Page 473 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

in Afghanistan is but one of the tasks that the international community must
successfully address in order to overcome extreme poverty and its attendant ills
- conflict, ignorance and disease in the twenty-first century. We must confront
violence and hatred even more resolute more resolute. As stated by the
Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan:

“Our response must not bring new divisions within or between nations. No
people, no region and no religion should be condemned because of the
unspeakable acts of a few individuals”.

As a host country for a number of UN entities, Switzerland and Geneva in
particular, have developed a very close partnership. Taking into account the
shared goals and the compatibility of Switzerland and the UN as well as the
considerable benefits of their cooperation to both sides. The long road
travelled together has reached another turning point as we face a new era.

UNOG, as a result of recent reforms, has consolidated its objectives and
focused its activities to become the center of human security. UNOG is an in-
creasingly important base for the United Nations in the fields of humanitarian
assistance and the protection of human rights. It is also a focus for cooperation
in such fields as sustainable development, protection of the environment, in-
ternational law, disaster relief and disarmament. The combined pool of
experience available in these Geneva-based UN offices and organizations help
to mobilize and deliver support to Member States and provides an extraordi-
nary array of assistance to both Governments and peoples alike.

Geneva is ideally equipped as a focus for the transfer of knowledge and
technology.

Contemplating the future role of Geneva International we need to take
into account, that for the first time in history, all humankind is inter-lined by
information highway, economic links and environmental concerns. Hence, no
State or group of States can claim security at the expense of another. Issues are
global by their nature and multilateral cooperation is no longer an option but a
necessity for a peaceful and prosperous global society. To imprint this culture
of cooperation in this new network era, we at the UNOG are setting education
as one of its main priorities. Young people are a source of creative energy
and initiative, of dynamism and social renewal, thus education is the key to the
new global economy. It is central to development, social progress and
human freedom.

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