Page 274 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

This new environment of interdependence has also brought the United
Nations to realize that it needed to reinforce its alliances and enter into new
partnerships, so as to maximize its impact and rationalize the efforts of the
international community. Cooperation with other international organizations
and regional organizations is being reinforced. Here at UNOG, we hold regular
consultations with the OSCE and the Council of Europe, for instance. Another
example can be found just last week, when a general meeting on cooperation
between the United Nations system and the League of Arab States was held
here in Geneva.

In order to improve the outreach capacity of the system and to be more
responsive to the concerns of "the Peoples” of the United Nations, the
organization is also exploring new ways to cooperate with members of the civil
society, such as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the academic world,
the scientific community, religious leaders and business representatives.

II. The specificity of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)

Geneva is the world's largest center for multilateral conference diplomacy
and UNOG is the operational base of a mosaic of United Nations bodies,
specialized agencies and international organizations to which it lends its
support.

UNOG is playing a leading role in the UN system in three particular fields
of expertise: Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, Trade and Develop-
ment, and Disarmament and Arms Regulation.

In the field of Human Rights, UNOG is home to the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees, the highest authority in this matter. He runs the
United Nations Human Rights Programme and is assisted by the Centre for
Human Rights which was incorporated under his authority in 1996. The
charismatic former President of Ireland, Mrs. Mary Robinson, was recently
nominated to the position of High Commissioner for Human Rights and is due
to take up her position in September. The choice of this candidate reflects the
importance of Human Rights activities in future UN policies, and the intention
of the Secretary-General to give this position high visibility.

Geneva's reputation as the world's leading centre for Humanitarian Affairs
is a long established tradition. It is the Headquarters of the United Nations
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which is the lead agency in this

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