Getting to know international Geneva

Over recent years, CERN has been tightening its links with fellow organisations in Geneva’s vibrant international community.

This has brought home to me just how important it is for such a diverse group of international organisations to be located in the same place as CERN. In some cases, the relevance to CERN’s missions is clear, and for a few, the links go way back. When the International Telecommunication Union organised the World Summit on the Information Society in 2003, for example, it was natural for CERN to get involved with a side event on the Role of Science in the Information Society. And similarly, it is clear that we have a strong stake in the work of organisations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, and that our infrastructure makes the partnership with UNOSAT a natural fit. But what of the other international organisations, around 30 of them, or the 250 NGOs that are based here?

The acting head of the United Nations Office at Geneva, Michael Møller, has launched a campaign to make the role of international Geneva better known, and he’s invited CERN to be part of it. With our recent Observer status at the UN, I am delighted to take part, and will be working with Michael to strengthen ties and increase awareness of the great work done by international Geneva. Over the coming months, we’ll be looking at ways of increasing awareness within the international organisations of the work done by others, as well as working on the perception of international Geneva more generally. In the meantime, a good place to start getting closer to international Geneva is Michael Møller’s blog at the Huffington Post. Dip in – you might be surprised by what you learn.

Rolf Heuer