Geneva-Paris ST Report 2007

G ENEVA 15/4/2007 17/4/2007 P ARIS 18/4/2007 21/4/2007
EXPORT-ORIENTED MANAGEMENT EU-ASEAN-NAFTA EXPORT 2004
DISCLAIMER
This study trip report contains information that is based on minutes taken by students of IMC FH Krems and is intended as a summary of what has been said and discussed during the meetings at the international organisations that were visited. The reader is cautioned that these minutes may be subject to errors stemming from misunderstandings or misperceptions on the part of the students. Therefore, any quotation from this text is discouraged.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
At this point, we would like to acknowledge all the people without whom this study trip would not have been possible. First and foremost, we have to thank our professor, Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic, for initiating this unique event and investing so much time and effort throughout the last months. Without his personal reputation and contacts, none of us would have had the chance to benefit from such a diverse and highly informative programme. Secondly, we are all very grateful for the work of the organisation team Tanja Hosiner, Judith Pramhas, Eva Prokopieva and Cornelia Zdrazil both prior to and during the study trip. Due tribute also goes to each and every organizer and speaker of all visited Geneva & Paris entities and IOs, especially to Ambassador Petritsch. Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to all the sponsors for their support, be it financial or in kind.
Thank you all for your kind support!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................1 2.DESTINATIONS......................................................................................................................2
2.1.Geneva.................................................................................................................................................2 2.2.Paris 2
3.TIMETABLE OF THE STUDY TRIP 2007...................................................................................6 4.UN CONFERENCE ON TRADE & DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD)................................................9
4.1.History.................................................................................................................................................9 4.2.Todays Work....................................................................................................................................10 4.3.Special Program: Creative Economy for Development....................................................................12
5.UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE).........................................................13

5.1. History..............................................................................................................................................13 5.2. Membership......................................................................................................................................13 5.3. The Role of the UNECE...................................................................................................................14
6.THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE IN GENEVA...........................................................................16 7.INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC)...................................................18
7.1.History...............................................................................................................................................18 7.2.Scope of Work...................................................................................................................................18 7.3.The Museum......................................................................................................................................19
8.WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO)................................................20

8.1.History and Development..................................................................................................................20 8.2.Main Purpose and Functioning of WIPO .........................................................................................20 8.2.1.Norm Setting....................................................................................................................21 8.2.2.Economic Development...................................................................................................21 8.2.3.Services to the Industry....................................................................................................22
9.INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU)...........................................................25

9.1.History...............................................................................................................................................25 9.2. Organizational Structure...................................................................................................................26 9.3. Current Priorities..............................................................................................................................26
10.INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)................................................................27

10.1. The Organization............................................................................................................................27 10.2. History............................................................................................................................................27 10.3. Structure..........................................................................................................................................28 10.4. The ILOs Work.............................................................................................................................28 10.5. The ILO Library.............................................................................................................................29
11.BRIEFING ON THE PERMANENT MISSION OF AUSTRIA TO THE UN AND SPECIALIZED AGENCIES IN GENEVA...............................................................................................................................31
11.1.Dr. Peter Jankowitsch: Austria in the UN Security Council?..........................................................32 11.2.Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch: CERN and Disarmament.....................................................33 11.3.Dr. Helmut Friza: Health-Related Issues.........................................................................................34
11.4.Dr. Maria Reich- Rohrwig: World Trade Organization (WTO).....................................................34 11.5.Dr. Michael Schoiswohl: Human Rights-Related Issues.................................................................35 11.6.Mag. Markus Weidinger: Humanitarian and Labour Affairs..........................................................36 11.7.Dr. Elisabeth Marschang: Economic and Development Affairs.....................................................38
12.OECD & AUSTRO MISSON TO THE OECD.....................................................................41

12.1.History.............................................................................................................................................41 12.2.Organisation.....................................................................................................................................43 12.3.Main tasks........................................................................................................................................43 12.4.SourceOECD...................................................................................................................................44 12.5.Questions & Answers......................................................................................................................44 12.6.Austrian Mission to the OECD........................................................................................................45 12.7.The Mission and its tasks.................................................................................................................45 12.8.Forming Austrian Interests..............................................................................................................46 12.9.Outlook............................................................................................................................................47 12.10.Questions & Answers....................................................................................................................47
13.INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA)..........................................................................48

13.1.World Energy Outlook....................................................................................................................48 13.2.Questions & Answers......................................................................................................................49
14.WORLD BANK PARIS........................................................................................................51

14.1.Introduction.....................................................................................................................................51 14.2.History.............................................................................................................................................51 14.3.Mission............................................................................................................................................52 14.4.Progress toward Poverty Reduction................................................................................................52 14.5.The World Banks Structure............................................................................................................52 14.6.How the World Bank operates.........................................................................................................53 14.7.World Bank Lending.......................................................................................................................54 14.8.Financing for Development: Official Development Assistance .....................................................55 14.9.The Millennium Development Goals..............................................................................................55 14.10.Questions, Answers and Internship Possibilities...........................................................................56
15.UNESCO......................................................................................................................57
15.1.Dr. Schischlik..................................................................................................................................57 15.2.H. E. Ambassador Wiesner..............................................................................................................58 15.3.Questions and Answers...................................................................................................................59
16.INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (ICC)..............................................................62

16.1.Mlanie Meilhac..............................................................................................................................62 16.2.Graldine Scarfoglire.....................................................................................................................64 16.3.Julian Kassum..................................................................................................................................66 16.4.Questions & Answers......................................................................................................................66
17.DIARIES...........................................................................................................................69
17.1.Saturday 14-04-2007 / Sunday 15-04-2007.....................................................................................69 17.2.Monday 16-04-2007 .......................................................................................................................70 17.3.Tuesday 17-04-2007........................................................................................................................71 17.4. Wednesday 18-04-2007..................................................................................................................73 17.5. Thursday 19-04-2007.....................................................................................................................74 17.6.Friday 20-04-2007...........................................................................................................................75 17.7. Saturday 21-04-2007 / Sunday 22-04-2007....................................................................................76
18.CONCLUSION....................................................................................................................78
LIST OF WEBSITES AND CONTACT DETAILS..................................................................................I CREDITS..............................................................................................................................III TIMETABLE OF THE STUDY TRIP 2006......................................................................................V
STUDY TRIP REPORT 2007
1. INTRODUCTION
As an IMC student of the degree programme Export-oriented Management EU-ASEANNAFTA, gaining a sound knowledge about the main International Organisations and their respective mandates is an integral part of the curriculum. Having the chance to visit these very institutions and to listen to a wide range of presentations on-site, though, is something none of us would have expected, at least not up to the moment that our professor, Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic, informed us about this unique opportunity in his 5th-semester-course of International Public Law and Institutions. As a matter of fact, no other Austrian university has ever organized a similar event, whereas Export2004 is already the second generation of IMC Students to benefit from this unique opportunity. As one might expect, the months prior to the study trip were marked by an enormous amount of preparation work by both Dr. Bajrektarevic and the organisational team. Thanks to their effort and the generous contributions of the various sponsors, they managed to put together a well-diversified and interesting programme at a price affordable for each and every student. Thus, on 14 April 2007, a group of some 60 students of the 6 th semester as well as five exchange students finally left Krems, heading westward towards Geneva. Following was a week full of new experiences and new contacts that could be made. This report should provide you with a summary of seven exciting days in Geneva and Paris, including an overview of all the organisations that have been visited as well as some more personal impressions and photos. Please enjoy
We spent many hours in the bus but it was definitely worth it!
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2. DESTINATIONS
Despite a rather tough schedule in both Geneva and Paris, there was still some time left to discover the amenities of these two beautiful cities. The photos on the next two pages will give an overview of where we spent our time before and after visiting the organisations.
2.1.
Geneva
Geneva is the second biggest city of Switzerland in terms of population and located at the Lac Lman. Generally regarded as one of the most global cities in the world, Geneva hosts numerous International Organisations, most importantly the European headquarters of the United Nations (UN) and many of its agencies (WHO, ILO, ITU, WIPO, etc.). Also, the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are to be found in the city, to name just a few of a long list of institutions. Economically speaking, Geneva is a renowned financial centre and host of several headquarters of big multinational companies, including HP or Procter & Gamble. Apart from the above mentioned lake and the Palais the Nations, the citys most noted landmark is the Jet dEau, a 140-metre high water column.
2.2.
Paris
Paris, the capital of France, is not only one of the most preferred tourist destinations worldwide, but also a major centre of economic activity. With regard to International Organisations, the city hosts the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the International Energy Agency (IEA), the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Paris Club, again to name but a few. The international importance of Paris and France in this respect is underlined by the fact that French is the official language of diplomats as well as one of the working languages in most International Organisations. Situated on the River Seine, Paris offers its visitors a wide range of sights and picturesque sceneries, as the pictures on the next page but one show.
3. TIMETABLE OF THE STUDY TRIP 2007

TIME ORGANISATION TOPIC SPEAKER
Monday, 16 April 2007 (Geneva)

09.30 am 10.30 am UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) UNOG (United Nations Office at Geneva) ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) Mandate, role and activities of the Organisation & Creative Industries UN ECE Scope and work Guided tour UNOG Guided tour through ICRC Museum General overview of the history, structure and activities of the Organisation Ms. Cathy Jewell, Senior Information Officer Media Relations & Public Affairs Section, WIPO Ms. Lisanne Losier, President, Sectoral Assembly of UNCTAD, Ms. Edna dos Santos, Senior Economic Affairs Officer Mr. Jean Michel Jakobowicz, Public Information Officer UNECE
10.30 am 11.30 am 11.30 am 12.45 pm 01.45 pm 02.45 pm 03.15 pm 04.30 pm
Tuesday, 17 April 2007 (Geneva)

09.30 am 11.00 am 11.30 am 12.45 pm 12.45 pm 01.45 pm ITU (International Telecommunication Union) ILO (International Labour Organisation) ILO (International Labour Organisation) History, structure & activities of the Organization Presentation on the activities of ILO Mr. Venen Paratian, Chief of Protocol Mr. H. von Rohland, Senior Information Officer Ms R. van Snellenberg, Training and Technical Cooperation Librarian, Ms L. Pecherina, Information Resources Specialist
Presentations
03.00 pm 06.15 pm
EC Mission Austro Mission briefing/s on WTO
WTO, art of multilateral negotiations, Rounds
Dr. P. Jankowitsch, former Austrian Foreign Minister, H.E. Amb. W. Petrisch, Chief of Mission, Dr. H. Friza, Attach for Pulbic Health, Ms M. Reich-Rohrwig, Deputy Head of Austrian Mission, Dr. M. Schoiswohl, Junior Professional Officer at UNDP, Mr. M. Weidinger, Attach for Humanitarian Affairs, Ms. E. Marschang, Counsellor of the mission
Timetable continued: Wednesday, 18 April 2007 (Paris)

03.00 pm 04.00 pm OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) The OECD: History, Structure and Accessing Documents The role of Austrian delegation at the OECD Mr. Jochen Picht, Public Affairs and Communication Directorate Ms. Sandra Scheffel, Counsellor for Public Governance, Austrian Delegation to the OECD Ms. Barbara Buchner, Energy and Environment Analyst, Energy Efficiency and Environment Division (IEA)
04.00 pm 04.45 pm
OECD briefing of the Austrian Mission
04.45 pm 05.30 pm
IEA (International Energy Agency)
Energy Efficiency and Climate Change: Course of Action (incl. Qs & As Period)
Thursday, 19 April 2007 (Paris)

10.30 am 12.30 pm 03.00 pm 04.00 pm 04.00 pm 05.00 pm World Bank Paris UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) UNESCO briefing of the Austrian Mission World Bank Europe Scope and work Scope and work of UNESCO Briefing of the Austro Mission Ms. Catherine Doody, External Affairs WB Mr Alexander Schischlik H.E. Amb. Harald Wiesner
Friday, 20 April 2007 (Paris)

10.00 am 11.30 am 11.30 am 12.30 pm ICC (Intl. Chamber of Commerce) History and Scope of work of ICC & ADR, DOCDEX, Expertise and Dispute Boards Role of the Court and ICC arbitration rules Mr. Julian Kassum; Ms. Mlanie Meilhac Ms. Graldine Scarfoglire
ICC Arbitration
On the following pages, please find a detailed description of all the organizations we visited during our study trip, including a short overview of their respective mandates as well as a summary of the various presentations we had the chance to listen to. The photos we included shall give the reader some personal impressions we could take with us.
4. UN CONFERENCE ON TRADE & DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD)

Time: 9.30 am 10.30 am Topic I: Mandate, role and activities of the Organization Speaker: Ms. Lisanne Losier, President, Sectoral Assembly of UNCTAD Topic II: Creative Industries Speaker: Ms. Edna dos Santos, Senior Economic Affairs Officer UNCTAD Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic The groups visit to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) commenced with a brief introduction by Ms. Lisanne Losier, President of the Sectoral Assembly of UNCTAD, who presented a general overview on the organisation, including its early history and development as well as its contemporary mandate. As she explained at the beginning, UNCTAD is an organ of the UN General Assembly which aims at forging the link between trade and development. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland. The Secretariat of the UNCTAD is composed of 400 staff members and since 2005 it has been headed by the Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi from Thailand. As it is a UN organ, it has the same number of member states as the organization, namely 192. In 2005 the UNCTAD received USD 45 million from the United Nations regular budget and an additional USD 28 million in extra-budgetary funds.
4.1.
History
During the 1950s and 1960s the international community was confronted with development problems in Asia and Africa due to the ongoing decolonisation. Issues like the lack of infrastructure, barriers to trade and volatile prices were obstacles to the economic development of these regions.
Therefore, a first conference on trade and development was held in Cairo in 1962. In 1964 the UNCTAD was established, at first only temporarily, with the objective of promoting trade between countries at different levels of development with a focus on commodity trade.
4.2.
Todays Work
The UNCTADs original goals were to promote trade and development. However, due to changing needs, its main objectives have been modified. Today, the UNCTAD works as a laboratory of ideas and provides on-the-ground assistance to developing countries in a number of areas related to trade, investment and finance. Furthermore, it helps developing countries to ensure development gains from trade, investment and development opportunities and to enable them to fully participate in the world economy. As Ms. Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg mentioned, it is important to point out that the UNCTAD addresses trade not as an end, but as means to achieve development. To reach its goals, the UNCTAD pursues the following activities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Identify broad trends and prospects in the world economy; Identify opportunities for the economic development of African countries; Analyse the effects of international initiatives on the least developed countries; Propose solutions for debt restructuring; Assist developing countries in all aspects of their trade negotiations; Encourage south-south trade cooperation; Analyse the impact of competition laws and policies on development;
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8.
Examine the factors influencing commodity markets and help commoditydependent countries to diversify their production;
9. 10. 11. 12.
Encourage the inclusion of environmental issues in trade & development policies; Analyse foreign direct investment (FDI) trends and their impact on development; Help countries participate in international investment agreements; Advise governments on investment policies through investment policy reviews, investment guides, and training;
13. 14.
Create strategies for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises; Identify policy options in new technologies, in particular digital and e-business solutions;
15. 16.
Analyse and promote e-tourism options; Facilitate trade and customs clearance through the use of applied information technologies;
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Build training networks and organize training in all areas of international trade, particularly in the least developed countries.
These activities are carried out through three channels. The first one is research, policy analysis and data collection. The results of this research are published in official documents and reports, such as the Trade and Development Reports, the World Investment Reports or the Least Developed Countries Report. The second channel is a forum of discussion, where member states meet regularly to exchange experiences and build consensus. The third and last channel is technical assistance in the form of a total of 250 projects and programmes. The UNCTAD is still organized as a Conference which meets every four years. The last one took place in 2004 in So Paulo. The Executive Body gives directions and reviews the work of the Trade and Development Board. Furthermore, there is a Commission on Trade, one on Investment and one on Enterprise and Business.
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4.3.
Special Program: Creative Economy for Development
During the briefing by Ms. Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg we learned about a newly-developed special programme of the UNCTAD, namely the Creative Economy and Industry Programme. This new concept is based on the idea of using creative assets and combining economic, social and cultural aspects. The plan is to create and foster creative industries such as visual arts, the music industry, design works, or literature and publishing in developing countries and to use them as a driver for development and economic growth. Creativity should be used as a primary input to produce marketable, value-added creative products and services, through which developing countries can generate income from trade and property rights. The potential in this economic sector is very high: between 2000 and 2005 revenues from creative industries increased two times faster than those from traditional services and four times faster than those from manufacturing. However, the sector is still very weakly developed in the 132 developing countries: only five of them have large film-industries and 85 have never even produced a film. Therefore the UNCTAD plans to strengthen creative economies in developing countries in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Measures will include formulating policies, realizing trade gains from dynamic creative products and services, integrating local creative industries into national strategies towards global markets, and optimizing the impact of investment, financing, entrepreneurship, competition policies and technology on the creative economy. Moreover, the UNCTAD plans to actively integrate governments and other state players at federal, municipal and communities level into this strategy. The goal is to promote the interplay of different sectors and reinforce inter-ministerial policies, mainly between the ministries of culture and the ministries of trade in order for them to work together to export creative services.
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5. UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE)

Time: 10.30 am 11.30 am Topic: UNECE Scope and work Speaker: Mr. Jean Michel Jakobowicz, Public Information Officer UNECE Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the five regional commissions working for the United Nations. With an (in comparison with other UN organs) rather modest annual budget of approximately USD 27 million per year and around 200 employees, the UNECE constitutes a small department belonging to the UN Secretariat. Mr. Marek Belka, ex-Prime Minister of Poland, has headed the commission as Executive Secretary since December 2005.
5.1.
History
In 1946, the General Assembly of the United Nations recommended that the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) establish an Economic Commission for Europe with the purpose of giving effective aid to the countries devastated by World War II. Following this recommendation, the ECOSOC created the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) in 1947. In fact, the UNECE was a parallel entity to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) set up with the objective of reconstructing Europe after World War II and to promote long-run pan-European economic integration.
5.2.
Membership
The reason for the diverse nature of the UNECEs 56 member countries has its roots in history. As our speaker Mr. Jakobowicz, Public Information Officer of the Commission, pointed out, the UNECE was originally set up in order to reconstruct post-war Europe and therefore included all Eastern and Western European countries and North America. Later on, in 1991, other countries (like for example Israel) became members due to an ECOSOC decision.
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Today, the UNECE spans a region that is home to around 20 % of world population, including some of the worlds richest countries but also countries in transition. This is a challenging situation for the UNECE, as it has to respond to the diverse expectations of its different members. On the other hand, having such diverse members can also be regarded as an advantage since it encourages sharing experience and knowledge.
5.3.
The Role of the UNECE
The primary objective of the UNECE is to foster sustainable economic growth in its 56 member countries which include non-EU Western and Eastern Europe, South-East Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and North America. To reach its mission, the UNECE provides a forum for communication among the member states and offers analysis, policy advice and assistance to governments. The UNECE provides a regional framework and technical assistance which can be in the form of advisory services, training seminars and workshops where the underlying idea is to give the members the possibility to share their experiences and receive support from other countries in the region. Besides, the UNECE is involved in the setting of norms, standards and conventions in order to facilitate international cooperation within and outside the region. The instruments used by the UNECE to reach its goals include policy dialogue, the negotiation of international legal instruments, the development of regulations and norms, the exchange and application of best practices, as well as technical cooperation transition
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economies. The UNECEs areas of expertise typically cover sectors such as economic cooperation and integration, energy, environment, housing and land management, population, statistics, and trade and transport. As Mr. Jakobowicz mentioned, the Commission is particularly involved with the protection of the environment, administrating agreements signed to protect air and water. In 1998, the UNECE adopted the Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters. This convention is not only an environmental agreement; it is also a convention about government accountability, transparency and responsiveness due to the fact that it obliges governments to inform its citizens about environmental problems. With regards to international trade, an electronic data interchange system for trade called United Nations Electronic Data Interchange For Administration, Commerce and Transport (UN EDIFACT) was set up with the objective of creating a system of codes facilitating and disburdening trade in the long run. According to Mr. Jakobowicz, the organisation is currently working on developing a programme for the promotion of industrial development in the Central Asian region. To conclude, Mr. Jakobowicz emphasized that in general the UNECE focuses on feasible short-term objectives that have an impact on peoples everyday life, and that the primary goal of its conferences is to try to find agreements between member countries individual interests.
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6. THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE IN GENEVA

Time: 11.30 am 12.45 pm UNOG Guided tour
The United Nations system includes a large number of intergovernmental organisations, specialized agencies, programmes, funds, offices and research institutes, as well as related organisations. Two thirds of the activities of the United Nations system take place in Geneva, making it a key centre of international cooperation and multilateral negotiation. This is one of the reaso ns the city is often referred to as "International Geneva". Around 8,500 staff work for the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, making it the largest concentration of UN personnel in the world. They are active in many of the major fields of activity of the United Nations, including health, labour, intellectual property, human rights, humanitarian action and disaster relief, economic, trade and development activities, disarmament efforts, science and technology, and research and training. The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) cooperates closely with the United Nations entities in Geneva, including the provision of administrative and conference services. During a guided tour of the UNOG building, the so-called Palais des Naciones, the IMC students were introduced to a few basic facts about the UNOG and its history. At the beginning of the tour we were presented an organigram of the whole UN system. Also, the
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guide provided us with background information on the single sub-organisations and on recent developments within the UN.
Afterwards we went to a conference room where usually commissioners, observers and journalists attend conferences. As the guide explained, conferences held in Geneva deal with topics other than political decisions. The latter are generally taken during conferences held at the UN headquarters in New York. On the way to other conference rooms we were shown several presents given to the UN by its member countries. When we reached the old part of the building, we could see the smaller conference rooms of the single member countries. Finally we got to see the Spanish conference room which has impressive wall paintings about slavery and human rights issues. Usually peace discussions are held in that room. Examples include the dispute settlement between Iraq and Iran in 1998 and discussions about nuclear underground tests or about land mines. The tour ended in the Assembly Hall, with its 2,000 seats the largest room in the Palais des Naciones.
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7. INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC)

On their second day in Geneva, the IMC students had the opportunity to visit an international organisation that devotes its work solely to humanitarian protection: the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Separated in three small groups the students were given an excellent tour through the museum of the ICRC that gave them a profound insight into the organisations history and actual work, as well as a very good impression of the importance of the activities of the Red Cross for the worlds societies.
7.1.
History
Henry Dunant set the foundation for the organisation as it is today when he published his visionary idea of offering protection to wounded soldiers in wars, irrespective of their background and nationality, in 1859. Soon afterwards, the Committee for Relief to the Wounded was founded in Geneva, which later became the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The idea of Henry Dunant to let this organisation operate internationally became even more crucial when World War I. broke out. Thus, several conventions were established that committed the signatories to protect wounded soldiers on both sides. Today, the ICRC is composed of 185 member states who all signed the 4th Convention and its additional protocols.
7.2.
Scope of Work
The ICRC operates under the following three pillars: independency, impartiality and neutrality. Only by following these principles, the ICRC can fulfil its mission of assisting civilian and military victims of armed conflicts. In addition, the ICRC also works to promote its mandate and to establish dialogue between war-torn nations to ensure the the respective citizens suffer as little as possible under any given political conflict. However, as the tour guide pointed out, the organisation is not capable of imposing real threat to member nations who violate the conventions, rather it has to rely on a diplomatic way of convincing the governments to adhere to the ICRCs principles.
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Besides their obligation to follow the mandate of the organisation, the member states are also required to provide funds to the ICRC. However, no specific sum has been fixed. In addition to these rather voluntary contributions, the organisation also relies on voluntary workers who make up the impressive number of 100 million volunteers per year. Another very interesting aspect the tour guide mentioned was the conflict about the ICRCS emblem. Some years ago, the ICRC adopted a second emblem, the Red Crescent, because some religious movements did not want to use a cross, considered the official symbol of Christianity, as their emblem. However, since one of the ICRCs values is impartiality, a third symbol without any religious connotation was created: the red crystal.
7.3.
The Museum
The museum first opened its doors in 1988. The building is also located in Geneva and was designed by Swiss architects who gave the building a sort of unfinished touch to express that the work of the ICRC can never be finished either. Approximately 100,000 visitors per year come to the museum, most of them rather young. This might be due to the fact that the museum is organised in different modules reflecting the range of activities of the ICRC and it utilizes various media (e.g. TV) to
communicate its mission. In addition, the different areas of the museum dedicated to specific issues are designed very creatively in order to be especially attractive for young people.The students were quite impressed when looking at the different exhibition materials of the museum and they especially liked the huge book placed in the middle of the museum, showing excerpts of holy scriptures of all major religious movements (Judaism, Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity & Islam) which, despite phrasing it differently, all expressed the same concept: the importance of treating everyone the same way as you would want to be treated by them.
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8. WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO)

Time: 3.15 pm 4.30 pm Topic: General overview of the history, structure and activities of the Organization Speaker: Ms. Cathy Jewell, Senior Information Officer Media Relations & Public Affairs Section, WIPO Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic Intellectual property rights have been established to support creativity and reward innovation. The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), which we visited in the afternoon of our first day in Geneva, is the international body which promotes and watches over these rights.
8.1.
History and Development
The forerunners of WIPO were the Paris (1883) and Berne (1886) Conventions. The secretariats that followed them were united in 1970 to form the WIPO as it is known today.
8.2.
Main Purpose and Functioning of WIPO
The intellectual property (IP) system adds value to intangible assets and it protects IP owners. Thus, countries can use it as a development tool. This is exactly what WIPO is encouraging particularly developing countries to do. The organization offers services not only to governments and the public sector but also to the industry. Furthermore, IP protection is a tool to advance cultural development. Moreover, WIPO aims at raising public awareness of the topic. The overall goal of these undertakings is always to balance the profits for inventors and the access to goods by the public. As an intergovernmental organization WIPO establishes common international standards which are negotiated by its 184 member states. Thereby, minimum standards are established to allow for flexibility. However, countries can always go beyond these. The general process is to build understanding and consensus to get meaningful outcomes. To sum it up, the idea is to progressively develop IP law for a global IP system that is balanced as well as responsive
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to emerging needs, effective in order to encourage innovation and creativity; and sufficiently flexible to accommodate national policy objectives. There is also an important social aspect to IP systems, which is among other things to support the socio-economic development and cultural integrity of communities and to address concerns of indigenous people. Moreover, especially the poor need access to generic resources and want to know their traditional knowledge and folklore protected.
8.2.1. Norm Setting Besides promoting progressive development, WIPO is responsible for the harmonization of IP legislation, standards and procedures among its members. In the process of norm setting the main areas are the further development of international laws and treaties regarding patents; trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications; and copyright and related rights. When it comes to the use of copyright systems, harmonization is important to ensure that they are in line with the digital environment. Trade marks are very powerful tools for domestic and international commerce as well as marketing strategies. Therefore, international harmonized trade mark laws are developed, legal advice for the users of the system is provided and the convergence of administrative practices is promoted.
8.2.2. Economic Development IP can be used as a development tool. WIPO seeks to maximize the strategic use of IP for development by upgrading IP legislation as well as IP infrastructure, by demystifying IP and by promoting an understanding of policy options offered by the IP system. The approach is to tailor measures to specific needs. Moreover, there is a great emphasis on training and educational programs.
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8.2.3. Services to the Industry Global protection is considered the means for simplification and cost reduction. Thus, different international agreements, conventions and treaties have been created within the framework of WIPO. For individual companies WIPO facilitates the process of getting a patent. The least developed countries are even offered a 90 % reduction on the general fee for these services. Moreover, the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Centre offers tailor-made disputes. Alternative Dispute Resolution processes to save time and resources in case of
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9. INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU)

Time: 9.30 am 11.00 am Topic: History, structure and activities of the Organization Speaker: Mr. Venen Paratian, Chief of Protocol Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic Following visits to UNCTAD, the Red Cross and WIPO on the first day of our study trip, the morning of the second day, April 17th, was dedicated to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and a lecture given by the Unions Chief of Protocol, Mauritian-born Mr. Paratian. Following a brief introduction to the history of telecommunication and its contribution to the social and economic development of various societies around the world, Mr. Paratian elaborated on the structure and activities of the ITU as well as its future goals and priorities and concluded with a round of questions and answers.
9.1.
History
From the marathon run in ancient Greece to drum and fire signalling to the pony express, telecommunication and the diffusion of news and information has always played an instrumental role in human development. A more recent development which also laid the basis for the ITU was the invention of a communications code by Samuel Morse which came to be known as the Morse Code, and the subsequent establishment of the International Telegraph Union in Paris in 1865. After the establishment of the United Nations Organization and the common recognition of the importance of communication by its member states, the ITU was transformed into a Specialized Agency in 1947. Just as it has always been, the main purpose of the ITU today is to act as an international meeting point and discussion forum for the various national authorities, with the aim of providing an efficient and functional international telecommunications network and enabling all peoples around the globe to benefit from its use.
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9.2.
Organizational Structure
Today, the Union consists of 189 member states, each of which is represented equally in the Plenipotentiary Conference held at a 4-year interval. The annual budget amounted to CHF 163 million in 2005. Since the 1989 Nice Conference and a general restructuring completed in 1992, the Union is divided into: 1. The Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), with the main purpose of promoting the improvement of the international network and its use by all peoples, especially those in developing countries; 2. The Telecommunication Standardization Bureau (TSB), with the main purpose of harmonizing quality and technical standards in worldwide telecommunication for an efficient use across national borders; and 3. The Radio Communication Bureau (RB), with the main purpose of administrating the use of radio frequencies.
9.3.
Current Priorities
Besides a focus on the internet and the increasingly complex problems information technology poses for the world economy, clearly most of the attention of the ITU in the 21st century is paid to the developing world. In order to maintain the positive role telecommunication, if managed properly, can play in the promotion of human development, one of the ITUs main goals is to close the so-called digital divide between the industrialized nations and the rest of the world and to foster the development of functional telecommunication networks in less developed regions. With some four billion of world population still without internet access and a considerable number outside easy reach of a telephone (defined as less than five km walking distance to the next functional phone), the ITU seeks to create an investment master plan (also
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referred to as the Marshall Plan of Telecommunications) to build bridges and close this gap.
10.INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)

Time: 11.30 am 12.45 pm Topic: Presentation on the activities of ILO Speaker: Mr. H. von Rohland, Senior Information Officer Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic On Tuesday, 17th April 2007, our class got the opportunity to visit the International Labour Organization. We were welcomed by Mr. H. von Rohland who gave us a highly interesting speech about the International Labour Organization, including its history as well as its tasks and responsibilities. Afterwards, Mrs. R. van Snellenberg made a tour with us through the ILO library and explained to us how the internet system and research function can be used.
10.1. The Organization

The International Labour Organisation is a specialized agency of the UN dealing with global labour issues. There are more than 180 states who are members of the ILO. Today, its main goal is the promotion of social justice as well as internationally recognized human labour rights. The motivation for the foundation of this organisation was threefold. First of all there is the social motivation with the objective of improving work conditions and lifestyle and to educate employers. Also, the organisation has some economic goals, for example to fight social dumping and to internationally harmonize labour standards. Lastly, there was a political impetus which was to avoid revolutions like the one in Russia in 1917.
10.2. History
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) was founded in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles. Its initial aim was to provide some sort of compensation to workers, to improve their working conditions after the devastation of WWII. The ILO led to the creation of the League of Nations which should help avoid international disputes and prevent
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humanitarian disasters like World War I from ever happening again. After the end of World War II, the ILO formed an association with the newly created United Nations and became the first UN Specialized Agency. Over the years more and more countries joined the ILO and the organization expanded. An important date in the history of the ILO was the adoption of the Declaration of Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work by delegates to the International Labour Conference in 1998.
10.3. Structure
The ILO has a tripartite structure involving governments, employers and workers. Each year in June, the International Labour Conference is held in Geneva. It establishes and adopts international labour standards, acts as a discussion forum on global labour issues, adopts the budget, and elects the Governing Body. Each member state is represented by two government delegates, an employer delegate and a worker delegate. Usually, the governments are represented by the ministers responsible for the respective countrys labour affairs. Delegates can express their opinions and vote. The executive council of the ILO, the Governing Body, meets three times a year in Geneva. It takes decisions on ILO
policy, establishes the programme and the budget which it then submits to the Conference for adoption, and elects the Director General. It is composed of 28 government, 14 employer and 14 worker members. Decisions at the ILO are reached by consensus.
10.4. The ILOs Work

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The main task of the organization is to harmonize national standards on an international level. The organization formulates these standards in the form of conventions and recommendations which help to define certain minimum standards of basic labour rights, for instance equality of opportunity and treatment. Moreover, the ILO also offers technical assistance in various areas: Employment policy and labour administration; working conditions, cooperatives, social security and management development, vocational training as well as vocational rehabilitation, labour statistics and occupational safety and health as well as labour law and industrial relations.1 However, the organisation has no inclination to use any sanctions on countries but tries to solve conflicts by consensus, trying the soft approach. The last step in case a country doesnt comply with labour standards, is to ask other member countries to sanction the non-complying member.
10.5. The ILO Library

Time: 12.45 pm 1.45 pm ILO library Guided Tour and Presentations Speakers: Ms R. van Snellenberg, Training and Technical Cooperation Librarian and Ms L. Pecherina, Information Resources Specialist Following Mr von Rohlands introduction to the International Labour Organization, we were given a tour of the ILOs library, including an overview of how to electronically access the librarys vast resources.
Areas can be found under http://www.ilo.org/public/english/about/index.htm
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The ILO Library is the worlds leading library in everything related to the world of work. Its collection includes all types of publications (books, reports, legislation, statistics,) by major research centres, international and regional organizations, labour administrations and non-governmental organizations, on labour issues and sustainable livelihoods as well as the work-related aspects of economic and social development, technological change and human rights all around the world. Moreover, the ILO Library provides references to relevant articles selected from more than 500 journals. When searching for a publication in the ILO Librarys collection, it is advisable to use its database, Labordoc. It can be searched in the ILOs three official languages, English, French, and Spanish, and contains innumerable references to information on work issues as well as everything published by the ILO since 1919. Also, many documents are already available online. A special emphasis is put on developing and transition countries, and on providing material published in such countries. While some publications on labour, gender, and welfare economics are available, the Librarys focus is rather on empirical literature. If help is needed, research assistance or the compilation of a personalized bibliography on a certain topic can be requested from the librarians by telephone, e-mail, fax, or in person in the Librarys reading room. Many publications, including all official ILO documents, can be consulted in the reading room. If coming to the ILO Library in Geneva is not a possibility for you, you can ask a local library to request the book or article you need from the ILO Library via inter-library loan. Alternatively, books and journals published by the ILO can be consulted in ILO offices all over the world or purchased online.
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11.BRIEFING ON THE PERMANENT MISSION OF AUSTRIA TO THE UN AND SPECIALIZED AGENCIES IN GENEVA
Time: 3.00 pm 6.15 pm Topic: WTO, art of multilateral negotiations, Rounds List of speakers: H.E. Ambassador Dr. P. Jankowitsch, former Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria H.E. Ambassador Dr. W. Petritsch, Permanent Representative of the Austrian Mission to the UN and Specialized Agencies Dr. M. Reich-Rohrwig, Minister Plenipotentiary, Deputy Permanent Representative to the WTO Ministerial Conference Dr. H. Friza, Minister Plenipotentiary (Health) Mag. M. Weidinger, First Secretary Humanitarian and Labour Affairs Dr. E. Marschang, Counsellor Economic and Development Affairs Dr. M. Schoiswohl, Consultant Human Rights Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic In the afternoon of our second official day of the stay in Geneva, the study group had the pleasure of being warmly welcomed by the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations and Specialized Agencies in Geneva. As the name indicates, the Austrian missions main responsibility is to act as liaison between the Republic of Austria and the various organizations in Geneva by actively participating in the decision-making processes of the organizations in order to promote Austrian interests in Geneva. Furthermore, the mission is also in charge of reporting on the activities of the organizations to the Austrian Federal Government. Previous to the start of the official conference, organised specifically for us IMC students, we could enjoy the hospitality of our hosts, being offered various refreshments (even wine!). This relaxed and personalized the atmosphere. It should be pointed out that the Austrian Mission really made great efforts and paid a lot of attention to the IMC group, as nearly all deputies of the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations and Specialized Agencies were present for this purpose the whole afternoon. Doubtlessly, this was a great honour and the study group was very pleased and grateful having had this one-off chance to listen to and
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afterwards have a discussion with the various representatives of the Austrian Mission about current issues. The briefings took place in Council Secretariat where the EU member states are holding their EU coordination meetings. Mr. Wolfgang Petritsch, the Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Austria to the UN and Specialized Agencies opened the presentation with some welcoming words. This was followed by the speeches of Dr. Maria Reich-Rohrwig, Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Permanent Representative to the WTO Ministerial Conference; Dr. Helmut Friza, Minister Plenipotentiary (Health); Dr. Michael Schoiswohl, Human Rights Consultant; Mag. Markus Weidinger, First Secretary Humanitarian and Labour Affairs; and finally Dr. Elisabeth Marschang, Counsellor Economic and Development Affairs. Furthermore, the study group had the chance to listen first to the words of the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria Mr. Jankowitsch.
11.1. Dr. Peter Jankowitsch: Austria in the UN Security Council?

To the great pleasure of the IMC group, the former Austrian Foreign Minister (1986-1987) and State Secretary for European Issues (1990-1993), Austrian Ambassador to the United Nations in New York (1973) and Austrian permanent representative to the OECD (19781983 and 1993-1998), Dr. Peter Jankowitsch was in Geneva on Tuesday afternoon and accepted the spontaneous invitation to give a speech about his current tasks. Dr. Jankowitschs recent mission was to promote the position of Austria as candidate for the UN Security Council. He already represented Austria in the Security Council (SC) during the Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Turkish invasion of Cyprus one year later. He explained that Austria aimed at a place in the UN SC because it would be an important challenge for our county. The UN SC had great decision making power. In contrast to the General Assembly, the UN Security Councils decisions were binding in nature. Austria would present itself as a candidate in the upcoming elections of December 2008 for one of the two vacant seats of the group of Western European and other states. There were three candidates in total: Austria, Iceland and Turkey. In order to be elected to one of the two vacant seats on the SC, Austria had to find arguments favouring Austria as a member of the SC. Mr. Jankowitsch pointed out that
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Austria had good prospects of getting the seat in the SC due to its record of the 1970s and 1990s when Austria was a member of the SC at that time. Austria distinguished itself by being an impartial actor open to problems and concerns of other countries. Also, Austria had shown deep commitment to the UN by setting up the UN centre in Vienna. Moreover, Austria had long been a meeting point between the worlds. For instance, after the Cold War Austria served as discussion forum between the East and West; nowadays it does so between the Islamic and the Western Wold. Furthermore, during the Kosovo Conflict, it was Austria where the problem was negotiated and finally resolved. This well established image as a meeting place for dialogue definitely was a strong argument for having Austria on the SC. Another argument for voting Austria on the SC was its firm commitment to peace, its refusal to support armed conflicts and its effort to avoid any outbreak of hostilities. If elected for the SC, Mr. Dr. Jankowitsch explained, Austria would not seek teaming up with other states but will rather follow its independent position. Austrias impartiality was one of the major arguments used for attracting other countries to vote for Austria.
11.2. Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch: CERN and Disarmament

H.E. Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch introduced CERN (Conseil Europen pour la Recherche Nucleaire), the European Organization for Nuclear Research founded in 1954. This organization had twenty member states, Austria joined in 1959. More than 7000 scientists from 80 countries engaged in studying the building blocks of matter and the forces that held them together. Further, the Ambassador elaborated on Disarmament, making a clear distinction between this very term meaning the reduction or elimination of arms, and the term non-proliferation, which was concerned with fighting the increase of all weapons, especially those of mass destruction. Austrias focus regarding the use of arms in conflicts was to promote the abolition of cluster bombs and munitions, as the harm their use causes on the civil population was unacceptable. To this end, Austria had declared a unilateral moratorium on the use of such arms and was promoting the process of getting more countries to adopt the same position on cluster bombs
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(by 2006, 27 countries were supporting Austrias position). Ambassador Petritsch concluded with pointing out that the next official meeting on this issue was to take place in December 2007 in Vienna and the outcome for sure would influence further developments.
11.3. Dr. Helmut Friza: Health-Related Issues

Dr. Helmut Friza presented various issues relating to the importance of a healthy population as a factor for enabling wealth creation. Public health, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) constitution as the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, was promoted by institutions like the WHO in the course of different specialized organizations (e.g. UNAIDS). Only through worldwide coordination of national and international activities, the fight against diseases such as AIDS, SARS, bird flu or Malaria could be won. Various programmes aimed at eradicating diseases, especially by providing vaccinations. Unfortunately, there were various obstacles impeding the progress in this field. As an example, Dr. Friza named the case of an African preacher proclaiming that the vaccination of poliomyelitis made children impotent. The consequence was a new expansion of this disease in Nigeria, extinguishing the formerly achieved progress. Another limitation to the success of health activities was that this sector was becoming a donor driven one. In other words, it was the countries giving voluntary contributions which directed the choice of what programs were financed. All the same, the budget was primarily used to prevent poor health, thus setting standards and advising how to implement cost-efficient health services. Furthermore, recent discussions in relation to generic drugs were on the agenda. In November 2007, a meeting treating intellectual property rights in health issues was to decide on future developments.
11.4. Dr. Maria Reich- Rohrwig: World Trade Organization (WTO)

After the speech of H.E. Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch, Dr. Maria Reich-Rohrwig, Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Permanent Representative to the WTO Ministerial Conference, continued with her presentation about the Austrian Representation to the WTO (World Trade Organization), which could be considered a separate body of the Austrian Mission as it was not in direct relation to the United Nations. The main tasks and responsibilities of
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the Austrian Representation to the WTO were to participate in WTO conferences, to report to Vienna and Brussels, to foster alliances, and to network with various interest groups. Furthermore, the Austrian Representation to the WTO aimed at achieving the overall goals of the WTO, namely a reduction of tariffs and trade barriers and a better integration of developing countries in the international markets through the administration of already existing agreements, further trade liberalization, the improvement of existing trade regulations and the resolution of trade disputes. At the end of the presentation by the deputy permanent representative to the WTO, the floor was opened for questions coming from the students. One of the questions posed referred to the future significance of regional trade agreements in comparison to multilateral trade agreements. Dr. Reich-Rohrwig answered by stating that she recognized the importance of regional organisations, especially for developing countries; however she absolutely believed in multilateralism, in particular regarding a long-term view, since regional trade agreements were subject to power-imbalances between trade agreement partner countries.
11.5. Dr. Michael Schoiswohl: Human Rights-Related Issues

Mr. Michael Schoiswohl elaborated on the topic of Human Rights. In principle all governments were bound to implement human rights, but what were the mechanisms for enforcement? There were mechanisms based on conventions like treaty bodies and unconventional mechanisms like political bodies (e.g. the UN) or charter bodies like the recently established Human Rights Council. This council was to be seen as a replacement of the Human Rights Commission and was a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly with 47 elected members. Austria was currently only an observing state. The instruments of the newly formed council were the Periodic Universal Review, the adoption of countryspecific and thematic resolutions, Special Procedures like special representatives or independent experts, and complaint procedures. Every country would be examined separately and individual complaints could be filed. The current topics in Human Rights at the UN were the reform of the UN Human Rights System (institution-building), the right to development (a quite controversial issue), racism
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and freedom of religion (a rather political topic since the caricatures of Mohammed) and the rights of persons with disabilities. Austrias thematic Human Rights focus lies on minorities, internally displaced persons, administration of justice and Human Rights education.
11.6. Mag. Markus Weidinger: Humanitarian and Labour Affairs

Mag. Markus Weidinger emphasized that there were several institutions dealing with Humanitarian Affairs. First of all there was the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees), which was founded in 1950 and had a budget of around EUR 790 million. There was the IOM (International Organisation for Migration), which was founded in 1951 and had a budget of approximately EUR 725 million, but was not part of the UN system. Furthermore, there was the OCHA (Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs), established in 1998 with a budget of EUR 159 million. This office tried to bring together the great amount of expertise which was diffused in the UN. Then of course there was the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross, founded already in 1863 and having a budget of EUR 636 million, as well as the IFRC (International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies). All organisations had the problem of becoming rather donor driven because they were partly dependent on voluntary contribution. The problem with that was that as a result often only current political issues were dealt with and public opinion played a major role. Austria was quite active in the field of Humanitarian Affairs. Its thematic priorities were on the elimination of anti-personal mines, women and children, and internally displaced persons. Austrias focus was on the following countries: Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Uganda, Bhutan and Nicaragua. As Specialized Agencies related to Economic and Labour Affairs, WIPO and the ILO were representing a last remainder of the League of Nations.
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11.7. Dr. Elisabeth Marschang: Economic and Development Affairs

Dr. Elisabeth Marschang Marschang summarized the structure and relevance of the two main UN organizations in the field of Economic and Development Affairs, namely UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) and UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe). As they had been dealt with in more detail already in previous chapters, only a short overview will be given in this section. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) with its 193 members was a forum for intergovernmental deliberations on policy issues concerning trade and development. The organisation showed big similarities with the WTO in terms of its tasks and aims, yet it differed in the organisational structure since UNCTAD followed UN rules. Having been created on the initiative of developing countries based on the demands of the South for a New International Economic Order, UNCTAD had to adapt following the creation of the WTO and was now providing assistance to developing countries in order to facilitate their participation in the multilateral trading system. UNCTAD also published numerous flagship reports on trade and development issues. UNCTAD followed the UN rules and was a good policy provider. Further mentioned was UNECE, the Regional Economic Commission for Europe, having also countries like Russia, the US and Canada as members.
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12.OECD & AUSTRO MISSON TO THE OECD

Time: 3.00 pm 4.00 pm Topic: The OECD: History, Structure and Accessing Documents Speaker: Mr. Jochen Picht, Public Affairs and Communication Directorate Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an international organisation which covers nearly all economic, environmental and social issues worldwide. We were so lucky as to get the opportunity to see the OECD from the inside, meaning not only being on the premises in Paris and sitting in the beautiful conference rooms; but there was also Mr. Jochen Picht from the PR department who was so kind as to share some of his precious time with us. We hereby want to express our gratitude for the unique opportunity the students from the IMC Krems were given to get an insight into the functioning of the OECD. Mr. Picht told us about the history, the organization of the OECD itself, about the tasks of the OECD and eventually, there was also some time for students to ask questions.
12.1. History
The history of the OECD as we know it today dates back until the year 1948, when it was founded under the name Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) in order to permanently help administer the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of the European continent after the devastating destructions caused by World War II. The word permanently refers to the fact that the OEEC arose from the Marshall Plan itself as well as the Conference of Sixteen in order to have a permanent organization taking care of the administration of the Marshall Plan.
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After several enlargements (granting membership also to non-European countries) the OEEC was reformed to the institution we know today as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Todays 30 member countries are:
Australia Czech Republic Germany Ireland Luxembourg Norway Spain United Kingdom Austria Denmark Greece Italy Mexico Poland Sweden United States Belgium Finland Hungary Japan Netherlands Portugal Switzerland Canada France Iceland Korea New Zealand Slovak Republic Turkey
However, not only these 30 members benefit from the OECD as an institution but there are also more than 70 other non-member countries that discus, seek advice and consult within the OECD. Furthermore, also non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are represented in the OECD setting and participate in the talks. Also the European Commission as a separate entity is represented in the OECD.
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Nowadays, the OECD is a renowned researcher on everything related to trade, environment, agriculture, technology, taxation and many other matters of concern. Additionally, it provides a place and setting where the different governments can come together to discuss, consult and talk about matters that are either in their own interest or have a more international or even global scope.
12.2. Organisation
The way the OECD is organized can be summarized as follows: 1. The Council: Here the member countries are represented. 2. The Secretariat: This body is led by the Secretary General (Mr. ngel Gurra as of 1 June 2006) and is divided into several directorates. It can be seen as the organizing body of the organization. 3. Committees: Committees are formed for each working area of the OECD. They consist of member and non-member experts in the respective fields and can be seen as the expert bodies within the OECD. 4. Other bodies: These are other entities that operate on a more autonomous basis but are nevertheless considered to be linked to the OECD (for example the International Energy Agency or the Nuclear Energy Agency, to name just two of them).
12.3. Main tasks

The OECDs main focus is on the collection and analysis of data relating to health, the environment, science and technology, corruption and social issues on a global scale. The organization unites 30 member countries sharing a common commitment to democratic government and the market economy. The OECDs governing body is the Council which is made up of representatives from the member countries. The Council sets the primary goals and strategies, dedicates funds to the organizations areas of activity, publishes brochures and statistics and advises member countries on their policies by promoting best practices. Important to mention is that although the European Commission takes part in the OECD it has no voting right whatsoever.
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Before any data is made public, all the members have to consent on its publication. Otherwise this publication will not be available for the public. Concerning the budget there is a two years budget circle where the work is defined and the money distributed to each and every part of the organization for a period of two years. In case a member country violates the set rules and guidelines of the OECD, there is no legal means of enforcing them. In other words, the OECD can not force a member to stick to the set rules; the only possibility it has is to convince the country to stick to the rules.
12.4. SourceOECD
Before the students had the opportunity to ask questions, Mr. Picht highlighted one more issue: SourceOECD. SourceOECD is the online library of the OECD. Everything the organization
publishes is available electronically on SourceOECD (www.sourceoecd.org). It contains books, periodicals (dating back until the 80s), working papers but also statistics and the various databases (dating back until the 1960s). After this impressive insight, the floor was opened for questions and the students seized the opportunity. Two of those questions and their respective answers are outlined in the following part.
12.5. Questions & Answers

One of the question raised was whether the OECD plans to accept new countries in the long-run. According to Mr Picht, countries from the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) economies would have good prospects to join the organisation if they wanted. As to the criteria which might play an important role in the decision process (another questions which was raised by the IMC students), the OECD wishes to see like-mindedness between old and new members in the organisations areas of activity, as well as a global commitment to democracy and free markets.
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12.6. Austrian Mission to the OECD

Time: 4.00 pm 4.45 pm Topic: The role of Austrian delegation at the OECD Speaker: Ms. Sandra Scheffel, Counsellor for Public Governance, Austrian Delegation to the OECD Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic After having had the opportunity to get a broad and profound insight into the structure and tasks of the OECD as a whole, we had the pleasure of also finding something Austrian within the truly international body of the OECD, namely the Austrian Permanent Mission to the OECD. Although Attach Ms. Scheffel was under a tight schedule and very busy as the Ministerial Council Meeting of the OECD member countries was approaching, she found the time to welcome us. We hereby would like to thank Ms Scheffel again for her precious time and dedication with which she told us about the organization of the Austrian Permanent Mission to the OECD and its (sometimes quite burdensome) work, and answered our questions.
12.7. The Mission and its tasks

Every country can be considered an OECD stakeholder. To carry forward each countrys interests there are the so-called (permanent) missions to the OECD. The interests of Austria are represented by the Austrian Permanent Mission to the OECD (hereafter referred to as Austrian Mission). The Austrian Mission consists of an ambassador, currently Mr. Ulrich Stacher, and other diplomats and representatives, like Attach Ms. Scheffel. Mr. Stacher, unlike other Austrian ambassadors in Paris, is appointed by the Federal Chancellery of Austria. The Austrian ambassador to the OECD represents the Austrian interests within the complex framework of the Council of the OECD, which can be considered the most important body within the OECD. However, the Austrian Mission not only represents Austrian interests but is also involved in other spheres of work within the OECD, like the composition of the programme of work, approval of the strategic work of the organization and the determination of the contributions to the OECDs annual budget.
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Furthermore, diplomats of the Austrian Mission are part of the committees of the OECD and monitor their work. Additionally, they are involved in other bodies of the organization like the International Energy Agency (IEA) or the Development Centre (DEV). The Austrian ambassador to the OECD is chairing several committees at the moment, including the most important one, the Executive Committee which is the preparatory committee for the Council. After Ms. Scheffel had given us this profound insight into the tasks and responsibilities of the Austrian Mission and its personnel, she explained the sometimes long and difficult process that has to be undergone in order to speak with one (Austrian) voice in the OECD.
12.8. Forming Austrian Interests

From what Ms. Scheffel told us, we could see that to effectively and consistently pursue the representation of Austrian interests can sometimes be a troublesome and exhausting task. Firstly, the various positions of ministries and stakeholders in Austria concerning a specific topic have to be considered. After all the different opinions have been expressed the real work starts: The opinions have to be clarified and then they will be harmonized so that in the end it can be said that Austria is really speaking with one voice. Once the challenging task of arriving at one common Austrian position on a given topic has been accomplished, in a next effort the members of the Austrian Mission will communicate the unified Austrian standing within the framework of the OECD. After having been told what efforts have to be undertaken in order to represent Austrian interests in the OECD, the students appreciate the work of the Austrian Missions staff are doing even more.
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12.9. Outlook
Before opening the floor for questions Ms Scheffel told us what the next big events within the OECD will be:
15/16 May 2007, Paris: Ministerial Council Meeting of the OECD. Topic: Innovation: Advancing the OECD Agenda for Growth and Equity
14/15 May 2007, Paris: Biennial Ministerial-level Meeting of the IEA Topic: Bridging the Energy Gap
At the Ministerial Council Meeting the OECD will discuss whether or not there will be an enlargement of the OECD; if yes, who are possible candidates and what the road map to accession will look like. At the Biennial Ministerial-level Meeting of the IEA topics like dealing with the short-term risks to energy security, improving longer term energy security, the crucial role of energy efficiency, and the technologies for a sustainable energy future will be discussed. Further information about recent studies that have a special focus on Austria can be found at www.oecd.org/austria. After this overview of pending issues, the floor was opened for questions and the students took advantage of the opportunity to ask an insider. Two of those questions and their respective answers are outlined in the following part.
12.10.Questions & Answers

Answering a question about the criteria for joining the OECD, Ms Scheffel referred to the so-called Noburo criteria. In order to join the OECD the following criteria must be fulfilled: likemindedness, being a significant global player, mutual interest and global consideration. Furthermore, the question was raised what the opinion of the Austrain delegates to the OECD is referring to the statement by the former ambassador to the EU, Gregor Woschnagg that it would be best if all diplomates and delegates to the spezialized agencies are sent only by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In response, Ms Scheffel argued for a balance between diplomatic skills (political training, language skills) and technical know-how and opposed the opinion expressed by Mr Woschnagg.
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13.INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA)

Time: 4.45 pm 5.30 pm Topic: Energy Efficiency and Climate Change: Course of Action Speaker: Ms. Barbara Buchner, Energy and Environment Analyst, Energy Efficiency and Environment Division (IEA) Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic The second speech on our agenda on Wednesday, April 18 was about the International Energy Agency (IEA). The speech was given by Ms Barbara Buchner and we were still hosted at the very premises of the OECD, the reason being that the IEA is a semiautonomous body linked with the OECD, which means that membership can be but does not necessarily have to be linked. The agency was created in 1974 in order to coordinate the energy policy of the OECD member states after the oil shock; hence its initial role was to co-ordinate measures in times of oil supply emergencies. Today the IEA acts as energy policy advisor to 26 Member countries and focuses on three major strategic goals. They are energy security, economic development and environmental protection, also known as The Three Es.
13.1. World Energy Outlook

Most of the speech was dedicated to this years World Energy Outlook (WEO). The WEO 2007 will be published in London on November 7th this year and will focus mainly on India and China. It is produced by the IEAs Economic Analysis Division under the direction of Fatih Birol. In odd-numbered years the WEO deals with special issues or regions, like this year. In even-numbered years, however, it deals with the whole world and comes up with detailed projections on supply and demand for all the different energy sectors. The time horizon for projections in the WEO 2006 is until 2030. In the course of their work, the IEA uses quantitative as well as qualitative approaches. In particular, each WEO comprises a reference scenario that shows the trend of energy consumption and CO2 emissions under current government policies, an alternative policy scenario that indicates which results a change in energy policy that is under discussion but not yet adopted would have and last, but not least a so-called high growth scenario that
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projects the most likely development at the current growth rate, meaning a constant growth rate over the prediction period, in this years case for India and China, as mentioned above. A vital issue in order to tackle the challenges that have to be faced is energy efficiency. According to Ms. Buchner energy efficiency may contribute 45 % to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, which is substantially higher than the potential contribution of renewable energy sources. The IEA tries to create awareness and foster the will to act. Often, the speaker said, landlords are not interested in investing in more energy-efficient equipments in their houses or apartments. The EU, she said further, shows good political indications. Not only the EU, but also the G8members work together with the IEA under the G8 Gleneagles Plan of Action that promotes energysector innovation and use of enhanced technology.

After a comprehensive speech including latest data the floor was opened for questions of the participating students. The questions mainly focused on the way the IEA works and especially on how awareness is created. Throughout the speech it has been stated that the IEA mainly works by creating awareness. An example would be the WEO. In this context the IEA works quite similar in comparison to the OECD. Put simply, they try to work by applying some sort of peer pressure between states and governments. In their publications they identify room for improvement, call for action and clearly indicate strategic options to apply. The IEA is working together with various governments. One should also mention the G8+5 approach in this context. The goal is to include more and more governments in the efforts, which is certainly something that will be done step by step. A different issue that was raised was the emission trading scheme. The question was whether the system had failed because of its complexity. Ms Buchner admitted that it is indeed complex and quite difficult, but that it is a first step, a starting point. She also stated that it is always difficult to get different governments to adhere to such systems, referring to the Kyoto-Protocol. It was, however, pointed out once more that also in this context the IEA acts as an awareness creator on an international level.
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14.WORLD BANK PARIS

Time: 10.30 am 12.30 pm Topic: World Bank Europe Scope and work Speaker: Ms. Catherine Doody, External Affairs WB Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic
14.1. Introduction
The World Bank Group is headquartered in Washington DC; European subsidiaries are located in Brussels, London and Paris. The small subsidiary in Paris we visited on Thursday, April 19th, consists of only 40 staff members and is mainly responsible for public relations. In total, 120 subsidiaries of the World Bank Group can be found around the world. Total World Bank (WB) staff amounts to about 10,000 people, with developing country nationals representing about 55 % of total staff at headquarters. The World Banks president is Mr. Paul Wolfowitz, former deputy defence secretary of the United States. The World Bank works with bilateral development agencies, multilateral Development Banks, the United Nations, the International Monetary Fund and others.
14.2. History
The World Bank (WB) was established in July 1944 by the Bretton Woods agreements. It commenced operations on June 25th, 1946. The World Bank was created for the purpose of reconstructing the countries affected by World War II. The first and biggest loan ever was given to France for post-war reconstruction on May 9th, 1947. Reconstruction is still an important focus of the World Bank, especially after natural disasters. During the 1980s, the World Bank was pushed in many directions: Early in the decade, the WB was brought face to face with macroeconomic and debt rescheduling issues; later in the decade, social and environmental issues very more important for the WB. Many developed nations like Austria, Australia, Denmark, Japan, Italy, and Greece, who started as borrowers of the WB, are now donors.
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14.3. Mission
The main mission and purpose nowadays is poverty reduction around the world. The WB is the largest source of development assistance. Issues the World Bank deals with: 1. 1.1 billion people live on less than USD 1 a day (extreme poverty) and 2.7 billion on less than USD 2 (poverty); 2. 1.5 billion people do not have access to safe water, 2 billion to sanitation; 3. 3 million people (2/3 children) die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases; 4. More than 40 million people living with HIV/AIDS. To illustrate the unequal distribution of income, Ms. Doody mentioned that the 50 richest persons earn as much as all the worlds poor (who live on less than USD 2 a day) do.
14.4. Progress toward Poverty Reduction

The following progress has been made in developing countries over the last 30 years: 1. Life expectancy has increased from 55 to 64 years. 2. The number of literate adults has doubled. 3. The total number of children in primary school has risen from 411 to 681 million. 4. Infant mortality has been reduced by 50 percent.
14.5. The World Banks Structure

The WB is composed of 5 institutions, of which the first two were discussed in detail: 1. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), established in 1945, provides debt financing on the basis of sovereign guarantees. Clients are middle-income (USD 875 - 9,500 annual GDP per capita) and creditworthy poorer countries. All 184 member countries have a vote; however, the IBRD links voting power to members capital subscriptions meaning that it is in turn based on a countrys relative economic strength. The IBRD raises
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almost all its money by borrowing on financial markets and selling AAA-rated bonds and other debt securities to pension funds, insurance companies, corporations, other banks, and individuals around the globe. 2. The International Development Association (IDA), established in 1960, provides concessional financing (interest-free loans or grants), usually with sovereign guarantees; clients are the worlds poorest countries (annual GDP per capita < USD 875) who wouldnt be able to borrow at commercial rates. The IDA is funded largely by government contributions, with additional funds from IBRD profits and repayments of earlier IDA credits. 3. The International Finance Corporation (IFC), established in 1956, provides various forms of financing without sovereign guarantees, primarily to the private sector. 4. The Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), established in 1988, provides insurance against certain types of risk, including political risk, primarily to the private sector. 5. The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), established in 1966, works with governments to reduce investment risk.
14.6. How the World Bank operates

The WB is structured in three levels: the Board of Governors, followed by the Executive Directors and the Office of the President. Each of the 184 member countries appoints their
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Governor who delegate specific duties to the Executive Directors who the President of the World Bank reports to. Ms. Doody showed us an interesting graph which clearly showed that most of the power in the WB is held by only a few countries (the USA, Japan, Germany, France, the UK, Russia, Saudi Arabia and China) and the rest of the world has actually comparably low influence in decision making.
14.7. World Bank Lending

The WB is one of the world's largest sources of development assistance, providing USD 23.6 billion in loans and credits to developing countries in the 2006 fiscal year. The WB can be found in more than 100 developing economies. IBRD and IDA lending by sector, fiscal year 2006 (share of total lending of USD 23.6 bn):
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This graph shows which sectors the money of the World Bank flows to. With 25 % the Public Administration and Law sector needs most of the funds, followed by Transportation, Finance, and Health and Social services. The biggest borrowers according to Ms. Doody are Mexico and Brazil.
Education 8%
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Of the 40.000 contracts per year, 90 % amount to less than USD 1 million and 60 % to not even USD 0.5 million, meaning that the projects the WB supports are not necessarily always connected to high sums. Last but not least Ms. Doody mentioned the annually published Doing Business Report which is very popular in the Business World. It measures how easy it is to do business in a country, taking into consideration e.g. the availability of loans, licenses and compensation from government.
14.8. Financing for Development: Official Development Assistance

Special interest arose when Ms. Doody explained the Official Development Assistance (ODA). The UN target has been set at 0,7 % of gross national investment, but so far only Scandinavian countries have been able to meet this target. Another interesting point is that in absolute terms the United States donates by far the highest amounts, but when expressed in percentage terms, they lack behind. Taking into consideration the total amount of USD 106.48 billion of ODA in 2005 and comparing it with other spending like the USD 950 billion allocated to military expenses worldwide or the USD 70 billion spent on tobacco in Europe, it becomes obvious that reallocations of funds are necessary. Concerning infrastructure, the needs are enormous and only one third of them is fulfilled by the current financing for infrastructure. It is obvious that the gap between the rich and the poor is widening, especially concerning water and sanitation.
14.9. The Millennium Development Goals

The goals set targets for reductions in poverty, improvements in health and education, and protection of the environment. They measure progress from 1990 and look toward what can be accomplished by 2015. 1. Halve, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less than USD 1 a day; 2. Achieve universal primary education; 3. Promote gender equality and empower women;
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4. Reduce by two-thirds, between 1990 and 2015 the under 5 mortality rate; 5. Improve maternal health; 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; 7. Ensure environmental sustainability and 8. Develop a global partnership for development
14.10.Questions, Answers and Internship Possibilities

During and especially after the presentation by Ms. Doody, a lot of questions were asked by students. Most of the answers have already been integrated in the above report. Additionally, a question arose concerning the conditionality of World Bank lending. Loans are only given to countries which in return stick to certain rules and conditions imposed by the WB. Ms. Doody explained that this is a highly controversial topic within the World Bank Group. She mentioned that for example the United Kingdom is usually very much against such conditions. At the same time she emphasized that some of the worlds best economists work for the WB and that they sincerely wish to help poor countries. There is also a lot of positive feedback from developing countries who in many cases appreciate the conditionality of WB loans as this forces them to carry out necessary reforms. The last point discussed were possibilities for students to do an internship with the World Bank. In principle, internships are possible, but not in Paris or elsewhere in Europe, but only at the headquarters in Washington. In order to apply for an internship, Ms. Doody recommended going to the website www.worldbank.org/careers.
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15.UNESCO
Time: 3.00 pm 4.00 pm Topic: Scope and work of UNESCO & tour Speaker: Dr. Alexander Schischlik Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic Time: 4.00 pm 5.00 pm Topic: Current issues related to UNESCO Speaker: H.E. Ambassador Harald Wiesner Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic The second event on our agenda on Thursday, April 19th was the visit of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris. The UNESCO was founded on November 16th, 1945. Education, social and natural sciences, culture, and communication are the means to reach its ambitious goal: to build peace in the minds of men. After having been guided through the security check by Mrs. Danklmaier-Parent, who represents Zimbabwe to the UNESCO and has already worked for the organisation for 29 years, our group was welcomed by the Austrian Mission to the UNESCO, which consists of two people, Ambassador Wiesner and the Austrian official Dr. Schischlik. Right at the beginning of their speech they informed us about the very informal cooperation of the Austrian Mission with the UNESCO. Ambassador Wiesner also pointed out that their speech would be a rather short and informal one without any technical support but with a lot of room for questions and answers.
15.1. Dr. Schischlik

Dr. Schischlik started his speech with an introduction to the organisation and its role: As its constitution states, the UNESCO aims at eliminating prejudices, creating an understanding of cultures. The UNESCO promotes international cooperation among its now 192 member states and six associate members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication. The organisation operates on an intergovernmental level, with national delegations.
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At present, 180 member states have established permanent delegations to the UNESCO. In addition, there are four permanent observers and nine intergovernmental organizations with permanent observer missions to the UNESCO. Furthermore, the UNESCO cooperates closely with other important organisations like the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
15.2. H. E. Ambassador Wiesner

After the introduction by Mr. Schischlik, His Excellency Ambassador Wiesner, former Ambassador of Austria to Saudi Arabia, continued with an emotional speech about current issues concerning UNESCO and the whole world. Also, he told us some basic facts about the World Heritage Convention established in 1972 which binds states who sign the convention to virtually give up their sovereignty concerning the protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage and agree that other states (via the UNESCO) decide whether certain sights have to be protected or not. This is also an important issue for Austria. As an example Ambassador Wiesner mentioned the small Austrian community of Parndorf, located at the Lake Neusiedl, a world heritage site where a huge hotel should have been built. Thanks to intervention by the UNESCO the construction was prevented, protecting the landscape around the worlds largest steppe lake. Then Ambassador Wiesner dealt with the most important and current issue of the UNESCO, the dispute between Israel and the Arabic World concerning Jerusalem. The story of this dispute starts with an excavation on and underneath the Temple Mount, the holiest site for Judaism and the site of two major Muslim shrines. Although the Temple Mount belongs to the World Heritage, the Israeli state started these excavations without asking the UNESCO for permission. The Arabic world complained and the conflict started to escalate. The main purpose of the UNESCO is to act as a platform for discussing highly sensible topics like the one just mentioned. In this case, it provides a place where representatives of the Arabic World, Israel and all the other members of the UNESCO can meet and try to solve the problem peacefully:
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The last topic right before the Question & Answer session was the conflict created by the cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed published in a Danish newspaper about a year ago. Ambassador Wiesner explained that the UNESCO didnt have an official standpoint on this issue. However, he condemned the prejudiced and disrespectful Western attitude toward Islam and Islamic countries.
15.3. Questions and Answers

After their interesting speeches, both Ambassador Wiesner and Mr. Schischlik opened the floor for questions regarding the UNESCO and its activities. At first, the attention of the audience was drawn to the UNESCOs worries concerning the relatively small budget that is available for projects and active working issues. Most of the UNESCOs rather small budget of USD 643 million is used for paying the employees and financing the facilities the UNESCO uses. Therefore, the UNESCO to a large extent depends on monetary contributions by its member states, where especially Italy is donating a lot of so-called extra-budgetary funds. However, it should be kept in mind that such donations by individual countries might be linked to certain conditions set by the donor countries to further their own interests. The question of which activities the UNESCO actually promotes in order to create understanding between cultures and religions was illustrated by an explicatory real-life example: The dialogue of civilizations, which was gradually destroyed by recent wars (e.g. in Iraq) is now again coming back into play. Attention was drawn to the fact that the publicity the UNESCO gets for its actions depends to the largest extent on the medias interest toward the issue at stake. Both Ambassador Wiesner and Mr. Schischlik answered questions regarding the relations between the Arab and the non-Arab world, including the very sensitive issue of Jerusalem mentioned before. By 2020, the Arab community in total will outnumber the complete population of the European Union and Russia, who would therefore be well-advised to
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have the Arab community as a friend rather than an enemy and try to stop the humiliation they are currently so often subject to. Furthermore, the question whether international or pan-European organizations such as the EU or the UNESCO would ever be able to speak with one voice regarding topics such as US foreign policy, was answered with a decided no. Unfortunately, as the speakers stated, such questions divide organizations like the ones mentioned above and therefore it is hard to balance all member countries policies. One more issue that was discussed was the Danish cartoons defaming Mohammed which were published little more than a year ago. Emphasis was put on the fact that the Western hemispheres principle of freedom of expression often conflicts with the concept of respect for religions. As mentioned during the speech, the UNESCO tries to be an honest broker in this discussion, and is very well aware of one advantage it has: The UNESCO is not that much in the spotlight as other organisations often are, and therefore had the possibility to act in a more flexible way than others. Another very interesting topic discussed during the Q&A session was the issue of what the UNESCO is doing to support countries that cannot afford proper excavations of cultural heritage. A positive example of this is the temple of Angkor in Cambodia, where an international cooperation was organised in order to protect this unique place. A case with a less positive outcome was that of the statues of Buddha in Afghanistan which were blown up by the Taliban. However, a small success was also achieved in this context: The UNESCO managed to organise a convention of Muslim scholars who came to the conclusion that destroying cultural heritage is not favoured by the Koran.
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16.INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (ICC)

Time: 10.00 am 11.30 am Topics: ICC history & scope of work; ADR, DOCDEX, Expertise & Dispute Boards Speaker: Mr. Julian Kassum; Ms. Mlanie Meilhac Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic Time: 11.30 am 12.30 pm Topic: Role of the Court and the ICC arbitration rules Speaker: Ms. Graldine Scarfoglire Moderator: Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic The ICC, the only international organization specifically representing business, was founded in 1919 with the overriding objective to serve world business by promoting trade and investment, open markets for goods and services, and the free flow of capital. Today, the ICC has thousands of member companies and associations in approximately 130 countries. The ICCs main functions cover all aspects related to globalization, reaching from arbitration and dispute resolution to open trade and the open market economy system. The ICC also formulates internationally accepted rules, standards and codes of conduct for international trade which all business sectors comply with and whose application can be observed in thousands of transactions every day. At the ICC we had the pleasure to be given presentations by three ICC staff members. Ms. Mlanie Meilhac gave us an overview about the ICC Dispute Resolution Services (DRS), the Rules of Arbitration and Expertise and the DOCDEX, the Dispute Board, and Amicable Dispute Resolution (ADR) Rules. Ms. Graldine Scarfoglire provided us with a deeper insight into the organization itself, the International Court of Arbitration and the arbitrational process. Last but not least, Mr. Julian Kassum explained the role of the ICC in the business environment, the scope of work of the policy department and the core values and ideas of the organization.
16.1. Mlanie Meilhac

The ICC Dispute Resolution Services, also called Green Service, are provided by the International Chamber of Commerce and the International Court of Arbitration, the largest
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arbitrational body. The ICC has as its main mission to offer the business community a toolbox of services the member enterprises can choose from. During an arbitration process, the Rules of Arbitration are applied to arrive at a final and binding decision made by an independent tribunal and enforceable in most jurisdictions. The services offered by the ICC with regards to arbitration are as diverse as setting in motion of the proceedings, appointing and confirming the arbitrators, supervising the financial aspects of the case and scrutinizing the awards. The total costs consist of the filing fee (USD 2,500) plus an additional sum based on the amount in dispute. The Rules for Expertise are used to obtain an opinion on a financial, legal, or technical matter or to solve a dispute through expert determination. If the parties wish, the experts findings can be binding. The services offered by the ICC in this respect are for example the proposal of an expert or the administration of expertise proceedings. The filing fee is again USD 2,500 for all services plus administrative costs and the experts fee. The DOCDEX Rules are used to obtain a decision in disputes concerning documentary credits. Decisions are authoritative and rendered within a short timeframe. The services offered include the appointment of the panel of three experts, the revision and notification of decision and the handling of costs. The costs amount to USD 5,000, save exceptions. According to the Dispute Board Rules the so-called Dispute Boards (DBs) informally assist the parties in resolving their differences or disputes themselves throughout the duration of the contract. DBs are usually established at the outset of the contract and remain in place throughout its duration. Each appointment provided by the ICC costs USD 2,500 plus any administrative costs. The Amicable Dispute Resolution (ADR) Rules have the purpose of solving disputes amicably. It is a speedy, flexible and relatively inexpensive procedure to solve disputes but relies on the willingness of the parties involved to participate. The ICCs role is to confirm or appoint a neutral, to administrate the ADR proceedings and to fix the costs (registration fee of USD 1,500 plus the neutrals fees and ICC administrative expenses). Commencement of the proceedings may happen in two ways:
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1. If there is no prior agreement to submit the dispute to ICC ADR, the proceedings commence when receiving the other partys notice of agreement to participate in the ADR proceedings. Without such an agreement the proceedings cannot begin. 2. If an agreement between the parties already exists, either in the contract or through a subsequent agreement, the proceedings start directly. The available ADR techniques are mediation, neutral evaluation, mini-trial, and any other technique deemed appropriate. The proceedings are terminated when an agreement is reached, if one party withdraws, if the neutral has completed their work or decides that the proceedings will lead nowhere, if the time-limit set for the proceedings has expired, if the parties have failed to make the payment for the deposit, or if no neutral could be appointed. Strict confidentiality with regards to documents, suggestions, views, communications submitted by the parties or the neutral, and the settlement agreement is an essential feature of the ICC ADR. There are only two exceptions to this rule, namely in cases where the publication is required by the applicable law or when it was agreed by the parties. Here some additional information: ICC Dispute Resolution Services Internships: Christine Maingourd (tel.: +33 1 49533051, email: cmr@iccwbo.org). The ICC takes on about 20-25 unpaid interns per year for a period of 2-3 months. In case of interest, CV and letter of motivation may be sent to the above-mentioned e-mail address. ICC Dispute Resolution Services Documentation and Research: Marie Llinas (tel.: +33 1 49532948, email: mls@iccwbo.org).
16.2. Graldine Scarfoglire

As Ms. Scarfoglire pointed out, arbitration has many advantages. It is the most commonly used technique for solving conflicts, its decisions are final and binding and the grounds for challenging a decision are limited. Furthermore, the international recognition of the International Court of Arbitration is higher than that of national courts and the time it takes to reach a decision is shorter. As a result the arbitration process is cheaper as lawyers costs are kept at a minimum.
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The 1958 New York Convention signed by 137 countries is the basis for the enforcement of decisions by the Court. It makes flexible and neutral arbitration possible in any country. Dating back to 1923, the International Court of Arbitration is the longest-established ICC institution and the worlds leading body for resolving all kinds of international commercial disputes by arbitration. It is important to know that the Court works independently from the ICC. It has 125 members in more than 80 countries. Its members are appointed by the 80 national committees for a renewable term of three years. The Court holds regular sessions once a week, while plenary sessions are held to deal with specific challenges and difficult issues. Its main function is to apply the Rules of Arbitration, to administrate cases, and to monitor and scrutinize final awards. The International Secretariat represents the link between the court and the parties involved in the conflict and is composed of seven legal teams which are organized geographically. The Secretariat works in 21 languages but the official languages are French and English. It is responsible for the daily management of pending cases and has to ensure that the rules are applied correctly. The Secretariat also prepares the agenda for each individual case and gives a recommendation as to the decision. The ICC arbitrational process starts upon the demand by a client, who files the request which is then checked by the secretary general. The client has to pay USD 2,500 up front for registration. Then the request is allocated to one of the legal teams. The other party is notified and has 30 days to respond. In this period all questions arising should be answered and the respondent has the chance to raise counterclaims (Art. 5 ICC Rules of Arbitration). Article 6 defines the rules applied in case of no file of answer or non-acceptance of the file. In case both parties agree to the arbitration, the arbitrational panel and its chairman are nominated. In case an arbitrator is nominated by one of the parties, they need to sign a declaration of acceptance / independence. Unless the parties agree on the Court of Arbitration it is up to the Court to decide. In case the parties reach an agreement, the ICC is responsible for arranging the payment of the arbitrators. The Final Award has to be announced within six months (subject to prolongation) after the filing of the request or after establishment of the Terms of Reference.
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16.3. Julian Kassum

The World Business Organization is the diplomatic representation of the business community. It serves big and small companies, chambers of commerce and the media. Through the voice of the WBO its members can co-operate with national governments, UN Specialized Agencies, WTO (the main co-operation partner), OECD, and the G8 (to which the ICC submits a working paper every year in which the organization explains which core fields of business need to be focused on). As to the scope of work of the Policy Department, the 16 policy commissions help to define the ICC stance on business issues, each being in charge of a specific area. The commissions and company representatives meet twice a year to advance various projects. The departments main tasks are to produce position papers and relate them to other institutions, and to develop self-regulatory rules for business relations (e.g. INCOTERMS, UCPs). Furthermore, it works on special projects that require specific public action and thereby provide a platform for affected companies. Examples mentioned by Mr. Kassum during the lecture included counterfeiting of medicine, violation of Intellectual Property Rights (e.g. in the case of DVDs) and labor law infringements. When it comes to the core values of the ICC, its principal value is to promote international trade and investment. The ICC is very much in favor of a multilateral trading system (like the WTO) which defines the rules of trade and provides a dispute settlement body. The ICC also promotes corporate responsibility by offering guidelines and tools for good domestic governance. For the ICC such issues as intellectual property, innovation, the knowledge society and challenges like the fight against global warming will dominate the years to come.

Most students were interested in the relations between the ICC and other international institutions (e.g. WTO, OECD, G8) and their cooperation, and the status of the ICC. In addition, several legal issues were discussed like the UCP 500, INCOTERMS, mechanism
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of arbitrage etc. Further issues were the discussion about Intellectual Property Right violations taking place especially in China and Russia and how the ICC dealt with them.
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17.DIARIES
The second big part of this report is dedicated to some more personal impressions, giving an overview of what was on the agenda besides the official programme. After all, both Geneva and Paris have a lot to offer in terms of sights and entertainment.
17.1. Saturday 14-04-2007 / Sunday 15-04-2007

Archamps welcomed us on Sunday morning, as Krems said good-bye the day before, with a beautiful weather including temperatures as high as during summer. In between, a night on the very comfortable bus of Reiseparadies Kastler, which took us in some fourteen hours from Krems via Salzburg and Dornbirn to above mentioned Archamps in France, which is located just across the border to Switzerland. Thanks to refreshments sponsored by NM we could even quench our thirst during the journey. After having had a relaxing and regenerating shower, this day actually turned out to be very exhausting, as nearly all of us went to Geneva by bus in order to explore the city. Some of us were even walking part of the way because on Sundays the buses only go to the city on an hourly basis. Others, the lucky ones amongst us, enjoyed the nice experience to be taken to the city for free by a French taxi driver. Of course, this, together with the marvellous view over the Lac Lman, made up immediately for the long lasting journey. The activities in the city were, as you can imagine, as diversified as the interests of each student. We were walking through the small nice streets of the old town, exploring the huge green parks, where the weather allowed us to sit down and get our first sunburn, and some of us were also doing a boat tour on the lake. There one received information about the buildings around, the history of Geneva and the people living there, while enjoying the very warm and pleasurable spring sun. We ended the day with dinner in the city or the commercial centre next to our hotel and were curious about what the week would bring.
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17.2. Monday 16-04-2007

In the morning we slowly began to lift our bodies out of the comfortable beds at the Ibis Archamps Porte de Genve. Many were still tired from the long bus journey to Geneva. Happily surprised by the huge variety of the French and German breakfast assortment including fresh Pain au Chocolat and Croissants or yoghurt and fruits we prepared ourselves for the various upcoming visits. Fortunately, Roland, our bus driver, conducted us to the UN premises so we could spend some more precious minutes at breakfast before departing. Impressed by the picturesque landscape with the UN situated on a small hill overlooking Geneva, we stepped out of the bus. Next were presentations on UNCTAD and UNECE, followed by a guided tour through the UN site before, by noon, we left the UN premises to go for lunch at the International Red Cross Museum. Unfortunately, we were slightly behind schedule so it was necessary to rapidly devour our lunch in order to arrive on time for the museum tour. Only a short hour later we were already on our way to the WIPO which was just a few minutes away from the UN and Red Cross buildings. Everyone mobilised their last forces to attentively listen and engage in the last presentation of the day. Finally, by 17:00 we could joyfully leave and enjoy our free evening in Geneva. Some groups went off to visit museums and do some sightseeing while others enjoyed a fresh beer at the Lac Lman. The latest came back to the hotel with the last bus shortly after midnight, only to find the majority already sleeping after two exhausting days. Everyone spent a replenishing night looking forward to the interesting presentations of the next day.
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17.3. Tuesday 17-04-2007

Having enjoyed the second night in Geneva, we were looking forward to another delicious and refreshing breakfast at the Ibis hotel. Before leaving the hotel, we had to make sure that the entire luggage was stored in the bus, since we had to leave Geneva for Paris in the evening. We left the hotel around 8:30 using our bus. Fortunately, the weather was again sunny and it was pleasurably warm. Nothing could get in the way for another exciting and interesting day in Geneva. The first institution which we visited on this day was the International Telecommunication Union, which enables information and telecommunications technology. During the presentation one could observe first indications of tiredness due to the tight schedule and glorious evenings at the lake with some fine glasses of good wine. Next organisation on the programme was the International Labour Organisation, which ensures proper working conditions and is inter alia responsible for regulations against child labour and unfair trade. Before we had lunch in the ILO canteen, we were introduced to the library of the ILO. Then we went twenty minutes on foot to visit the technically well-equipped and impressive assembly hall of the Blue Box EC Mission. After a very warm welcome with some refreshing drinks, we were very positively surprised not only to see Chief of Mission, Ambassador Petritsch again (after his speech in Krems), but also to listen to former foreign minister of Austria, Mr. Peter Jankowitsch, who was in Geneva for an important mission, representing Austrias interests. Afterwards we listened to the speeches of the Austrian Mission to WTO and various specialized UN agencies like the UNCTAD until 18:30, when the end of the official programme was reached.
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In the evening we were free to do whatever we felt like. Some went to the lake in order to relax or have a cheese fondue there, others went to Starbucks for a coffee or to wild parties in some nice downtown flat with friends. Finally, we had to organise some food and drinks for the night bus trip to Paris, for which we had to leave the beautiful town Geneva to cross the border into France right before midnight, looking forward to another action-packed night full of poker and sophisticated discussion on the bus.
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17.4. Wednesday 18-04-2007

Bienvenus Paris! After an exhausting ten hour bus ride from Geneva to Paris, we arrived at approximately 8:00 at our final destination: the Etap Hotel in the south of Paris. We could not check in at the hotel right away. So we had to wait a couple of hours before we could move into our rooms. Very excited about being in Paris, the city of love, some of us couldnt wait to explore the city and used the time before the check-in for their first sightseeing tour through Paris. Meanwhile, the rest of us stayed at the hotel and tried to get some more minutes of sleep and relaxation or tried to pass the time studying, reading, chatting or playing poker. At around midday, having waited longer than expected, some of us got the chance to move into their rooms. At 14:00 at the latest, all people got access to their rooms. After overcoming the first shock of the size and conditions of the rooms, some of our colleagues found only a few minutes of rest and time to shower, as the next appointment on our agenda was already moving closer: a visit at the OECD at 15:00 on the other side of the city. Many of us couldnt make it on time and arrived a bit late at the organization. Fortunately, the speakers were very insightful and it wasnt a problem at all. After a very interesting afternoon at the OECD we all enjoyed our first free evening in Paris. This metropolitan city offers a huge and diverse range of possibilities, may this be sightseeing, picnicking, shopping or simply relaxing in one of the numerous parks. Nothing is impossible here and so everybody was free of how to spend their evenings. Some of us had dinner in the Quartier Latin, others enjoyed their time in Montmartre with an incredible view over Paris, and some of us picnicked in front of the Tour Eiffel, while others relaxed in Le Marais, the new artisan area of Paris. Whatever each one of us was up to, all of us spent a really pleasant evening/night in this amazing city. Looking back on our first day in Paris: it was an exhausting, but unforgettable one!
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17.5. Thursday 19-04-2007

The alarm went off at 7:30 and, still tired, the group had breakfast by 8:30 latest in the hotel. Our group departed by 9:00 from the hotel. Surprisingly, public transport was more efficient than expected so that many of us finally reached the World Bank too early. Some of us took the time to walk to lArc de Triomphe and drink French coffee in one of the small bars around the area. However, another little group who departed later needed quite some time to find the premises of the World Bank, but at the end we all arrived on time. From 10:30 until 12:30 we paid a visit to the World Bank where Catherine Doody, responsible for External Affairs at the World Bank, briefed us on the topic of World Bank Europe, its scope and work and was very patient answering all of our questions. After this first point of todays agenda the group split in order to try the delicious cuisines in Paris. During lunch break the areas around Tour Eiffel and Champs-Elyses were our favourite destinations to refill our batteries for the afternoon session. The lovely weather accompanied us during the day and due to this fact some group members got lost on the way to UNESCO. From 15:00 until 17:00 our fellow Austrian colleagues at UNESCO briefed us on issues about world cultural heritages and the Austrian importance and influence in this organization. Moreover, we were given information about the four budget scenarios as well as the best contributors in terms of payments to the UNESCO. After this demanding session a boat trip along the Seine, chilling in a park and walking up the Tour Eiffel were the key activities. In the evening some guys went to have dinner in the area of Bastille, others celebrated Marias birthday and the rest of us hung out in one of the numerous bars downtown or decided to get some sleep early in order to be in good shape for the last day of our official programme, on which we paid a visit to the ICC.
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17.6. Friday 20-04-2007

After having had breakfast at the hotel, we left at 9:00 for our visit to the ICC International Chamber of Commerce, which was our last official visit during the study trip. Although some of us had difficulties finding the building, we managed to arrive on time and were warmly welcomed by the representatives and speakers. Even though some of us were still exhausted from Thursday evening activities, we at the latest woke up during the highly interesting lecture held by Ms. Mlanie Meilhac on ICC Dispute Resolution Services. At the end of her speech she gave us some practical advice regarding internships and the recruitment process and also offered her assistance when applying for a practical training semester with the ICC. The following two hours were dedicated to the topics of ICC Arbitration and ICC Policies & Structure. The program ended around 13:00, but we still had the opportunity to use the ICC Research Centre and computer labs in the afternoon. Due to the fact that we were near ChampsElyses, we decided to have lunch together on the famous Parisian avenue. Afterwards, some of us went to Versailles by RER while others visited the Jewish quarter Le Marais, which is known for its nice atmosphere and the chic stores. At 18:00 some of us went to Le Louvre because students are granted free entrance on Friday evenings. After having had a look at Mona Lisa, Venus of Milo and other well-known pieces of art, we met in front of the glass-pyramid in order to enjoy the sun-rays, sit together and spend a last hilarious evening in Paris.
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17.7. Saturday 21-04-2007 / Sunday 22-04-2007

In the morning at ten, after having loaded our luggage in the bus, we talked about the impressions of the last night that we passed in Paris while some of us already left to go shopping or sightseeing. Our last day in Paris was probably the most relaxing one since we did not have any planned schedule. Therefore, each of us had the choice on how to spend the day. Some groups still went to see Versailles, others visited the catacombs and even the Tour Eiffel was still on the program of several people. Some were simply enjoying the great weather and the Parisian flair of the city while others went for a last shopping tour to Les Halles or La Fayette. Many of us enjoyed the famous, busy and spirited French quarters. For instance Le Marais, which is a very trendy and cultural open district or Montmatre, which is a historic area on the Butte, home to the Basilica of the Sacr Coeur. Most of us then met in the late afternoon in front of the beautiful Gothic cathedral Notre Dame on the eastern half of the le de la Cit. We decided to go for dinner to Quartier Latin, which concluded our ultimate impressions of the nearly twelve million people town full of different cultural facets and lifestyles.
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At the end of the day, we all met again at 20:00 in front of our hotel to hop on our approximately twenty hour bus tour from France through Germany to beautiful Krems. One could feel that all of us were exhausted after this very long and impressive day; and by 1:00, after watching a movie, the whole bus was calm and everybody was asleep. In the morning we all went for a delicious breakfast at a very nice roadhouse in Bavaria, Jura. The one and a half hour break also gave us the possibility to freshen up a bit and we all were in a good mood and glad to go home. Later we continued our journey and picked up the second bus driver in Regensburg, while watching another movie to kill time. When we crossed the Danube and the Austrian border at Passau we were all looking forward to our arrival. After an eighteen hour journey we finally reached the train station of Krems in the early afternoon. Later in the evening some of us met for dinner at the Heurigen Mllner where we were once more reflecting our exhausting, but very interesting and intellectually rewarding study trip.
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18.CONCLUSION
Looking back on an exciting week in Geneva and Paris, it can be said without any doubt that this study trip counts among the big highlights of our three years at the IMC so far. Taking into consideration that there is no other university or school in Austria that offers a comparable opportunity, we are more than grateful for this unique event. Not only did our visit to the various organisations allow us to deepen our knowledge about their scope of work and activities, but we also had the chance to establish important personal and professional contacts, for instance regarding internships or diploma theses. On a more interpersonal level, we very much benefited from spending time together as a group and exploring two wonderful cities amidst a work-intensive semester in Krems. Finally, we could match the theoretical part covered in our fifth semester with walking those organizations in real. To conclude this report, here just a few selected examples of comments from participants of this great study trip:
Cornelia, Judith & Tanja as part of the organization team, all Export 2004
The study trip 2007... It was a unique experience to walk through the impressive building of the UN headquarters in Geneva; the tour through the museum of the International Red Cross struck some of us very deeply; and the memorable speeches especially of Chief of Mission, Ambassador W. Petrisch and former Foreign Minister P. Jankovitsch at the Austro mission to the EC Commission will rest in our minds for a long time. Also, the vivid discussions at UNESCO in Paris as well as the very generous offer from the OECD of free access to the organisation's database are tightly anchored in the memory of all of us. We would like to benefit from this opportunity for thanking Mr. Bajrektarevic the utmost for the time, the efforts, but also the nerves he put forward so as to realise this study trip. He went with us through good and some very bad moments - and even more we are grateful that he never lost the conviction of the study trip becoming a great success and that he believed in its importance throughout the time! Special thanks shall also go to Eva Prokopieva and her restless efforts in seeking sponsors for the trip which finally allowed us to spend a really unforgettable week for that little money. And, finally, we also want to say thank you to Mr. Fietz and his support during the whole
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preparation time, and to all students of Export 2004 as well as the six exchange students who participated in the trip for their cooperation, their confidence, and last but not least, for the fun we had together!! Thanks to all of you!!!
Erika (Export 2003) & Olivia (Export alumni representative)

Dear Anis, dear students, Erika and me would like to say THANKS to all of you! Anis: thanks for inviting us to this great study trip which was a unique opportunity to get an insight into the UN and its particular atmosphere in Geneva. It was really impressing and we will remember this trip. The UN headquarters itself were imposing. We will particularly keep in memory the presentation of Edna dos Santos (UNCTAD), Cathy Jewell (WIPO), Mr. Paratian (ITU) and the afternoon with the team of the permanent mission of Austria to the United Nations, with the memorable speech of Amb. W. Petritsch and a special guest - former foreign Minister P. Jankowitsch half an hour long briefing. Personally, I was deeply touched by the visit to the museum of the International Red Cross. (here I have partly been speaking more for myself since Erika has spent her internship at UNCTAD. A big thanks also to the organizing team, particularly to Eva Prokopieva!!! Both, Erika and me, were positively surprised by your warm and friendly welcome to the group. We think that you are a special group with a good team spirit that shows a lot of interest for the organizations, institutions and agencies we have visited. We also appreciated that you asked so many questions. Kind regards, Erika and Olivia
Robert Knorrek, Export 2004

Our study trip did not only give us a great insight to some of the world leading organisations but allowed us also to explore two fascinating cities. Hence, both, an educational and social success!
Abraham, currently on exchange in France & joined us in Paris, Export 2004

Dear Mr. Bajrektarevic, Congratulations to this fabulous study trip which I joined 2 days in Paris. We could learn a lot and at the same time it was a great experience. Thank you for organizing this great study trip. Best regards from Rouen, Abraham Hageneder
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Aurora, Maria, Tito & Gaby, Mexican exchange students, Sokrates

Hi everybody! We just want to thank you for letting us join you in your study trip :) We had a great time with all of you and we're really glad that we got to know you all better. We hope we all keep in touch during the rest of the semester! Yours, The Mexicans! -- Aurora, Maria, Tito & Gaby
Sarah S, Export 2004

The study trip was really nice and interesting. We could get a better insight to some important, worldwide operating organizations. The trip was also quite challenging, because of the lack of sleep and so on, but I think we managed it quite well. It was also a good chance for me to get to know Paris and Geneva. I have never been there before, so I could combine organizations with sightseeing. The weather was also great, most of the time sunny.
Kristina Kraxner, Export 2004

Before leaving for the study trip, I talked about this event with some of my friends from different universities. They were really astonished that, on the one hand, we could do this trip (meaning that some people took the effort of managing the organization) and, on the other, that there were enough students enthusiastic about joining the trip. The first point I appreciated ever since we were informed about the general opportunity of organizing the study trip. The latter point as evoked by my friends struck me a bit at first. Why actually, should there be any student not wishing to visiting international organizations in two of the most important cities of Europe? What I learned from my friends from other universities was that they and their fellow students did not really know about the importance of these institutions on the business environment. Thus, they thought it enough to hear about these institutions, not realizing the benefit one could get when actually visiting them. Personally, I profited from seeing institutions from inside for this allowed me to see them physically and now they are not abstract to me no more. After the study trip I shared my experience with my friends and gradually they became aware of the value of this study trip. They themselves will most probably never get the chance of visiting all these international organizations. Their initial hesitation on benefits derived from the trip to Geneva and Paris turned into an envying approbation of our study trip. This made me realize once again how unique this journey was. I gained a fair understanding of the different institutions and learned about the importance of networking.
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Finally I want to state that this valuable experience will for sure be of profit to each and every of us participating in the study trip to Geneva and Paris.
Ms. Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg Chief, Creative Economy & Industry Programme UNCTAD
Dear Anis, Thank you very much for sharing your excellent report and for the comprehensive coverage of the UNCTAD Creative Economy Programme. Please note that inspired by the visit of the IMC students, I also wrote an article on page 4 of the attached E-Newsletter N 5 (see below). Thanks again for the nice photos I received from the students. Looking forward to strengthening our cooperation in the future. Kind regards, Edna
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LIST OF WEBSITES AND CONTACT DETAILS

website: address: www.iccwbo.org International Chamber of Commerce 38, Cours Albert 1er F-75008 Paris, France Mlanie Meilhac mmh@iccwbo.org Graldine Scarfoglire geraldine.scarfogliere@iccwbo.org Julian Kassum julian.kassum@iccwbo.org www.iea.org 9, rue de la Fdration F-75015 Paris Barbara Buchner barbara.buchner@iea.org www.ilo.org 4, route des Morillons CH-1211 Geneva 22 H. von Rohland rohland@ilo.org www.ilo.org/public/english/support/lib R. van Snellenberg inform@ilo.org www.icrc.org 17, avenue de la Paix CH-1202 Geneva www.itu.int Place des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 20 Venen Paratian paratian@itu.int www.oecd.org 2, rue Andr Pascal F75016 Paris Jochen Picht jochen.picht@oecd.org Sandra Scheffel sandra.scheffel@bka.gv.at
ICC
contact person 1: email: contact person 2: email: contact person 3: email: website: address:
IEA contact person: email: website: address: ILO contact person: email: ILO library website: contact person: email: website: address: website: address: ITU contact person: email: website: address: OECD contact person: email: Austro Mission to the OECD contact person: email:
IRC
UN Permanent Mission of Austria to the UN Office and Specialized Institutions EU - Permanent Delegation of the EU Commission to the UN and Specialized Institutions
website: website: address:
www.un.org www.mfa.at/geneva 35-37, avenue Giuseppe Motta CH-1202 Geneva 66, rue de Grand Pr CH-1202 Geneva
address:
website: address: UNCTAD contact person: email: website: address: UNECE contact person: email: UNESCO website: address: website: address:
www.unctad.org 8-14, avenue de la Paix CH-1211 Geneva 10 Edna dos Santos-Duisenberg edna.dos.santos@unctad.org www.unece.org Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 Jean Michel Jakobowicz Jean.Michel.Jakobowicz@unece.org www.unesco.org 7, place de Fontenoy F-75007 Paris www.unog.ch UNOG Palais des Nations CH-1211 Geneva 10 www.wipo.int 34, chemin des Colombettes CH-1211 Geneva 20 Cathy Jewell cathy.jewell@wipo.int www.worldbank.org www.worldbank.org/france 66, avenue d'Iena F-75116 Paris Catherine Doody cdoody@worldbank.org
UNOG
website: address: WIPO contact person: email: WB website: website: address: WB PARIS contact person: email:
II
CREDITS
Tanja Hosiner Study Trip Organisation Judith Pramhas Technical Report Eva Prokopieva Cornelia Zdrazil Elke Feigl Photos Florian Gerl Matthus Radner Petra Bhm Report UNCTAD Gabriela Leon Guerra Report UNECE Sigrid Walzl Hendrik Begemann Report UNOG Thomas Berndorfer Report ICRC Alexandra Wogritsch Marlene Eder Hector Garcia Elizalde Report WIPO Goran Jokic Maria Weingartner Barbara Aichinger Report ITO Henna Lepist Martin Wenzl Stephan Godwin-Toby Report ILO Claudia Schnberger Tina Weisskircher Marina Konrad Report EC Mission Kristina Kraxner Maria Kremser Daniel Drescher Report OECD Manfred Elzlstorfer Report IEA Thomas Pollak Michael Griessler Report WB Stefanie Mairinger Sarah S Claudia Fuchs Report UNESCO Angelika Stadlmayr Jrgen Zeitlberger Birgit Gimpl Report ICC Roland Laglstorfer Katharina Tildach
III
Diary, 14-04 and 15-04 Diary, 16-04 Dairy, 17-04 Diary, 18-04 Diary, 19-04 Diary, 20-04 Diary, 21-04 and 22-04
Robert Knorrek Jasmin Reiss Felix Hartmann Claudia Rammer Mario Grufeneder Stefan Pingerra Marianne Ehebruster Verena Heinreichsberger Sandra Kamper Susanne Oberhuber Carina Kamptner Johanna Mossegger Doris Kastl Imelda Klika
Anna Ganglberger Final Draft and Design of Study Trip Report Kathrin Lengauer Proof-reading Wilhelm Schachinger Photo Selection Katharina Schn
IV
TIMETABLE OF THE STUDY TRIP 2006

TIME ORGANISATION TOPIC SPEAKER
Monday, 24 April 2006 (Geneva)

9.00 am 10.15 am 11.45 am UNOG (United Nations Office at Geneva) ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross) UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) Briefing on UNECE Briefing on WTO Guided Tour through the UN buildings Guided Tour through the International Red Cross End of programme Mr Jakobowicz, Public Information Officer UNECE
2.30 pm
4.00 pm
Tuesday, 25 April 2006 (Geneva)

9.30 am ILO (International Labor Organisation) UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) Lecture Mr. von Rohland
1.15 pm 4.00 pm
Lecture on UNCTAD End of programme
Thursday, 27 April 2006 (Paris)

OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) The OECD: History, Structure and Accessing Documents & Question and Answer Period The Role of the Austrian Delegation at the OECD & Question and Answer Period Lecture on IEA Mr. Jochen Picht, Public Affairs and Communication Directorate Ms. Sandra Scheffel, Counsellor for Public Governance, Austrian Delegation to the OECD Ms. Philipine de T Sercalaes
3.00 pm
3.45 pm
OECD briefing of the Austrian Mission
4.30 pm
IEA (International Energy Agency)
Friday, 28 April 2006 (Paris)

1.00 pm DEXIA Trade financing facilities for Eastern Europe
VI

Geneva-Paris ST Report 2007

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G ENEVA 15/4/2007 17/4/2007 P ARIS 18/4/2007 21/4/2007

EXPORT-ORIENTED MANAGEMENT EU-ASEAN-NAFTA EXPORT 2004

Thank you all for your kind support!

5.UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE).........................................................13

8.WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO)................................................20

9.INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU)...........................................................25

10.INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)................................................................27

12.OECD & AUSTRO MISSON TO THE OECD.....................................................................41

13.INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA)..........................................................................48

14.WORLD BANK PARIS........................................................................................................51

16.INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (ICC)..............................................................62

STUDY TRIP REPORT 2007

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3. TIMETABLE OF THE STUDY TRIP 2007

Monday, 16 April 2007 (Geneva)

10.30 am 11.30 am 11.30 am 12.45 pm 01.45 pm 02.45 pm 03.15 pm 04.30 pm

Tuesday, 17 April 2007 (Geneva)

STUDY TRIP REPORT 2007

EC Mission Austro Mission briefing/s on WTO

WTO, art of multilateral negotiations, Rounds

STUDY TRIP REPORT 2007

Timetable continued: Wednesday, 18 April 2007 (Paris)

OECD briefing of the Austrian Mission

IEA (International Energy Agency)

Thursday, 19 April 2007 (Paris)

Friday, 20 April 2007 (Paris)

STUDY TRIP REPORT 2007

4. UN CONFERENCE ON TRADE & DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD)

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9. 10. 11. 12.

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Special Program: Creative Economy for Development

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5. UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE)

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The Role of the UNECE

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6. THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE IN GENEVA

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7. INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS (ICRC)

STUDY TRIP REPORT 2007

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8. WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO)

History and Development

Main Purpose and Functioning of WIPO

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9. INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU)

STUDY TRIP REPORT 2007

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10.INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)

10.1. The Organization

STUDY TRIP REPORT 2007

10.4. The ILOs Work