International Geneva

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International Geneva
Colonel (GS) Dr. Karl-Heinz Rambke
Ms. Emily Munro
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Geneva Historical Overview

• 52 BC Julius Caesar mentions Geneva
• 1602 Duke of Savoy attacks, but fails
• 1798 Napoleon occupies the city
• (-1813)
• 1815 Geneva becomes part of the Swiss
  Confederation
  
• 1871 International arbitration tribunal,
• the affair of Alabama

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Historical Overview (2)

• 1863 International Committee of the Red Cross
  opens its headquarters
  
• 1919 League of Nations is created
• International Labour Organization
• also establishes its offices
• 1946 United Nations decides to establish
• its European headquarters
• Other organizations follow the UN WHO,
  GATT/ WTO and CERN.

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International Geneva

• International conferences attract 100000
  delegates each year
  
• 3 billion CHF is spent each year by the
  international sector
  
• 3000 heads of state or government, ministers and
  other VIP officials on official visits
  
• each year
• 22 261 people in 2002 employed by international
  organizations

lEtat de Genève, Office cantonal de la statisti
que
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Geneva City of Peace

• The UN Office of Geneva is the centre of
  activities in International Geneva
  
• UNOG is worlds busiest centre of multilateral
  diplomacy
  
• Many current and historical negotiation
  activities have taken place in the city
  
• Geneva as a city of peace (universal vocation)

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International Organizations

• Security - humanitarian action, human rights,
  peacekeeping, disarmament
  
• Social labour and health
• Development environment and sustainable
  development
  
• Science - nuclear research and meteorology
• Education and training
• Economic trade
• And, intellectual property and telecommunications

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UN Bodies in Geneva

• UN specialized agencies
• International Labour Organization (ILO)
• World Health Organization (WHO)
• International Telecommunications Union (ITU)
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

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UN Bodies in Geneva

• UN programmes and funds
• UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• Office for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
  (UNHCR)
  
• UN entities
• UN High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCHR)
• Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

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UN Bodies in Geneva

• UN research and training institutes
• UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)
• UN Research Institute for Social Development
  (UNRISD)
  
• Other UN bodies
• Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
  Affairs (OCHA attached to the UN secretariat)
  
• UN Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
• as a regional commission
• International Law Commission (ILC)

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Selected International Organizations

• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• a UN related organization
• European Free Trade Organization
• International Bureau of Education (IBE)
• World Council of Churches (WCC)

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Diplomatic Representation

• 153 Permanent Missions to the UNOG
• 20 Permanent Missions to the WTO
• 16 Permanent Missions to the
• Disarmament Conference
• 80 Consulates in the city
• 30000 Diplomats and international civil
• servants working in Geneva

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Selected non-governmental organizations

• International Council of Voluntary Agencies
  (ICVA)
  
• Aga Khan Foundation (AKF)
• World Economic Forum (WEF)
• International Centre for Trade and Sustainable
  Development (ICTSD)
  
• Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT)
• International Peace Bureau (IPB)
• World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
• Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO)

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Swiss Contributions

• Switzerland became a member of the UN on 20
  September 2002 after a nation-wide referendum (3
  March)
  
• Swiss membership
• UN, UNOG, ILO, ITU, WIPO,
• WHO, WMO, IBE, UNHCR
• CERN, EFTA, IOM, WTO

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Maison de la Paix

• A new building to house Swiss-supported
  institutions (2007)
  
• Geneva Centre for Security Policy
• Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the
  Armed Forces
  
• Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian
  Demining
  
• Centre for Applied Studies in International
  Negotiation
  
• Geneva International Peace Research Institute
• The Graduate Institute of International Studies

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Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of the
Armed Forces

• DCAF foundation established in 2000
• Encourages and supports actors in their efforts
  to strengthen democratic and civilian control of
  armed and security forces
  
• Promotes international cooperation in this field,
  focussing on the Euro-Atlantic region and
  worldwide

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Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian
Demining

• GICHD Independent foundation supported by 18
  governments
  
• Three major tasks
• research
• operational assistance in many countries
  worldwide
  
• supporting the implementation of the Ottawa
  Convention

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The Graduate Institute of International Studies

• An institution intended to provide to students
  the means of undertaking and pursuing
  international studies
  
• Programs for undergraduate, masters and doctoral
  studies in 4 disciplines (law, politics, history
  and economics)
  
• Multitude of research centres and special
  programmes

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Main UN Organizations UN High Commissioner for
Refugees

• UNHCR was established in 1948
• staff of over 5000 people worldwide
• High Commissioner, Rudd Lubbers (NL)
• Mission - to safeguard the rights and well-being
  of refugees and to ensure that everyone can
  exercise the right to seek asylum, find safe
  refuge in another state and to return home
  voluntarily

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Main UN Organizations UN Institute for
Disarmament Research

• UNIDIR established in 1980 by the UN General
  Assembly devoted to Disarmament
  
• Director, Patricia Lewis
• Activities Carries out research activities,
  publishes documents, organizes small meetings and
  supports expert networks
  
• Focuses on hard and soft security issues

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UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human
Rights

• OHCHR mission - protect and promote all human
  rights for all people
  
• Bertrand Ramcharan, Acting High Commissioner
  after the death of Sergio Vieira de Mello in
  Baghdad (19 August 2003)
  
• Priority areas
• Mainstreaming human rights in the UN
• Making the UN human rights program more effective
  within countries
  
• Supporting international human rights bodies
• Providing access to human rights information and
  promoting human rights education

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Main UN Organizations UN Development Programme

• UNDP has its roots in the foundation of the UN in
  1948
  
• Administrator, Mark Malloch Brown (UK)
• Purpose is to promote the economic and social
  advancement of people
  
• Challenges
• Democratic Governance
• Poverty Reduction
• Crisis Prevention and Recovery
• Energy and environment
• Information and Communications Technology
• HIV/AIDS

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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs

• OCHR created in 1992
• UN reform in 1998 sought to strengthen UN
  inter-agency cooperation for supporting field
  coordination under OCHA
  
• Directed by Ross Mountain (NZ)
• Headquarters both in Geneva (field coordination)
  
  
• and New York (planning and coordination).

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Other International Organizations International
Committee of the Red Cross

• ICRC created in 1863 in Geneva by Henry Dunant
• Mainly financed by the Confederation
• President, Jakob Kellenberger (CH)
• Mission - to provide humanitarian assistance in
  time of war and conflict
  
• Founding organization of the International Red
  Cross and Red Crescent
  
• ICRC can go there where no other organization can
  be and help

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Other International Organizations World Trade
Organization

• General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)
  established in 1947, the WTO succeeding it in
  1995
  
• Mission - to help producers, exporters and
  importers of goods and services conduct their
  business
  
• 550 people work at the Secretariat
• headed by Dr. Supachai Panitchparki (Director
  General, Thai)

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Other International Organizations World Health
Organization

• WHO founded in 1948
• 3500 staff (Geneva, regional offices)
• Mission - the attainment by all peoples of the
  highest possible level of health
  
• Functions
• articulating consistent, ethical and
  evidence-based policy and advocacy positions and
  catalysing change
  
• negotiating and sustaining national and global
  partnerships
  
• setting and implementing norms and standards
• stimulating the development of new technologies,
  tools and guidelines for disease control, risk
  reduction, health care management, and service
  delivery.

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NGOs International Council of Voluntary Agencies

• ICVA founded in 1962
• An association of NGOs that work to promote, and
  advocate for, human rights and a humanitarian
  perspective in global debates and responses
  
• Objectives
• Exchange of information
• Networking
• Advocacy

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NGOs Association for the Prevention of Torture

• APT founded in 1977
• Mission works worldwide to prevent torture and
  ill-treatment
  
• Method of work
• actively support the national implementation of
  international norms and standards that prohibit
  torture
  
• contribute to the promotion of control
  mechanisms, such as visits by appropriate experts
  to places of detention
  
• develop information and training activities for
  authorities in contact with detainees

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Cooperation in International Geneva Small Arms
Survey

• SAS established in 1999 by the Swiss government
• Programme Director, Keith Krause and Project
  Director, Peter Batchelor
  
• Objectives
• Information source, Resource
• Independent monitor, Research
• Forum and clearinghouse for sharing of
  information
  
• Cooperation
• - UN bodies, NGOs, other international
  organisations
  

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International Geneva