Page 322 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

UNOG maintains the biggest database in the UN, the Optical Disk System,
that contains about 170 Gigabyte of data representing more than 3,5 million
pages.

These three dimensions of UN activities in Geneva are accessible not only
to Member States but also to other international actors.

As the largest Office in Europe, UNOG is well positioned to maintain
cooperation with regional entities and structures and has already developed
ties with several established European intergovernmental bodies. The first
major step in this direction was taken in l99o when UNOG suggested to the
Council of Europe and to the Conference on Security’ and Co-operation ln
Europe (now the OSCE) that periodic meetings be held between institutions
of the three organizations to improve coordination, cooperation and exchange
of information on issues of mutual concern, particularly in conflict areas where
diverse organizations with different mandates had a presence in the field. Since
then, this "informal process of tripartite consultations” has evolved into a useful
mechanism which fosters new channels of communication and helps to bridge
differences in institutional cultures. From Geneva, nine UN entities, as well as
the ICRC and IOM, participate in meetings. Seven “high-level" gatherings of
Heads of Organizations have thus far taken place, most recently at the Palais
des Nations in January 1998.

A dialogue is also in the process of development between UNOG and
other regional organizations such as the Organization of the Islamic
Conference, the Organization of African Unity and the League of Arab States.
The past few years have also witnessed the creation of a number of new
regional and sub-regional structures. particularly in countries with economies
in transition. UNOG has established good cooperation with several. including
the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Organization of Black Sea
Economic Cooperation and intends to further develop such ties.

Parliamentarians play an increasingly active role in international affairs,
with the effect that more and more delegations of lawmakers from around the
world visit Geneva. Following the signing in 1996 of a cooperation agreement
between the UN Secretary-General and the President of the Inter-
Parliamentary Council, UNOG has deepened its ties with the Inter-
Parliamentary Union (IPU), the Secretariat of which is based in Geneva It has
been agreed that UNOG will join forces with IPU in helping it to familiarize
parliamentarians and local authorities more fully with the work of the United

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