Page 506 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

…In 1993, Mr Petrovsky was appointed to Geneva, as Director-General of
the UN Office. However, he was not a man to be marginalised. Determined to
make the most of the office that he was in charge of, he created a world within
the United Nations system from his Geneva base.

Mr. Petrovsky was at the forefront of strengthening efforts towards dis-
armament, a cause he felt more strongly about – he had collaborated on the
treaty to ban nuclear testing, and always advocated for international cooperation.

At the Palais des Nations, he worked on uniting the many fiefdoms that
had developed in Geneva, with each organization considering itself independ-
ent of the UN system. He succeeded in rationalising and coordinating their
work, setting a course that his successors would follow.

Mr. Petrovsky also put his heart into reviving the intellectual legacy of the
League of Nations, with its remarkable library, a jewel of the city of Geneva.
This initiative earned him a unique place in the history of the Leagues, interna-
tional security and cooperation among States.

At the UN Secretariat and at meetings in which he participated in
New York, Mr. Petrovsky was a powerful advocate for Geneva’s
international role, promoting the international conference centre at the
Palais des Nations and the numerous meetings of the UN Regional
Commissions. He also presided over the UN General Assembly Special
Session on Social Development.

In Mr Petrovsky’s eyes, Geneva was destined to become a world centre for
peace, open to diversity and change. He envisioned a new paradigm of
international security, to be implemented from Geneva. Had he not been
the one, right from his arrival in New York in 1992, to collaborate on drafting
the “Agenda for Peace”, which Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali was charged
with?

Mr Petrovsky carefully nurtured the relationship with the Swiss Federal
Council, traveling often to Bern, and receiving Council members at his office in
Geneva. He thus contributed to strengthening ties between the UN and the
host country, taking them beyond mere formalities. He also involved himself in
local life. A historian by training, and a professor of international relations, Mr.
Petrovsky encouraged university staff to devote time to the history of
the United Nations and the League of Nations, offering them all the resources

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