Page 205 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

The Swiss and the UN

When the inauguration of the headquarters of the League of Nations was
held in Geneva on 29April 1919, the President of the city’s Council of State
addressed the population with a speech. Noting the bright prospects facing
Geneva and the enormous responsibility falling on it, he called on its
inhabitants to warmly welcome its guests from the League of Nations and
thereby serve humanity well. Today, more than 70 years later, it is gratifying to
note that his words have resonated. All those years, Geneva has highlighted
eternal values that are embodied in the spirit of dialogue, internationalism and
humanitarian traditions.

In response to the growth of United Nations agencies, the Confederation
and the Canton of Geneva established in 1964 a Real Estate Foundation for
International Organizations. The purpose of this private foundation is to ena-
ble international organizations to use existing buildings as well as to facilitate
the construction of new buildings. To this end, it allocates loans on preferential
terms on behalf of the Confederation. The Canton of Geneva grants land titles
which cover now almost 70,000 m2, and defrays the corresponding infrastruc-
ture costs.

Thus, in 1973, the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG) was
built. The Montbrillan Centre building on the Place des Nations, which houses
the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, has recently been
completed, and work has begun on another building to accommodate the
Centre for Human Rights. The Swiss are also planning the construction of a
special building for diplomats. In fact, it would be made available free of charge
to the missions of some developing countries that were experiencing difficulties
in financing their missions in Geneva.

Moreover, to ensure more effective cooperation between the Federal and
Cantonal authorities, on the one hand, and between international
organizations and the Confederation, on the other, Switzerland established in
1966 a permanent observer mission to the United Nations, headed by an
ambassador.

* * *

This picture of international Geneva may seem too optimistic. Indeed, in
practice, international organizations in Geneva, as in New York, encounter

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