Page 89 - 100 Reflections that Crafted Geneva International_V-Petrovsky_private special edition

Bringing the Concept to Life

NATO, OPEC, the League of Arab States, and other regional bodies. This
figure of 60,000 is relatively small; it is less than the national civil service of
Sweden and is only one-tenth of the size of the British civil service. However,
these 60,000 people conduct numerous and diversified UN activities all over
the world. They participate in the peace operations, guard human and minority
rights, provide technical assistance to developing countries, deliver
humanitarian aid, conduct environmental programs, service numerous
international conferences and do many other things.

3. Of these 60,000 people, 25,000 are based in Geneva. They work in the
various UN programmes: Human Rights, UNHCR, UNCTAD, the Economic
Commission for Europe and the six specialized agencies, as well as GATT. This
represents a tremendous concentration of knowledge and expertise. Here in
Geneva, we have specialists in all the major fields of human endeavours - eco-
nomic and social development, labour relations, health, telecommunications,
to name but a few.

4. We also have 140 diplomatic missions, with ambassadors accredited to
UNOG as well as to GATT and the Conference on Disarmament. If we include
the staff of the diplomatic missions and members of non-governmental
organizations, there are some 30,000 people engaged in international activities
in Geneva. And if we take into account their families, we arrive at an even more
impressive figure of 70,000 people connected with international organizations
in a broad sense. This is equivalent to the population of a town in Switzerland
or France. In addition to this, the number of visiting delegates attending
meetings in Geneva is roughly 120,000 a year.

5. Geneva is part and parcel of the United Nations system. When we speak
of the UN, we mean not only New York and Geneva but also Vienna, The
Hague, Bangkok, Addis-Ababa, Nairobi and all the other places where the UN
is present. This global network provides a forum for addressing issues of
common concern and serves as an international source of knowledge and
expertise. Within this international structure, Geneva plays a special role. While
New York is the nerve centre where the decisions are made, Geneva is the
major operational headquarters. Up to 70 per cent of all the activities of the
Organization are conducted from this city, many of them extending to all
regions of the world. For example, the Centre for Human Rights is the UN's
main body for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental
freedoms; the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees - which was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1954 and again in 1981 - provides assistance

67