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International

“Building bridges -
Geneva International:
From “Agenda for Peace” to - Enhancing dialogue -

Dialogue Among Civilizations

- Securing peace”

Over 750 documents in almost 4000 pages – this is only a Conference on Disarmament, to negotiate the 1996
part of the private archive collection of His Excellency Mr Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
Petrovsky covering his tenure in Geneva. In 1993, the UN
Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali announced The Geneva office itself was reshaped by Petrovsky: in
the appointment of a new Director-General to UNOG, 1995 he established the Open Doors events making
and his Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs/the the Palais des Nations “Open House”, i.e. UNOG open
Chair of the Working Group on the “Agenda for Peace” to all. In 1996 he opened the Geneva Welcome centre-
in New York Mr Petrovsky became the new Director- Centre d’accueil-Genève internationale (CAGI) and had
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General of the UN office in Geneva. a vision of establishing a Bureau of diplomatic services
and exchange of know-how in Geneva. He launched
This new Director-General brought a new vision, new the doctrine “Arts and Diplomacy – a Vital Alliance”
aspirations and a new extended mandate to the UN and implemented it by promoting dialogue between
European Headquarters in Geneva, and to Geneva civilizations. He encouraged people, nations, faiths and
itself. The archive collection includes lectures from his cultures to create alliances by building bridges using arts,
professorship, his reflections, notes, remarks, speeches, literature, music, exhibitions and cultural events, which
statements, articles and interviews. From these, one can can be powerful diplomatic tools for peace.
trace not only the history of the UN on its 50 anniversary,
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as well as the last decade of the previous millennium, but These archives were meticulously collected by Petrovsky
also the origins of a crucial event in Switzerland – the himself and preserved by his family. The electronic
referendum vote on accession to the UN. version was prepared by volunteers from the joint project
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of the Comprehensive Dialogue among Civilizations
Petrovsky changed the vision and perception of Geneva Foundation (CDAC), established in Geneva by Petrovsky
on the global arena as well. As early as 1993 he brought up himself after the end of his UN tenure, and Diva
the concept of “International Geneva”, stating that Geneva International Diplomat magazine. This collection will be
is not only the Europolis Pax UN, but also the capital of donated on behalf of the family to UNOG and its library.
internationalism, and not only a city of multilateralism A selection will be also available on the web sites of
but the capital of Pax Multilateralism as well as the world CDAC and of Diva International Diplomat. Furthermore,
capital of peace and diplomacy, and more. He quoted a a series of books are planned, based on the collection
renowned French diplomat Prince Talleyrand when he and covering selected topics. These will complement the
noted “There are five continents: Europe, Asia, America, already-published book “Master Diplomat”. His Excellency Mr. Vladimir F. PETROVSKY
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Africa and Geneva” (Congress of Vienna, 1815). Over
the years Petrovsky strengthened the role of Geneva Director-General of the United Nations Office in Geneva
“continent” by building the whole solid organismus of 1 - Since 1997, this post has been formally established by
International Geneva. This comprised all UN and other the General Assembly as Deputy-Secretary-General of and Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations
international organizations and agencies, along with civil the UN (A/RES/52/12B). Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament
society, NGOs, private sector, research institutions and 2 - 3 March 2002 Switzerland voted favourably for
academia. He left his vision for a future generation of its accession to the UN. The referendum took place
leaders, who successfully implemented it thereafter. the following month after the end of Mr Petrvosky’s
decade-long tenure, and consequently in September Reflections, speeches, lectures and articles from his tenure in Geneva
He brought the theory of preventive diplomacy and 2002, Switzerland officially became a UN Member 1993-2002 in XIII volumes, from the private archives collection
conflict resolution into practice and tried not only State. September 2022 will mark 20 anniversary of this
th
to promote peace, but to secure it. The concept of a accession. Prepared within the joint volunteer project of the Comprehensive Dialogue among Civilizations (CDAC) &
humanitarian dimension of conflict management also 3 - Vladimir Petrovsky: The Master Diplomat, edited by Diva International Diplomat
belongs to him. Using his status as an outstanding S.M.Karlen. United Nations Society of Writers, New York.
diplomat and negotiator, he succeeded, by leading the The book presentation took place in UNOG in 2015.

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