Page 172 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

reports recognize that no nation, however secure militarily or economically at
the present time, can consider itself immune from destabilizing conditions
elsewhere in the world. Peace promotion is no longer limited to the absence.
prevention, or cessation of armed conflict. It also requires multifaceted and
coordinated development efforts based on international cooperation.
Democracy is the best guarantee that peace and development will be realized.

The United Nations has the necessary infrastructure - both the hardware and
the software - to achieve these ends. Convening international meetings forces
governmental leaders and their bureaucracies to address difficult issues. It gen-
erates increased public and media interest that keeps the issues higher on the
agenda than might otherwise have been. Grass roots organizations and other
interested parties in civil society can - and do - use public statements and ac-
cords signed at such meetings as a means to hold Governments accountable.
The World Summit for Social Development, held earlier this year in Copenha-
gen, Denmark, illustrates this process. Like all other major conferences, the
Summit set standards that give the United Nations additional legitimacy to
demand subsequent actions. The Fourth World Conference on Women, to be
held this September in Beijing, China, will have a similar influence.

The United Nations also undertakes numerous and far-reaching “hands-on”
programmes. Here in Geneva, the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees is today assisting more than 23 million people who have been
forced to flee their countries due to famine, war, and long-simmering
hatreds that must be diffused. The Department of Humanitarian Affairs
coordinates billions of dollars of life-saving assistance in emergency
situations in a timely and efficient manner. These are just two examples of
tangible ways in which the United Nations is improving peoples' lives.

Concerning the future, another endeavour at which the UN excels is
education. The United Nations produces and disseminates an enormous
amount of information. The UN works with, and provides these materials
to, teachers and educational institutions that help promote the ideals of
the Charter and empower people - especially the young, tomorrow's
leaders - to affect necessary changes in our world. The expertise of the
people within the UN system and the rich collection of published
materials enable it to serve as an information warehouse for social and
economic development and as a centre of "advanced social technology".
Increasingly, Heads of State and Government are coming to Geneva not
just to deliver speeches, but to meet with the Heads of specialized
agencies and other UN entities based here. Of the Organization's 17

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