Page 177 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

worked out and adopted more than 350 guidelines for its members with regard
to hours and conditions of work social insurance, holidays and pay, industrial
safety and many other issues. The World Health Organization among its varied
activities assists its members to formulate health services and directs and
coordinates a number of worldwide programmes such as the global strategy to
prevent and control AIDS. The World Meteorological Organization maintains
the World Weather Watch - a global system for the collection, analysis and
distribution of weather and other environmental information which is used by
many countries. These are just a few examples. Cooperation with the UN
bodies gives to its Member States plenty of benefits. It can enable them among
other things to use the UN information and expertise to avoid costly
miscalculations in their economic and social development. It gives them a
chance to learn from each other’s mistakes as well as achievements. Be it the
issue of housing privatization, environmental protection development of the
small-size enterprises or restructuring of a certain branch of industry, advice
and assistance based on the international experience is available here and now.

It is not by chance that the Heads of States and Governments are now
visiting Geneva not just to make a statement at a meeting, but also to
familiarize themselves with the UN “know-how”. Just this year the Geneva-
based UN programmes were visited by seven Heads of States and
Governments, most recently by the Presidents of Italy, Kazakhstan, Guatemala,
Tunisia and Slovenia and the Prime Minister of Latvia. This trend if further
developed will both strengthen the leading role of the UN in the world and
enable it to be a better client of its Member States.

155