Page 78 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International

9. Geneva, as the second largest UN centre, is actively involved in
conference diplomacy. More meetings are held here now than ever before:
2,300 in 1992, as against 1,700 ten years previously. Every day, the Palais des
Nations bears witness to the UN's ongoing work for peace, from disarmament
to human rights.

This week, we have a total of 135 meetings taking place here in Geneva,
including 55 with simultaneous interpretation.

For those countries which have recently joined the UN, coping with all
these complexities is a real challenge. UN Secretariat staff often have to help
them find their way through the procedural jungle. Some of my colleagues used
to joke that although UN rules prohibit staff from receiving advice from
Member States, there is no rule to stop them from giving advice to Member
States!

10. This is a general outline of the work of the United Nations today.

In assessing the work of the UN, many people tend to go to extremes. It is
often depicted as "the good guy" - the savior of humankind; but sometimes it is
also seen as "the die-hard bureaucrat", which does nothing but drain resources
from its Member States. Neither of these descriptions is accurate.

The UN, like any other organization, has both strong and weak points. Of
course, we should carry out our tasks as accurately and precisely as possible.
We must not be deterred by failures; but neither should we accept them as
irreversible. For the sake of the future, we must understand that adaptation to
new conditions is not a one-step procedure, but rather a gradual, developing
process.

11. In my view, the major problem which the Organization is now facing is
the legacy of the past. As you are well aware, the first few decades of UN history
were not the most fortunate. Caught in the middle of the confrontation
between two powerful blocs, the Organization often resembled more of a
battlefield than a forum for international cooperation.

Still, its very existence had significant benefits. Ideological warfare at the
UN General Assembly proved a much safer alternative to more direct
confrontation.

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