Page 282 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

shortfall needed to be borne by the staff budget, since about 75 per cent of
UNOG's costs relate to employees' salaries and entitlements. Streamlining and
reorganization led to a freeze on recruitment for the equivalent of some 200
posts, most of which are earmarked for abolition in 1998, thus allowing all
entities in Geneva to maintain expenditures within their reduced budgets.

On the operational side, Geneva will continue to consolidate its activities
in its five traditional peace-building areas of expertise, namely: human rights
and humanitarian affairs; trade and development; disarmament negotiations
and implementation of the treaties; science and technology; and training and
research.

Regarding Human Rights, the merger of the Office of the former High
Commissioner for Human Rights and the Centre for Human Rights has been
completed, resulting in the restructure of the Human Rights Secretariat and the
creation, in September, of the new Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights. With the appointment of Mrs. Robinson, former President of
Ireland, as High Commissioner, the Secretariat of this Office is now fully
operational and equipped to meet the challenges that lie ahead. It is foreseen
that the Office of the High Commissioner will be relocated to the recently
renovated Palais Wilson, made available by the Swiss Government. In 1998,
the United Nations will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and commemoration activities will be
launched this month and held throughout the year.

Humanitarian affairs have traditionally been considered as one of Geneva's
area of expertise due to the synergy of various leading humanitarian
organizations based in this city. Geneva is the headquarters of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Committee of the
Red Cross, the International Organization for Migration, the Federation of
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and this has enticed many non-
governmental organizations to settle in Geneva. In the UN system at large, the
Secretary-General has proposed a major restructuring of the entities
responsible for coordinating humanitarian assistance. A new Office of the
Emergency Relief Coordinator is being set up and Mr. Sergio Vieira de Mello
has been appointed as its Under-Secretary-General. The new Office will focus
on three core activities: policy development; advocacy; and coordination of
humanitarian emergency response. Previous operational activities are due to be
transferred to other Departments. This evolution has implications for UNOG's
Department of Humanitarian Affairs. Although details of this restructuring are

260