Master
English

Platform Orchestration and Soft Norm Development: Innovations Dialogue Platform of UNIDIR’s Security and Technology Program

ContributorsXu, Yuanze
Master program titleMIHDS Master in Innovation, Human Development and Sustainability
Defense date2025-09-01
Abstract

This internship report systematically summarizes my work and research experience from February to August 2025 in the Security and Technology Program at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR). It combines the results of my internship with a case study of the Innovations Dialogue (ID), a multi-participant forum focused on emerging technologies and international security, from 2019 to 2024. The research is based on four theoretical perspectives: platform orchestration, norm entrepreneurship, policy discourse and knowledge power, and informal security governance. Through content analysis and discourse analysis of ID’s annual reports, the study finds that the platform has gradually formed a stable “three-stage” structure in terms of its discourse strategy – “risk-cooperation-norm”, which plays an important role in agenda setting, soft norm development and multi-party participation. At the same time, however, the platform still has limitations in terms of resource conditions, inclusiveness and the path of policy transformation. Based on the results of the study, the report reflects on the interaction and mutual reinforcement between theory and practice in multilateral emerging technology governance, considering my personal experience in horizon scanning, proofreading publications, outreach writing and conference support.

Keywords
  • UNIDIR
  • Innovations Dialogue
  • Disarmament governance
  • Platform orchestration
  • Norm entrepreneurship
  • Policy discourse
  • Informal governance
Citation (ISO format)
XU, Yuanze. Platform Orchestration and Soft Norm Development: Innovations Dialogue Platform of UNIDIR’s Security and Technology Program. Master, 2025.
Main files (1)
Master thesis
accessLevelRestricted
Identifiers
  • PID : unige:187387
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Technical informations

Creation02/09/2025 09:43:14
First validation02/09/2025 13:00:10
Update17/02/2026 14:24:23
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