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81.

The Role of the United Nations
in European Security

REMARKS
BY MR. VLADIMIR PETROVSKY
DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA
DELIVERED AT THE JUNIOR SWISS DIPLOMATS' COURSE IN
INTERNATIONAL AND SWISS SECURITY ISSUES

GCSP, Geneva, Friday 30 June 2000

I t is my pleasure to address you this morning on the role of the
United Nations in European Security. As I am sure you have
been hearing repeatedly over of the past few days, as the new
century opens, Europe as a political, economic and cultural entity is
undergoing profound transformation. But not all these changes are moving us
in the same direction - perhaps not surprisingly for a continent so deeply
complex and contradictory as Europe. Prospects for a stable continent have
vastly improved in some respects over the last 50 years - the ever-growing
European Union is the obvious case in point. But on the other hand, in some
areas it is as unstable as ever we only need to think of the terrible wars and
continuing instability in the Balkans, as well as the fighting in Chechnya earlier
this year.

Therefore, having made one or two points about our common notion of
security, I would like to focus my talk on two areas. Firstly, the UN's role in the
institutions which have emerged over the last fifty years and which have played
a key role in stabilizing much of Europe. Secondly, I will discuss the UN's role
in European areas of instability and its peace-keeping work.

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