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Investigation

The Nexus Centre:
from draft to the Palais des Nations

In August 2012 a UN-affiliated institute drafted a concept paper. Within a day it was forwarded to Jeffrey Epstein. Three years later it convened at the Palais des Nations with the head of the WHO speaking.

Documents
75
First draft
2 Aug 2012
Convened
12 Sep 2015
Revisions traced
7+
The Finding
A single document was drafted inside a UN-affiliated institute in August 2012, forwarded to Jeffrey Epstein within a day, and revised for three years until it became a conference at the Palais des Nations with the head of the World Health Organization speaking.
Seventy-five documents trace it. Epstein is on the thread from the first draft. His first recorded reaction: "you must treat this as highly higly confidential.. too early will ruin it."
Why this page exists

Most of the health material in the archive is scattered. This thread is not. It is a single document lineage — the Nexus Centre for peace and health — traceable through named drafts, named revisions and named staff, from concept to convening.

Document text is from a PII-redacted compilation covering 94.1% of released documents. Quotations should be checked against the linked original.

Section 01

August 2012: The Concept

On 2 August 2012, IPI’s Walter Kemp sent his director a document. "Terje, Please find attached the concept, as discussed." Copied: Francesco Mancini.

Within a day Terje Rød-Larsen forwarded it to Epstein. Hours later Epstein replied: "well done, but you must treat this as highly higly confidential.. too early will ruin it."

Three revisions followed in eight days. On 17 August, Mancini reported back: "As discussed attached the revised versions. All references to t[he foundation have been deleted]" — with a concept note, a one-pager, and talking points.

When the files failed to open, an IPI staffer routed them through Epstein’s assistant: "Please find attached files for Mr. Jeffrey Epstein from Terje." He was not cc’d. He was a destination.

The IPI staff on the thread

Walter Kemp — author
Francesco Mancini — revisions
Andrea Pfanzelter
Camilla Reksten-Monsen
Johanna Borstner
Jilla Moazami
Terje Rød-Larsen — president

Seventeen of the 75 documents are sent by Rød-Larsen himself.

EFTA018729762012-08-03Walter Kemp → Rød-Larsen, cc Francesco Mancini — "Nexus Center": "Please find attached the concept, as discussed." Rød-Larsen forwards it to Epstein the same day. Nexus Center concept.docx
EFTA018737172012-08-03Epstein → Rød-Larsen, hours later: "well done, but you must treat this as highly higly confidential.. too early will ruin it"
EFTA018848212012-08-16Second revision forwarded to Epstein — Nexus Center concept 160812.docx
EFTA018876192012-08-17Three documents at once: peace and health rev. 2.docx, Notes on Center related to peace and health.docx, Nexus Center concept 160812 (2).docx
EFTA018882732012-08-17Francesco Mancini: "As discussed attached the revised versions. All references to t[he foundation have been deleted]" — with Nexus Center Concept Note August 2012.pdf, a one-pager, and Talking Points on Nexus Center.docx
EFTA009423202012-09-02Epstein → Boris Nikolic, "Re: Peace Institute in Vienna": "The planet is facing challenges to biological security, including pandemic diseases… or accidental or deliberately perpetrated outbreaks"
EFTA004056892012-09-06IPI’s Jilla Moazami to Lesley Groff: "Please find attached files for Mr. Jeffrey Epstein from Terje. He sent them to him by email but as they were [formatted] were not possible to open." Nexus_Center_5-yr_workplan.pdf

Section 02

2013–2014: What It Became

The concept did not stay still. It was repeatedly re-pointed at whatever was current.

In February 2013 it extends to Syria, marked Importance: high. In March, a participant list and agenda. By December, revision 260813 rev. 2.

In September 2013 it acquires a funder and a number. Epstein: "a millon a year for each area." Rød-Larsen works it to $15 million over five years and asks for "guidence." Days later the Gates Foundation proposal is forwarded to Epstein — BMGF-IPI — Polio Eradication and Peace Health.pdf.

And in September 2014 it is re-pointed again: "a revised concept paper on the Nexus Centre for peace and health, taking into account the serious impact of Ebola. The world needs such a Centre more than ever."

Polio, then Syria, then Ebola. The same document, the same authors, the same recipient — rewritten around whichever crisis could carry it.

EFTA009557042013-02-28"Nexus Syria note" marked Importance: high — the concept extended to Syria
EFTA026800942013-03-01FINAL_Paxlist.doc, FINAL_Concept Note and Agenda.doc — a participant list and agenda
EFTA006785022013-09-04Epstein sets the money: "a millon a year for each area" — Rød-Larsen: "Pakistan and Afganistan… Nigeria… Somalia… 15 mill over five years… Pls give guidence."
EFTA026785032013-09-10"IPI Proposal to BMGF" forwarded to Epstein — BMGF-IPI — Polio Eradication and Peace Health.pdf, plus Geneva and Luxembourg meeting notes
EFTA019462412013-12-01Nexus Center concept 260813 rev. 2.docx — "From Terje"
EFTA026836582014-09-21Revised for Ebola: "a revised concept paper on the Nexus Centre for peace and health, taking into account the serious impact of Ebola. The world needs such a Centre more than ever."

Section 03

September 2015: The Palais des Nations

The concept became an event.

On 20 March 2015 Epstein forwarded an email headed "Preparing for pandemics," carrying 18032015_Geneva_meeting_on_pandemics_Agenda.docx.

On 11 June, IPI’s Camilla Reksten-Monsen wrote to him: "Thanks, Jeff that makes sense! How about the below?" — then a draft announcement naming Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, and Peter Maurer, President of the ICRC, as confirmed speakers.

On 12 September 2015, "Preparing for Pandemics: Lessons Learned for More Effective Responses" convened at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. Rød-Larsen gave the opening remarks. Epstein’s assistant attended on an IPI badge.

Three years and one month from a draft on a director’s desk to the UN’s European headquarters — with a private individual copied at every stage.

EFTA008616742015-03-20Epstein forwards "Preparing for pandemics" — 18032015_Geneva_meeting_on_pandemics_Agenda.docx
EFTA008545902015-06-11Camilla Reksten-Monsen of IPI: "Thanks, Jeff that makes sense! How about the below?" — draft outreach naming Margaret Chan and Peter Maurer

Section 04

And Then It Stops

After September 2015 the thread ends. No further Nexus Centre draft, no follow-up conference, no continuation correspondence has been located in the released record. Searched, not located

The ordinary explanations are sufficient and should be stated first. The conference happened; projects conclude. Epstein’s correspondence with Rød-Larsen continues on other subjects. Total corpus volume declines after 2013 across every topic. Institutional follow-up would sit in IPI’s records, not a private individual’s inbox.

What this archive cannot tell us is whether the Nexus Centre was ever built, whether the $15 million moved, or what became of the five-year workplan whose fifth year would have fallen in 2018. Those answers are in institutional archives, not this one.

What is not established That anything was concealed, withheld or destroyed. The absence of later documents is an absence in this collection — a private individual’s correspondence, produced by the Justice Department, covering 94.1% of released material.

That the Nexus Centre was funded or founded. We hold concepts, revisions, a proposal and a figure — not an outcome.

And nothing indicates that Margaret Chan, Peter Maurer or any conference participant knew of Epstein’s role in the initiative that produced it.

Section 05

Chronology

Aug 2–3, 2012
Walter Kemp drafts the Nexus Center concept. Rød-Larsen forwards it to Epstein within a day. Epstein replies: "you must treat this as highly higly confidential."
EFTA01872976 · EFTA01873717 · Primary source
Aug 16–17, 2012
Three revisions in eight days. Mancini reports all references to the foundation deleted.
EFTA01884821 · EFTA01888273 · Primary source
Sep 2012
A five-year workplan is couriered to Epstein through his assistant when the email formatting fails. He sends Nikolic the biological-security framing.
EFTA00405689 · EFTA00942320 · Primary source
Feb–Mar 2013
The concept extends to Syria; a participant list and agenda are circulated.
EFTA00955704 · EFTA02680094 · Primary source
Sep 2013
Epstein sets $15M over five years and the Gates Foundation proposal — Polio Eradication and Peace Health — is forwarded to him.
EFTA00678502 · EFTA02678503 · Primary source
Sep 21, 2014
Revised for Ebola. "The world needs such a Centre more than ever."
EFTA02683658 · Primary source
Mar–Jun 2015
Epstein forwards the Geneva pandemics agenda; IPI drafts outreach for his approval.
EFTA00861674 · EFTA00854590 · Primary source
Sep 12, 2015
"Preparing for Pandemics" convenes at the Palais des Nations. Rød-Larsen opens; the WHO’s Director-General speaks.
Documented
After 2015
The thread stops. No further Nexus or pandemic-preparedness correspondence has been located.
Searched, not located
documentedreportedinvestigative question
Related investigation
Polio

Where the funding figure came from.

Related investigation
Ebola

The crisis that re-pointed the concept.

Primary record
Every EFTA identifier on this page resolves to its original DOJ PDF.

75 documents trace the Nexus Centre from draft to conference. Quotations should be checked against the linked original.

Open the corpus →