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international

The Portail des Nations is a wonderful gift
from the Fondation pour Genève, and Mr. Ivan
Pictet, given to the United Nations, that will
provide the United Nations in Geneva and the
United Nations system overall with a gateway
and a place where we can tell visitors about
the work and activities of the United Nations,
what it is all about and what it doesand will
do in their lives. Each individual who walks
in the door will understand the importance
in their personal lives of what the United
Nations is doing, not only the secretariat
but the other parts of the organization. It
will increase the capacity and the number of
visitors that can be accommodated on the “What we need is a much greater will,
United Nations grounds. It will be a place not only political, but also individual.”
for educational activities for school children.
There will be spaces where they can have So that collaboration could be strengthened
lectures. It will also be a space for temporary through the logic of multilateralism.
and permanent exhibitions of things we do
and different initiatives around the world. If you want to maintain International Geneva
I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for the as the go to place, as the city on this planet
United Nations. It happened to be presented that has the strongest international ecosystem,
under my Director-Generalship and I signed you need to constantly make sure that the
with the donors the agreements and set up environment in which this ecosystem is
discussions. All this is moving forward now, situated is as optimized as possible.
and I think they will start building in the next
couple of months. Finally, if you have a message to our readers.
What would that be?
Looking back and based upon your experience, I think one big transversal message becoming
what should be done to strengthen Geneva more and more acute as we move towards a
right now? new type of multilateralism is that the one
International Geneva is like a flower. You have that the system that has done so much for
to water it every day and make sure that it does humanity over the last decades is no longer up
not die. The same is true with the international to the task. We know what the problems are,
ecosystem in Geneva. There are a number we understand their complexity, we also know
of practical issues that is the authorities to pretty much what the solutions are. What we
do. You have to strengthen the capacity to need is a much greater will, not only political,
accommodate people. Every year there are but also individual. So, the message is to make
more people coming to Geneva. They need sure that we actually behave in such a way as to
a place to live. So, the housing supply has to solve these huge existential problems, climate
be increased. They have to make sure that the being the first one. We have to work together!
technology follows, that the strength of the We all must feel responsible, and this goes
information technology infrastructure is kept from the youngest child to people in their
up to date. I have always been an advocate 90s. When, for example, you look at the grass-
of understanding International Geneva not roots level in many countries of the global
merely as the City of Geneva but the whole south, people are working really well together,
environment around the lake, which means and they are doing lots of imaginative things.
stronger collaboration between Geneva and They are coming up with incredible solutions
France. A huge percentage of people working that we should all be better at learning from.
in the United Nations system live in France, So it’s about taking responsibility, learning
not only internationals but also local workers. from others – that we all have to chip in!

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