Page 26 - DIVA_4_2006_No.27

Wide view of Secretary-General Kofi Annan (center of the pannel) adressing the Microfinance Symposiru'n,
today iii Geneva, Switzerland. Left to right: Ivan Pictet, President of Geneva Financial Center; Secretary-

General Kofi Annan; Jean.F. Freyi'nond, Director of the Geneva Centre forApplied Studies in Intemational

Negotiations (CASIF%T);Brunschw'g Graf, President of the Swiss State Council; Michel Janaud, Secretary-

General of tl'ie World Meteorolog'cal Organization; and Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director General of the
United Nations Office At Geneva (UNOG).
"exploitation"
are actuallytaking the impor- international aspect of
tant decisions. Geneva to tu'nging local
Q: Desptte international
politicians together with
competition, do you think
First of all, there exists a divi- some representatives of the
Geneva has succeeded in
sion in Geneva between the foreign community, to
maintaining its position?
international cominuiuty and organising some 4-5 a
the locals. Dining each day month gatheigs.
One should not be compla-
there are about 50% Swiss
cent and one should not fall
(and even less "Genevois") With the Geneva Financial
asleep either. Each city and
aiid 50% foreigners working Centre Foundation, it is
eacli countty is looking to
in Geneva. The population of more or less the same thing.
exploit its resorirces. We
Geneva is, I thii*, open-inin- Geneva is perhaps one of
liave to be extremely vigi-
ded and there is no expres- the most important finan-
lant. However, tlie situation
sion of xenophobia-we cial centres in the world
of Switzerland is quite

need only look at the last today. Geneva is number
favourable at the moment.
elections where Geneva one in tlie world iii trade
YOII might have read the

(togetlier with Basle as the fuiance in the oil sector and
report of the World
only 2 cantons out of 26) is definitely among one of

Economic Forum aborit
voted against the strengthe- the foiir or five most iinpor-
global competitiveness
ning of the asylin'n laws. This tant centres tn private
fact in itself is rather suipri- banking. It deserves to be wluch prit Switzerland as
siiig, as oneinight expectthat protected against political munber 1! This can be
the opposite could have liap- decisions - tlffs is our role compared with last year
pened. Therefore, with the as a lobby - and to be when it was ranked munber

Foundation for Geneva, we promoted abroad so as to 6! Globally, according to a

tried to create bridges bet- be more well-known. In ceitain nunber of ci'iteria,

C ween these two "worlds", summary, we might say Switzerland remains
o multiplying the activities of that we are lucky to liave an attractive. However, tliis
attractiveness is always
the Foru'idation in this sense.
incredibly rich heritage tliat

0 Tlffs was done from booklets is rather badly exploited. beiiig qriestioned, so one
for cildren in local schools My objectives have been to has to defend it. When it
uJ informing them about tl'ie z to improve tliis comes to global competiti-
24 5 2006 Diva
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