Page 488 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

efficiency and savings resulted in the setting up of a Management Ownership
Committee under the chairmanship of the Director-General of UNOG. The
Committee, whose members are the Heads of all the Geneva-based agencies,
provides high level support and commitment to expand the existing common
services activities.

The UN reform contributed substantially to pilot the changes in line with
tasks and goals of our Organization.

Nowadays UNOG, though being European based, is a globally oriented
center for human security in all aspects not only from violence, but also from
hunger, diseases and environmental degradation.

From a functional point of view the traditional role of Geneva as a
conference center has been tremendously increased. This year we set the
record, providing facilities for some 8,900 meetings compared with 7,000
meetings in the mid-nineties. In the field of conference diplomacy Geneva
provides the necessary framework and facilities for all kinds of international
negotiations.

In addition to its activities in conference diplomacy and technical
assistance in both man-made and natural disasters, Geneva has become during
the last eight years a center for know-how sharing on the high political level:
Heads of States and Governments, Ministers and parliamentarians. This year
the recorded number of high dignitaries in Geneva was 192, including 25
Heads of States and Governments, who established relations or met with
Heads of specialized agencies and bodies.

To keep pace with the changing context of international environment the
United Nations Office at Geneva has been steadily building momentum by
stimulating cooperation with regional structures which are very much
interested in our know-how and technical assistance.

UNOG is now also deeply involved in cooperation with parliamentarians,
and Geneva-based NGOs and other segments of the civil society.

Looking into the future, UNOG is facing new pressing issues on the global
agenda. Our major concern is to ensure that globalization becomes a positive,
inclusive force for all the world's people instead of leaving billions of them in
absolute poverty. As a consequence of globalized change, more sinister forces

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