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28.

The Role of the United Nations in a
Period of Global Civilizational Change

WRITTEN STATEMENT
BY DR. VLADIMIR PETROVSKY
UNITED NATIONS UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL
DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA
SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT
FOR THE MAGAZINE “CAMPUS” OF THE UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA

15 May 1995

S
ecurity, stability and well-being of people represent the central
core of United Nations undertakings. To fulfil their various
mandates and further the Organization's continuing efforts to
promote peace, development and democracy, the 40 or so distinct corporate
entities that comprise the United Nations system have established offices and
deployed personnel throughout the world. Geneva serves as a central hub
through which many of these entities coordinate their activities, particularly in
the fields of economic and social development, and humanitarian operations.

The United Nations Office at Geneva, perhaps best known as the most active
centre for conference diplomacy in the world (more than 7,000
technical meetings on disarmament, trade, human rights issues, and high-
level political meetings are held at the Palais des Nations throughout the
year), actively works to facilitate the operations of the various entities within
the UN system. Although European-based, UNOG and the other UN entities
based in Geneva are not Eurocentric. UNOG is becoming evermore
active in supporting operations and events in Africa and the Middle East.
Furthermore, the Palais
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