henryk Kosiniak-Kamysz, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Austria, at the Polish Embassy in Vienna. 🇵🇱🇦🇹🇪🇺
Ambassador Zenon Henryk Kosiniak-Kamysz is a seasoned diplomat with an illustrious track record of public service.
We explored how Track 1.5 and Track 2 diplomacy can open doors that governments alone cannot. Poland is the rail gateway between China 🇨🇳 and Europe, which makes it a natural partner for Tracks to the Future, our flagship initiative to bridge Europe and Asia.
In a multipolar world 🌍 shaped by geopolitical tensions and interlocking crises, we agreed on the need for a dynamic European Union 🇪🇺. The EU should keep championing multilateralism and building partnerships rooted in the UN Charter 🇺🇳. I believe Europe can be a beacon of stability for the world.
Grateful for the warm welcome and the Ambassador's keen interest in our work. This is the start of a promising partnership. 🤝
#GlobalNeighbours #TracksToTheFuture #Diplomacy #Multilateralism #Poland #Austria #EU #Vienna
Siddharth Chatterjee 常启德 retweeted
Delighted to co-host the VIC Chat with the International Organization for Mediation (#IOMed) and Secretary-General Teresa Cheng to explore mediation culture. Thank you @annajoubinbret @matildaalomatu @GhanaVienna @KenyaEmbVienna @AmbAlger @sidchat1 for sharing your valuable insights and contributing ideas at this event. We look forward to working together with more Members States to cultivate a culture of mediation. Let us help the IOMed grow steadily and robustly, and play a positive role in peacefully resolving international disputes.
Siddharth Chatterjee 常启德 retweeted
Thank you International Organization for Mediation (#IOMed) and Secretary-General Teresa Cheng for comming to @ChinaMissionVie. Thanks also to @annajoubinbret @matildaalomatu @GhanaVienna @KenyaEmbVienna @AmbAlger @sidchat1 for joining us for this warm dinner discussion on #IOMed and our common contributions to promote multilateralism and mediation efforts within the UN framework.
Honored to meet H.E. Andranik Hovhannisyan, Ambassador of Armenia 🇦🇲 to Austria 🇦🇹 and Slovakia 🇸🇰 , for an inspiring conversation on international cooperation and shared global priorities!
During the courtesy call, I introduced Global Neighbours' mission of bringing the private sector into the fold of diplomacy. We were thrilled to see such strong alignment on the vital role that businesses can play in fostering dialogue, building trust, and supporting regional peacebuilding efforts. 🤝
We had a fantastic exchange covering a range of forward-looking topics, including: 🌍 Enhancing regional connectivity and economic integration. 💻 Exploring the exciting potential of AI and emerging technologies as drivers for global growth. 📈 Strengthening international trade relations and exploring new pathways for market access.
Thank you Ambassador for a warm, constructive, and incredibly positive meeting. We look forward to continuing this dialogue and turning these shared goals into impactful joint initiatives! ✨
#Diplomacy #GlobalNeighbours #Armenia #Austria #InternationalRelations #TechDiplomacy #GlobalTrade #EconomicDevelopment #Peacebuilding #FutureLeaders #Collaboration @Global_Neighbrs @KernChri
Siddharth Chatterjee 常启德 retweeted
𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? 🌍📷
On 14 October 2026 in Vienna, Global Neighbours and the International Organization for Mediation (IOMed) will come together for a high-level, closed-door dialogue around a question that has become increasingly urgent:
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻, 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿?
We are honoured to welcome Professor Teresa Cheng, Secretary-General of IOMed, who will be joined by Ms. Jovanka Porsche, Founder and Chairwoman of Global Neighbours, and @sidchat1 CEO of Global Neighbours, for this timely exchange with a select circle of ambassadors, senior officials, distinguished experts and members of our Advisory Board. IOMed is the world’s first treaty-based intergovernmental organization dedicated exclusively to promoting the use of mediation in settling international disputes. It complements existing dispute settlement mechanisms as a new public good for the international community. IOMed provides a platform for State-to-State disputes, investor-State disputes, and international commercial disputes submitted by mutual consent.
Its purpose speaks to something we believe deeply at Global Neighbours:
𝗗𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁.
Mediation does not ask us to ignore disagreement. It creates space to navigate it — to move from accusation to listening, from entrenched positions to possible solutions and, ultimately, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
The format in Vienna will be deliberately focused, bringing together a select group of participants for a frank and substantive exchange. A setting where participants can speak candidly, assumptions can be challenged, and ideas can be tested as much as affirmed.
At a moment when geopolitical fault lines are deepening, we need more spaces where disagreement does not end the conversation.
We are delighted to convene this dialogue with 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗻𝗴 and 𝗜𝗢𝗠𝗲𝗱, and look forward to building on this important relationship in Vienna and beyond.
𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱. 📷
#vienna #diplomacy #dialogue #mediation #internationalcooperation #multilateralism #IOMed #GlobalNeighbours
Mediation does not ask us to ignore disagreement. It creates space to navigate it — to move from accusation to listening, from entrenched positions to possible solutions and, ultimately, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.
This quoted post is unavailable.
Sometimes well-being begins not with dramatic change, but with a single conscious breath. 🧘♂️
In Budapest 🇭🇺 I had the pleasure of joining the Blue Impression International Art Salon 2026 at Duna 8, an evening where literature, art, and friendship shared one room. 🎨📚
I spoke about my book, My Five to Thrive: Practices That Transformed My Body and Mind—and Can Transform Yours, and led the audience through a simple breathing exercise, one of the five practices at its heart. All five draw on Chinese 🇨🇳 and Indian 🇮🇳 health traditions, and all begin with presence. 📖
My sincere thanks 🙏 to Mr. Frank Liu, Founder and Chairman of Chi Fu Group, and Mr. Wang Xuejun of China Railway Group Limited's European Regional Headquarters, for making the evening possible. I was also pleased that a representative of the Chinese 🇨🇳 Embassy in Hungary 🇭🇺 joined us.
A very special thank you to my friend Michael Xu, whose friendship and warmth made the evening all the more meaningful. 🤝
Budapest has long been a meeting point of histories, cultures, and ideas. This evening carried that same spirit. 🌍💫
#Budapest #BlueImpression #MyFiveToThrive #BookLaunch #CulturalDialogue #Art #Literature #HumanConnection #GlobalNeighbours
Well said @Chenqing02 .
Delighted to be at LUT University in the beautiful city of Lappeenranta, Finland 🇫🇮
I was pleased to contribute to the discussion around the System Earth Collegium.
We are entering an era of polycrisis. Climate change, conflict, inequality, technological disruption, energy and resource insecurity, and geopolitical fragmentation are no longer separate challenges. They are deeply interconnected—and they cannot be addressed through fragmented thinking.
But there is another challenge we need to confront: the leadership deficit.
The leaders we need for the next decade cannot simply be experts in one field. They must be able to navigate complexity, connect disciplines, understand different cultures and perspectives, build trust across divides, and translate knowledge into collective action.
After three decades working in the UN 🇺🇳 where global 🌍 challenges collide—from peacebuilding and development to humanitarian action and international diplomacy—I have learned that our failures rarely come from a complete absence of knowledge. More often, they arise from the gaps between science and policy, politics and implementation, institutions and people, ambition and trust.
This is why I see such promise in the System Earth Collegium.
LUT is exceptionally well positioned to become a cradle for a new generation of leadership—bringing together science, technology, systems thinking and human experience, while creating the intellectual courage to question assumptions and look beyond incremental solutions.
The real opportunity is not simply to produce better ideas. It is to cultivate leaders capable of connecting ideas, people and institutions—and turning breakthroughs into action.
My sincere thanks 🙏 to Rector Juha-Matti Saksa for his leadership and for creating the space for this conversation.
The challenges before us are systemic. Our leadership must become systemic too. @Ulkoministerio @UniLUT
#SystemEarth #SystemEarthCollegium #Leadership #Polycrisis #SystemsThinking #LUTUniversity #FutureLeadership #Innovation #GlobalCollaboration
