Page 201 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

United Nations Headquarters at Geneva

The United Nations headquarters in Geneva symbolizes the presence of
the United Nations in Switzerland, but its role extends far beyond the Swiss
Confederation. It performs three main functions, providing representation and
communications, serving as a center for negotiations and conferences, and
dealing with administrative matters. The Director-General represents the Sec-
retary-General before the federal authorities and the authorities of the Canton
and the City of Geneva. He/she maintains regular contact with diplomatic mis-
sions in Geneva. I will cite several figures which will give you an idea of the
importance of the activities of the United Nations Office at present.

Every month, about 600 meetings are held here, which is twice as many as
at the New York Headquarters. Approximately 25,000 delegates from all over
the world participate in their work annually. In 1973, due to a significant
increase in the number of meetings, it was even necessary to build a new wing
of the Palais des Nations. As is well known, the number of States Members of
the United Nations has increased from 51 in 1945 to 186 today.

The Palais des Nations also plays a crucial role in the dissemination of
information. Each year, the Information Service accredits approximately 200
correspondents, joined for short periods by some 3,000 more journalists from
newspapers and magazines, radio and television. During major conferences,
these numbers can easily double. There are offices of all major international
news agencies, and contacts between the information services of international
organizations located or represented in Geneva and journalists are facilitated
by an association of correspondents accredited to the United Nations Office at
Geneva, the United Nations Correspondents Association.

The Organization designed to serve the interests of the peoples of the
world must keep its doors wide open to the public, to all those who want to
learn more about it. So, every year in the Palais des Nations come about
150,000 visitors to get acquainted with one of the architectural sights of the city
of Geneva and, with the help of guides leading excursions in several dozen
languages, to get information about the activities of the United Nations.

The topics on the agenda of the United Nations bodies in Geneva are
extremely diverse. If New York is the center of strategic decision making, then
Geneva is the center of their implementation. Accordingly, the work of the
Geneva-based UN entities is aimed at fulfilling this task. In the political

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