Page 24 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

European UN Office was more linked to the Headquarters in New York than
with other international organizations in Geneva. It did not have significant
contact with academia or NGOs, or any at all with the business community.
In a referendum launched by the Federal Government in 1986, the Swiss
rejected accession to the UN. This was surprising, as the UN had just marked
its 40 th anniversary after significant successes including hosting the historic
Reagan-Gorbachev a year earlier. The timing was so favourable that it was a
huge disappointment that the 1986 referendum was rejected by an
overwhelming majority of 75,7%; and Geneva, home of UNOG, was 69,6%
against joining. What was the reason of such a result? Was it because of
neutrality, so dear to every Swiss citizen? Perhaps, although the Geneva result
implies a lack of connection to the Organization the city hosted.
Fifteen years later, a new referendum was launched on popular initiative
and was passed, albeit by a slim majority. While none of the Cantons in 1986
voted in favour, this time, in 2002, 13 Cantons supported accession. And many
of neighbouring Cantons and Geneva completely reversed their position, from
69,6 per cent against to 66,7 per cent in favour. How did this become possible?
Studying both referenda carefully and making a comparative analysis
(detailed in Annex II) reveals a striking conclusion. For nine of those 15
intervening years Mr Petrovsky crafted Geneva International, nurtured its ties
and worked hard to unify the right bank of Lac Leman with the left bank. He

was recognised as a citizen “who made Geneva” – rare recognition (and

at that time the first ever) for a UN staff member – by establishing close ties
with Swiss authorities, giving lectures to students, and establishing trust
between the UN and the Swiss people. He especially focused on the latter,
opening the doors of the Palais des Nations to everyone, explaining the
advantages of membership and gaining trust. All this went toward
persuading the Swiss that being part of the UN would be to their advantage
and would not compromise their neutrality, so important and dear for them.
All this contributed greatly to the miraculous 3 March 2002 referendum
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vote, making Switzerland the 190 UN Member State. Naturally, Mr. Petrovsky
worked alongside many other people to influence this result: politicians,
diplomats and other authorities. However, his role, especially in Geneva, was
pivotal, not only for Geneva International but particularly for the referendum.
I was a first-hand witness, closely connected to Swiss people in different
parts of the country, with part of the family in Bern and friends in Cantons
Neuchâtel, Fribourg, Zürich and Basel. I was able to see how attitudes to the
UN changed. By the mid-1990s people became less wary of UN membership,
the attitude became much warmer, and I could see the Open Doors policy had
a dramatic effect. It made people feel welcome, and they came not only from

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