Page 58 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition
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100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International
In the political field, the Palais des Nations is now the site of the joint UN-
EC Conference on the Former Yugoslavia. It may become the setting for
negotiations on Georgia or on other crisis situations.
The Conference on Disarmament, which has its meetings in the Council
Chamber, is a focal point of international activity in disarmament and security-
related matters.
In the best tradition of the City of Calvin as the birthplace of international
humanitarian activity, nowadays, all the major work of the UN in human rights
and humanitarian operations is undertaken in Geneva.
Geneva is rightly associated with UN activities in the field of trade and
development. It is not only the home of GATT negotiations but also such
important organizations as UNCTAD and ECE.
Two of the most important UN environment programmes (on global
climate change and desertification) will be based in Geneva.
Geneva has become more than just the "European centre". UN activities
now reach out from the Palais des Nations to all parts of the world.
Like the UN itself, Geneva is an international centre of knowledge and ex-
pertise. It is the seat of six major specialized agencies. Not wishing to
overburden you with acronyms, I shall name: the International Telecommuni-
cation Union, in Geneva since 1865; the International Labour Organization,
established in 1919; the World Health Organization, founded in 1948; the
World Meteorological Organization, in existence since 1878 but intergovern-
mental only since 1950; the World Intellectual Property Organization,
established in 1974: and GATT, which was founded in 1948.
About 150 Member States are represented by their Permanent Missions in
Geneva and there is a growing number of Observers from regional organizations.
Since the creation of the International Red Cross, the pioneer in
international humanitarian activities, Geneva has become a headquarters for
international NGOs, 840 of which are now located in Geneva.
All this UN activity has created a truly international community in Geneva.
A total of nearly 30,000 persons active in the international sphere live here,
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