Geneva-Paris ST Report 2008

Study Trip Report
of our visit to the international organizations in Geneva and Paris

12th 20th April 2008
Export-Oriented Management Export 2005
Hospitality kindly provided by:
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 Ute Elisabeth Reisinger, Bernadette Schwarz and Julia Holbck 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!
We also thank Scherney GesmbH, Printshop Krems, Schnitzelhaus Krems, Weingut Mllner and our Study Program Director Prof.(FH) Mag. Ernst Fietz.
TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1 Destinations .............................................................................................................. 2 2.1 Geneva .............................................................................................................. 2 2.2 Paris .................................................................................................................. 3 3 Timetable .................................................................................................................. 4 4 United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) ...................... 7 4.1 An Overview ..................................................................................................... 7 4.2 History .............................................................................................................. 8 4.3 Scope of Work .................................................................................................. 9 4.4 Decision-Making Mechanism ......................................................................... 10 4.5 Current and Future Perspectives ..................................................................... 11 4.6 Question and Answer Session......................................................................... 11 4.7 Internship Opportunities with UNCTAD ....................................................... 11 5 The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) ....................... 13 5.1 The Organization ............................................................................................ 13 5.2 History ............................................................................................................ 14 5.3 Structure .......................................................................................................... 14 5.4 Scope of Work ................................................................................................ 15 5.5 Internships ....................................................................................................... 16 6 United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)............................................................. 17 7 Museum of International Red Cross (ICRC) .......................................................... 21 7.1 History ............................................................................................................ 21 7.2 The Mission Statement of the ICRC ............................................................... 22 7.3 The Mandate of the ICRC ............................................................................... 22 7.4 Governing Bodies & Membership .................................................................. 23 7.5 The Museum ................................................................................................... 23 7.6 Internship Opportunities with the ICRC ......................................................... 25 8 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) ................................................. 26 8.1 History ............................................................................................................ 26 8.2 Scope of Work ................................................................................................ 26 8.3 WIPO and the New Economy ......................................................................... 28 8.4 Q&A Session .................................................................................................. 29 8.5 Internship Opportunities with WIPO .............................................................. 30 9 Day 1 ....................................................................................................................... 31 10 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) .................................................. 32 10.1 General Overview ........................................................................................... 32 10.2 ITU and Cyber Security .................................................................................. 35 11 International Labour Organization (ILO) ........................................................... 37 11.1 The Organization ............................................................................................ 37 11.2 History ............................................................................................................ 38 11.3 Structure .......................................................................................................... 39 11.4 Scope of Work ................................................................................................ 40 11.5 Q & A Session ................................................................................................ 42 12 Special Action Program to combat Forced Labour (ILO) .................................. 44 12.1 Forced Labour ................................................................................................. 44 12.2 Key Figures on Forced Labour and Human Trafficking ................................ 44 12.3 ILOs Strategies against Forced Labour ......................................................... 45 12.4 Examples for Country-specific ILO Projects.................................................. 46 1 2
Q & A Session ................................................................................................ 47 Internship Opportunities with ILO ................................................................. 48 13 Austrian Mission to the International Organizations in Geneva......................... 49 13.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 49 13.2 Ms. Christina Kokkinakis Introduction, CERN ........................................... 51 13.3 Ms. Elisabeth Brandstetter WTO ................................................................. 51 13.4 Dr. Helmut Friza Health-related Issues ....................................................... 53 13.5 Mr. Michael Schoiswohl Human-Rights-related Issues .............................. 54 13.6 Mr. Georg Zehetner Economic and Development Affairs .......................... 56 13.7 Mr. Markus Weidinger Humanitarian and Labour Affairs .......................... 56 13.8 Reception and Cocktail ................................................................................... 57 13.9 Internship Opportunities ................................................................................. 58 14 Day 2 ................................................................................................................... 59 15 Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) .............. 60 15.1 History and Mission ........................................................................................ 60 15.2 Organisation .................................................................................................... 61 15.3 Major Work Areas .......................................................................................... 61 15.4 Publications ..................................................................................................... 62 15.5 Questions & Answers ..................................................................................... 63 15.6 Internship Possibilities .................................................................................... 63 16 Permanent Delegation of Austria to the OECD .................................................. 65 16.1 Role and functioning of the Mission............................................................... 65 16.2 Questions & Answers ..................................................................................... 66 17 International Energy Agency (IEA) .................................................................... 67 17.1 General Information ........................................................................................ 67 17.2 Questions & Answers ..................................................................................... 69 18 Reception at the Residence of H.E. Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch ......... 71 19 Day 3 ................................................................................................................... 72 20 World Bank Europe ............................................................................................ 73 20.1 General Information ........................................................................................ 73 20.2 History & Mission .......................................................................................... 73 20.3 Organisation .................................................................................................... 74 20.4 Project Life Cycle at WB ................................................................................ 75 20.5 Main Products ................................................................................................. 75 20.6 The World Bank Group .................................................................................. 75 20.7 Poverty Reduction........................................................................................... 76 20.8 Evolving Development Paradigm ................................................................... 78 20.9 Challenges in 2007.......................................................................................... 78 20.10 New Approaches and Instruments .............................................................. 78 20.11 Further Interesting Facts ............................................................................. 79 20.12 Question and Answer Session..................................................................... 79 20.13 Additional Information about the World Bank and related Topics ............ 79 21 United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) ............... 80 22 Day 4 ................................................................................................................... 85 23 International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) ....................................................... 86 23.1 Mr. Julian Kassum .......................................................................................... 87 23.2 Ms. Bozena Nawrot ........................................................................................ 88 23.3 Ms. Tessa Manuello ........................................................................................ 90 23.4 Questions & Answers ..................................................................................... 91 24 Day 5 ................................................................................................................... 92 25 Diary ................................................................................................................... 93
12.5 12.6
25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 25.7 26 27 28 29 30
Saturday, 12-04-2008/Sunday, 13-04-2008 .................................................... 93 Monday, 14-04-2008 ...................................................................................... 94 Tuesday, 15-04-2008 ...................................................................................... 96 Wednesday, 16-04-2008 ................................................................................. 98 Thursday, 17-04-2008 ..................................................................................... 99 Friday, 18-04-2008 ....................................................................................... 101 Saturday, 19-04-2008/Sunday, 20-04-2008 .................................................. 102 Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 104 Personal Comments .......................................................................................... 105 Contact Information .......................................................................................... 107 Timetables of former Study Trips ..................................................................... 109 Credits ............................................................................................................... 113
Study Trip Report 2008
INTRODUCTION
As an IMC student of the degree programme Export-Oriented Management EUASEAN-NAFTA, 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 Export2005 is already the third 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 Prof. 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 very interesting programme at a price affordable for each and every student. Thus, on 12 April 2007, a group of 66 students of the 6th semester as well as five exchange students and one guest student from Hungary 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 more as some
personal
impressions and photos. enjoy Please
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2.1
DESTINATIONS
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 this page show.
TIMETABLE
TIME INSTITUTION TOPIC SPEAKER
Monday, 14th April 2008 (Geneva)
10:15-11:30
11:30-12:15
01:00-01:30
UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) UNOG (United Nations Office at Geneva) ICRC (Museum of International Red Cross) WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization)
Introduction to UNCTAD Guided tour through the facilities Tour through the museum Intellectual Property and the World Intellectual Property Organization
Mr. Ramoul Kheireddine, Expert on accession to WTO
03:15-04:30
Tamara Nanayakkara, Counselor SMEs Division
Tuesday, 15th April 2008 (Geneva)
09:30-11:00
ITU (International Telecommunication Union) ILO (International Labour Organization) ILO Special Action Program to combat Forced Labour
11:30-12:30
History, structure & activities of the Organization Introduction to the Organization and activities of the ILO Forced Labour and Human Trafficking
Cristina Bueti, Corporate Strategy Division Mr. Hans von Rohland, Senior Information Officer Ms. Anne Pawletta Ms. Christina Kokkinakis, Minister Plen., Ch. dAffaires; Ms. Elisabeth Brandstetter, Attach; Dr. Helmut Friza, Minister Plen.; Mr. Michael Schoiswohl, Attach; Mr. Georg Zehetner, First Secretary; Mr. Markus Weidinger, First Sec.
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12:35-01:00
03:15-05:30
Austrian Mission to the International Organizations in Geneva
Mission Briefing
05:30-07:00
Reception
Ms. Christina Kokkinakis, Minister Plenipotentiary, Charch dAffaires
Wednesday, 16th April 2008 (Paris)
03:00-03:45
OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development)
The OECD: History, Structure and Accessing Documents
03:45-04:30
Permanent Delegation of Austria to the OECD IEA (International Energy Agency) Residence of H.E. Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch
The Role of the Austrian Delegation at the OECD Energy Efficiency, Climate Change, IEA policy, renewable energies Reception
04:45-05:30
Mr. Jochen Picht, Manager Existing Business and Renewals, Public Affairs and Communication Directorate Tobias Gamper, Member of the Permanent Mission of Austria to the OECD Samantha lz, Policy Analyst at the Renewable Energy Unit H.E. Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch
06:00-07:30
Thursday, 17th April 2008 (Paris)
10:00-12:00
World Bank Europe
World Bank Europe Scope and Work
Ms. Valrie Chevalier, External Affairs WB Dr. Alexander Schischlik, Chief of Executive Office; Mag. Helene Steinhusl, Minister and Deputy Permanent Delegate of the Permanent Delegation of Austria to UNESCO
02:00-03:30
UNESCO (United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization)
Scope and Work of UNESCO, The role of Austrian Delegation to the UNESCO
Friday, 18th April 2008 (Paris)
10:00-11:30
ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) ICC Arbitration
11:30-12:30
History and scope of work of ICC, ADR, DOCDEX, Expertise, Dispute Board Role of the court and the ICC arbitration rules
Mr. Julian Kassum; Ms. Bozena Nawrot
Ms. Tessa Manuello
UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD)

Date: Monday, 14th April 2008 Time: 10:15 am 11:30 am Topic: Introduction to UNCTAD Speaker: Mr. Ramoul Kheireddine, Expert on accession to WTO Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
When it comes to economic development of developing and least developed
countries, UNCTAD is the most important conference and a subsidiary organ of the United Nations General Assembly. It also serves as a permanent intergovernmental body with the goal to maximize the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to integrate into the world economy on an equitable basis. Our first official meeting took us to the historic place of the League of Nations; today one of the headquarters of the United Nations. Due to thorough security checks we were already awaited by our first speaker. Students were lucky to get an inside view into this highly interesting organization, situated and headquartered inside the impressive Palais de Nations in Geneva. At one of the big conference rooms in the original part of the building we were briefed and given a good overview of UNCTAD by Kheireddine Ramoul, expert on the accession of developing countries to the WTO.
4.1
An Overview
Mr. Kheireddine started by giving an overview of UNCTAD. 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. It has the same number of member states as the organization, namely 193. It has 400 staff members and works on
an annual regular budget of approximately US$50 million and about US$25 million of extra budgetary technical assistance funds.
4.2
History
To address the place of the developing world in international trade, UNCTAD first met in 1964 in Geneva. Soon it was realized that there was a broad range of issues and UNCTAD was institutionalized to meet every four years. At the same time the developing countries themselves formed the Group of 77 to promote their common goals.
1960s and 1970s UNCTAD developed to an international forum for the North-South dialogue and also gained an authoritative role in research and policy advice, including discussions on the New International Economic Order. At the end of the sixties developed countries granted improved market access to developing countries by adopting the Generalized System of Preferences. Other agreements were reached on stabilizing commodity prices, merchant fleets for developing countries and the beginning of Trade and Competition Policies. Additional points were the contribution of the 0.7% GDP policy and the identification of the Least Developed Countries.
1980s The 1980s were dominated by a change in world economic interdependence. The debt crisis of many developing countries during that period changed the UNDTAD policy. It broadened activities towards developing countries through providing technical assistance in trade rounds, increased trade efficiency and helped with the rescheduling of debt. Along this line the System of Trade Preferences among Developing Countries (GSTP) came into force, promoting freer trade among DC, and a conference on least developed countries was held.
1990s onward Throughout the past 15 years, UNCTAD has further expanded its analytical research side with international investment topics and also various types of assistance for developing countries. The Spirit of Sao Paulo (June 2004) was a declaration adopted at a conference in 2000 aimed at highlighting the problems of the developing world.
4.3
Scope of Work
Mr. Kheireddine put the scope of work in one sentence: The goal is growth of economies, but the problems we face are inequality, poverty, huge wealth gaps, imperfection of the system and others. As already mentioned the goal of UNCTAD is to integrate developing countries into the world economy. It does this via the following three main tasks in its mandate: The first is to be a forum for intergovernmental debate based on consensus building. Second comes extensive research and data collection. The last big area of its focus is on various kinds of technical assistance for developing countries. When going into detail, the latter two can be split up into the following main areas of engagement: Trade and commodities Investment, technology and enterprise development Macroeconomic policies, debt and development financing Transport, Customs and information technology Africa, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries & small island developing States Of course above mentioned are not exclusive points, but there are also other areas, one of which would be the close cooperation on environment and sustainable development with other UN bodies.
Mr. Kheireddine also pointed out the differences to the WTO. While the WTO creates rules and sets norms, the UNCTAD tries to help and integrate developing Nations into this system if wanted. They further try to promote a better understanding of the WTO system.
4.4
Decision-Making Mechanism
Conferences The highest decision making body of UNCTAD are the quadrennial conferences with the member states participating. At the conference development progress and issues are discussed and the focus of UNCTADs work is laid out. The last conferences were held in Bangkok (2000) and Sao Paulo (2004) and this years conference on the broad topic of globalization takes place just one week after our visit in Accra, Ghana. Mr. Kheireddine Ramoul informed the class about the topic and agenda of the conference. The Trade and Development Board In the four years between the conferences, the trade and development board sets the course. It meets regularly up to three times a year and has three commissions to address its policy and direct the secretariats work, namely the Commission on Trade in Goods and Services, and Commodities Commission on Investment, Technology and Related Financial Issues Commission on Enterprise, Business Facilitation and Development
The commission on Science and Technology for Development plays a role as well, but is actually a body of the UN Economic and Social Council Up to ten Expert Meetings are held every year to support the commissions on technical matters. With all member states given an equal vote, finding a consensus and decision-making can be very during, but it also ensures equal weight given to developing countries.
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4.5
Current and Future Perspectives
With no further or very little progress in the WTO Doha round negotiations, which should focus on development; UNCTAD has grown more important and it is safe to say that it is on a way forward. Nevertheless Mr. Kheireddine mentioned that international expectations that the current Conference in Accra would help significant progress in the Doha negotiations process were not too high. Nevertheless, it is a unique body in the UN system and has to try to further strengthen its role in international development.
4.6
Question and Answer Session
After the well structured presentation students were able to raise questions regarding UNCTAD. Mr. Kheireddine went into great detail when answering the questions. One question asked about some more detail regarding the conference the week after our visit. As the general topic Globalization for development: Opportunities and Challenges is a very broad one, Mr. Kheireddine talked in further detail about the agenda and prospects for the conference. Another question was raised to clarify the difference and similarities between UNCTAD and the IMF. Mr. Kheireddine explained that while the IMF is a Bretton Woods institution and has different goals, there are some ties and cooperation between the two. While the IMF and World Bank are both attending UNCTAD`s intergovernmental meetings, UNCTAD itself participates in the biannual meetings of the IMF. Furthermore the UNCTAD secretariat, through the Debt Management programme, is an active member of the Inter-Agency task force on finance Statistics chaired by the IMF.
4.7
Internship Opportunities with UNCTAD
As a last question Prof. Bajrektarevic brought up the topic of possible internship opportunities at the Headquarters of UNCTAD in Geneva. Mr. Kheireddine informed us that UNCTAD offers an Internship Programme for students to promote a better understanding of trade and development issues and giving them insight into how UNCTAD attempts to find solutions to these problems. The programme can take place
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any time during the year for a minimum of two and a maximum of six months. As with most UN related organisations all costs connected with internships must be borne by the students themselves. For further information about the program and the application process he referred to the official webpage (www.unctad.org/Templates/Page.asp? intItemID=2106&lang=1). So far, two students of Export-Oriented Management have made their practical training semester at Geneva-based UNCTAD and their performance has been praised.
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THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE)

Date: Monday, 14th April 2008 Topic: Scope and Work of the UNECE
On Monday, April 14th 2008 we would have had the opportunity to visit the UNECE in Geneva. Unfortunately, due to our tight schedule we were not able to attend the meeting. The following paragraphs give a short overview of the UNECE, its history, structure and scope of work.
5.1
The Organization
Since 1947 UNECE is working as one of five regional commissions of the United Nations. It promotes pan-European economic integration. The 56 member countries, located in the European Union, non-EU Western and Eastern Europe, South-East Europe, Commonwealth of Independent States as well as North America are in constant dialogue. UNECE strives to foster sustainable economic growth among its member countries. To that end UNECE provides a forum for communication among States; brokers international legal instruments addressing trade, transport and the environment; and supplies statistics and economic and environmental analysis. Furthermore UNECE provides policy advice and assistance to governments, sets norms, standards and conventions to facilitate international cooperation within and outside the region. The member states of the UNECE show a quite diversified picture concerning the state of development they are in. As 20% of the world population lie within the UNECE region the challenge is to promote best practices and further enhance the cooperation for the well being of all the states. This is done with a regular budget of approximately 29,810.9 thousands of US dollars (2007) and 223 staff members - 195 of them are regular staff members, six regional staff members as well as 22 project staff members.
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5.2
History
The UNECE was set up in 1947 by ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) together with the economic commission for Asia and Far East, Latin America and African commissions were organized later. At the beginning UNECE was operating on a provisional basis, the Council provided a specific review of the commissions work, which was undertaken by 1951, in order to determine whether the commission should be terminated or continued. At its sixth session in 1951 there was adopted a resolution on the commissions future, specifying that that Europe needs post-war reconstruction and rising the level of economic activity, as well as strengthening economic relations and cooperation among countries.
Since the commission was established its primary aim was to rebuild post-war Europe and develop economic relations between nations. Nevertheless the Iron Curtain, which separated East and West forced the commission to deal only with issues of common interest, despite the difference in systems.
During the Post Cold War period the commissions main concern became the integration of countries in transition in the global economy, using its experience of harmonization to facilitate the integration of the central and eastern European countries. The number of member states was increased from 34 to 56 members, resulting from the dissolution of the Soviet Union and Yugoslav Federation as well as Czech and Slovak Republics. Moreover some central Asian republics desired to be members of both ECE and ESACAP commissions.
5.3
Structure
The governing bodies of the UNECE are the Chair, the Executive Committee as well as six Sectoral Committees addressed to each of the six divisions. The Belgian Mr. Alex Van Meeuwen is the current Chairperson of the UNECE supported by the ViceChairpersons Mr. Markotic from Croatia and the Ukrainian Mr. Bersheda. The work is divided into the following six main divisions: the environment, housing and land management division, the transport division, the statistics division, the division for economic cooperation and integration, the division for sustainable energy as well as the
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trade and timber division. The Executive Secretary, headed by Mr. Marek Belka is the main organizational center. Austria is represented by H.E. Mr. Wolfgang Petritsch.
5.4
Scope of Work
The Commission offers a regional framework for the elaboration and harmonization of conventions, norms and standards. The Commission's experts provide technical assistance to the countries of Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia (EECCA) and of south-east Europe. This assistance takes the form of advisory services, training seminars and workshops where countries can share their experiences and receive support from other countries in the region. UNECE has several specified committees: Environment Its aim is to safeguard the environment and human health, in practice this means to reduce pollution, in order to keep good environmental conditions for future generations. The commission formulates the policies, through bringing together member states governments and to provide performance reviews for countries.
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Population The Population Activities Unit is promoting policy dialogues among the UNECE Member States on various facets of demographic change in Europe and North America. Its activities are supporting the implementation of the final documents of intergovernmental conferences on population issues, and contributing towards betterinformed policy-making by organizing programs of data collection and research. Housing and Land Management This committee advises member countries on human settlement policies and strategies and encourages their practical implementation. The Committee supports the economic and social stabilization of central and Eastern Europe by suggesting innovative ways of cooperation between different levels of government.
Energy This sub-program works to promote a sustainable energy development strategy for the region, in order to access high quality energy, secure of energy suppliers, improve energy efficiency in production and use, developed and enforce legal regulations and reforms. Other Committees Economic Cooperation and Integration, Statistics, Technical Cooperation, Timber, Trade and Transport
5.5
Internships
Due to the fact, that we have not been to the presentation, we could not ask for specific internship possibilities. However interns are taken on an ad hoc basis. Internships are not paid and open to graduate and post-graduate students enroled in a degree programme. Applications - including a CV, a completed internship application form, a statement of the particular field of activity wished to work in as well as available dates might be sent to interns@unece.org resp. Internship Coordinator, United Nations Economic Commision, Palais des Nations, Office 362; CH-1211 Geneva 10. Further information on available internship possibilities can be found on the homepage of UNECE (http://www.unece.org/oes/internships/internship_prog.htm).
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UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA (UNOG)

Date: Monday, 14th April 2008 Time: 11:30 am 12:15 am Topic: Guided tour through the facilities
After the presentation on UNECE had been cancelled that day and we heard about UNCTAD we were very happy to attend a guided tour through the UNOG building. Not only did we get an insight into the organization, but we could also visit the very impressive halls and rooms.
The group was split into three sub-groups, which were
guided separately. The visit started at the Council
Chamber (Spanish Room), which was built by the League of Nations as part of the Palais de nations. The Council Chamber is named Spanish Room because it was dedicated to Francisco de Vittoria who was the first law teacher in Salamanca and the first one who used the notion of Orbis for a world without any frontiers. In the Council Chamber many very important conferences have already taken place, as for example the conferences which ended the war between Iraq and Iran and between Iran and Pakistan, the convention on chemical weapons, the comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty (1997), etc.
The walls of the room are covered with impressive canvasses which show the technological progress, the social progress and the scientific progress of human kind. The canvasses are also representing hope in the case of war, by showing a mother holding her baby away from the armed crowd, and war itself, by showing the conquerors and the conquered. In the middle of the ceiling fresco five hands can be seen representing the five giants showing solidarity solidarity between the people.
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One of the main bodies that convene today at the Council Chamber is the Conference on Disarmament.
The Assembly Hall was our second stop on our tour through the UNOG. The Hall was 18th inaugurated on 25
September 1937 during the League of Nations
Assembly. It was possibly the first meeting room in the world to be equipped for simultaneous interpretation. The present Hall can provide simultaneous interpretation in six languages which are English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic. It is one of the biggest conference rooms in the world with 2,000 seats and over 9,000 meetings per year. The World Health Organization, the International Labor Organization and the Human Rights Council convene here and hold important conferences. In the Assembly Hall talks about the end of the armistices between North and South Korea were held. There were also 4 main conferences of the IAEA about the use of Atomic Energy in 1955, 1958, 1963 and 1971. In 1983 there was an important conference about the Palestine-question. The law of the sea, of territorial waters and fishing zones was also concluded in the Assembly Hall.
The front wall in the middle of the Assembly Hall shows the logo of the UN which is a symbol of freedom where no country is in the middle, showing that the UN treats all countries equally.
In the Hall of Lost Footsteps some of the gifts donated by various countries to the United Nations Office at Geneva are shown. From the Salle des Pas Perdus you can see the Armillary Sphere and the monument commemorating the conquest of outer space.
At the end of each gallery there are monumental grille doors in the Art Nouveau style. Hailed as masterpieces of artistic ironwork, they were created by a highly-regarded
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family owned business in Geneva, Wanner and Company. Worked cleverly into the design of the grilles are the English and French monograms of the League of Nations LON and SDN.
After visiting the halls and conference rooms in the Palais de Nations, we visited the new wing of the UNOG. The new wing is separated through a bridge from the old Palais de Nations and has 34 conference rooms for meetings. The dimensions of the new wing are comparable to the ones of the Chateau de Versailles.
The Library was created for the League of Nations in 1919 and it is now one of the richest bibliographical libraries in Europe. It offers more than one million volumes in specialized areas of international law, international relations, economic and social development, energy and environmental policy. In addition to its books, the Library maintains a unique collection of historical records including the archives of the League of Nations and documentary records of international cooperation since the early 1900s.
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At the end of our tour, we were shown a graph where all UN organizations are displayed and we were also told which of them are situated in the Palais de Nations: CEB, ECE, FAO, IAEA, NGLS, JIU, OCHA, UNCC, UNCTAD; UNESCO, UNIDIR; UNIDO, UNRISD, UNRWA.
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MUSEUM OF INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS (ICRC)

Date: Monday, 14th April 2008 Time: 01:00 pm 01:30 pm Topic: Tour through the museum
After the morning tour and lectures, the students moved to the IRC for lunch and then got the possibility to explore their museum in pairs. The organizational team handed out audio
guides for the better understanding of the different displays. In general, the exhibition gave insights into the history, the work, and the most important activities they have been devoting their work to.
7.1
History
Henry Dunant is the initiator of the Red Cross. But the desire to preserve life has existed and continued since the dawn of time. This is written on the first board when entering the museum. In 1859 Henry Dunant was one initiator to found the organization that offered help and protection for wounded soldiers regardless of their origin. All in all, their have been five founders of the organization. One of the other initiators was Dr. Appia. He gave the organization the symbol of A white armlet on the left arm.
After some time this organization, the Committee for Relief to the Wounded, was founded in Geneva. 1863 the ICRS was established at the origin of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
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Nowadays the ICRC and the Red Crescent Movement are made up of: the International Committee of the Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the Federation), and International Societies.
7.2
The Mission Statement of the ICRC
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is an impartial, neutral and independent organization whose exclusively humanitarian mission is to protect the lives and dignity of victims of war and internal violence and to provide them with assistance.
The ICRC aims towards assisting in situations of conflict. Its goal is to prevent suffering by promoting and strengthening humanitarian law and universal humanitarian principles.
7.3
The Mandate of the ICRC
The ICRC has a legal mandate from the international community, which has two sources:
The
Geneva Conventions, which task the ICRC with visiting prisoners,
organizing relief operations, re-uniting separated families and similar humanitarian activities during armed conflicts
The
ICRC's Statutes, which encourage it to undertake similar work in situations
of internal violence, where the Geneva Conventions do not apply The Geneva Conventions are binding instruments of international law. Moreover they are applicable worldwide. The ICRC Statutes are adopted every four years at the International Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent. All states which are party to the Geneva Conventions are taking part. A quasi-legal or soft law status on the Statutes is designed here.
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7.4
Governing Bodies & Membership
Within the organization of the International Red Cross there are four different governing bodies operating. The first and probably most important, as it is in charge of the daily business of the organization, is the Secretariat. The secretary general himself is appointed by the general assembly.
All political issues, like the framework of the organization, its purpose and policies are decided by the two governing bodies, namely the General Assembly and the Governing Board. The General Assembly is the highest decision making body and meets every two years comprising all member states, while the Governing Board is responsible for the timeframe within the General Assemblies meeting twice a year with the right to take only certain decisions. It only includes a limited number of participants, the president and vice president of the organization, representatives from elected member states and the chairman of the Finance Commission.
Last but not least, there are some specialized commissions operating in the areas of health and community services, youth, disaster relief and development and finance.
During its historical establishment after the First World War there have been five founding member societies, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan and the United States. The number increased over the years and so far there are currently 186 National Societies worldwide, within each continent and in nearly each country.
7.5
The Museum The Museum of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent has been open for visitors since 1988.
The students spent approximately 45 minutes inside the museum to explore the different stations with the guidance of the
23
audio guide. The different stations were arranged under topics such as Preserving life by the written word, Preserving life by acts of mercy, or Towards universality 1864-1914, just to name a few.
The exhibition itself is a combination of interactive and impressive and other
pictures,
videos
installations reflecting the work and historical events over the last two centuries. Most important to mention in this context is, for example, a prison cell which has been found in Iraq keeping 17 people in there. Furthermore one could walk-by shelves, keeping small register cards with thousands and thousands of names from civilians, prisoners and soldiers wounded, dead or posted as missing during different wars. The most emotional part probably was a room filled with pictures of children that were post missing. Most of them were from Africa. The room was completed with an interview where one could listen to a refugee searching for his entire family.
In addition, the exhibition included holdings and
requisites of their work during both world wars as well as the time in between. The museum is constructed very plain and simple. Most of the time one could only see the grey concrete walls. Also the
lightning was rather sparse and the entire museum appeared to be rather dim, which helped to create a very special and serious atmosphere for some very remarkable impressions.
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7.6
Internship Opportunities with the ICRC
Due to the fact that most of the activities of the ICRC abroad are carried out in zones of armed conflicts no internships are offered with delegations abroad. For volunteering it is the best solution to contact your local Red Cross directly.
Hence a possibility to do an internship with the ICRC occasionally is still given. Those specific vacancies will be advertised in the job section of the official homepage. Nevertheless, internships are only offered for a period of at least 12 months. So far there are no capacities for doing any summer internships.
If one is interested in doing an internship with the International Committee of the Red Cross there are certain basic criteria one should be aware of prior to applying. Those include for example a university degree equivalent to a masters degree within relevant areas such as law, humanitarian unit, or education. Furthermore, an excellent knowledge in both English as well as French will be required and additional knowledge of Russian, Arabic or Spanish is highly recommended. Candidates which would like to apply have to be at least 25 years and should have already required some prior working experience with other NGOs.
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WORLD INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ORGANIZATION (WIPO)

Date: Monday, 14th April 2008 Time: 03:15 pm 04:30 pm Topic: Intellectual Property and the World Intellectual Property Organization Speaker: Tamara Nanayakkara, Counselor SMEs Division Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
After having seen the museum of the International Red Cross we visited the last organization of the first day, the World Intellectual (WIPO). Property This
Organization
specialized agency of the United Nations is dedicated of the an to the
development system for
international of
protection
international property.
8.1
History
The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property of 1883 and the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property of 1886 marked the birth of intellectual property protection. In 1893 the two were combined to form the United International Bureaux for the Protection of Intellectual Property (BIRPI), which later on became WIPO. Since 1974 WIPO is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
8.2
Scope of Work
Today WIPO has 184 member states and administers 24 treaties. To become a member of the WIPO, the applying state has to present an instrument of ratification to the Director General of the WIPO.
26
The WIPO Convention itself provides that membership is open to any state, as long as the following conditions apply: is a member of the Paris Union for the Protection of Industrial Property, or of the Berne Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works or is a member of the United Nations, or of any of the United Nations' Specialized Agencies, or of the International Atomic Energy Agency, or that is a party to the Statute of the International Court of Justice or is invited by the WIPO General Assembly to become a Member State of the Organization
WIPO consists of 4 organs: The General Assembly Conference Coordination Committee International Bureau
The strategic direction and activities of the organization are determined by its member states. They meet in assemblies, committees and working groups, which are organized by the Secretariat. The Secretariat furthermore implements decisions made by the members states and administers IP registration systems and programs designed to achieve WIPOs goals.
In general, the work of WIPO and its member states includes the following: harmonize national intellectual property legislation and procedures provide services for international applications for industrial property rights exchange intellectual property information provide legal and technical assistance to developing and other countries facilitate the resolution of private intellectual property disputes Marshal information technology as a tool for storing, accessing, and using valuable intellectual property information.
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The WIPO is more or less a self-financing organization. About 90 percent of what the organization spends throughout the year comes from earnings which they make due to the services they provide to users of the international registration systems. The
remaining 10 percent are mainly collected from WIPOs arbitration and mediation services, their sales of publications and a very small part from contributions from Member States.
8.3
WIPO and the New Economy
In the last 20 years the importance of intangible goods has steadily increased and It is estimated that by 2007, as much as 90% of the value of the worlds top 2000 enterprises will consist of intellectual property (PriceWaterhouse Coopers). This immense increase in the importance of intellectual property calls for stricter rules and legislation to protect knowledge, innovation or even smells and different styles in order to ensure the companies to stay competitive. In the following the different ways how to protect a companys intellectual property and how WIPO does help the companies to gain more value with their uniqueness is explained.
WIPO offers different solutions to the companies so they can accordingly to their needs protect their products and can ensure that no competitor could gain value with a stolen idea or innovation. One of the most known and most important tools to ensure the uniqueness of a product is the patent which creates an exclusive right to any new invention for a maximum period of 20 years. This invention may help the company to reduce internal costs, increase performance and efficiency and could be necessary to grant the survival of the company on the market.
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Different to a patent a trademark is no actual invention such as a machine, it is the invention of a recognizable sign which allows the customer to differentiate the very brand from all other companies in the market. This doesnt only help the companies as a trademark which is obtained through registration or simply through use - prohibits the use of the same or identical signs by any other company but also the consumer who doesnt have to search for his favorite brand forever as he surely can recognize the brand logo.
Other possibilities for protected property rights are unique smells, tastes, letters, recipes, numerals, pictures or shapes which allow a distinction between brands and therefore grant the uniqueness of the very company. A company could decide to give away the unique rights to a partner by franchising. This means that the company sells some intellectual property or a business idea to a business partner, who is in return of money allowed to use the same logos, styles or products as the core company.
8.4
Q&A Session
There were only 2 questions asked because time was rather tight.
1. Could you please define in more detail the current situation in China? According to Miss Nanayakkaras opinion, China has done a lot of work during the last years and they have joined a lot of WIPOs treaties within the last decade. Although WIPO is an independent body, they do advise and assist countries, and so they do in China. Ten years ago China asked the WIPO for help to set up an Intellectual Property System in the country what they successfully did.
2. How can especially SMEs be helped to enforce their right? Miss Nanayakkara mentioned, that unfortunately there are only three people working in the SME-department of the organization so there is a lot of work but not too much can be done. But still they try to do their best in supporting institutions, talking to the responsible people and letting them know about their rights. On their website (www.wipo.int/sme) they are offering different services like electronic newsletters, guides and an E-learning CD called IP-Panorama. But the main task of the SME-
29
department is to create content and material and then to translate this material into different languages so that there will be no misunderstanding within the different countries.
8.5
Internship Opportunities with WIPO
As mentioned by Miss Nanayakkara, especially at their department there are always vacancies for interns as they are short on staff but have an overload of work to do. In case of interest students should contact the director of the SME-department, Mr. Gurigbal Singh Jaiya but should be aware of the fact that the internship would be unpaid.
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DAY 1
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10
INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION (ITU)

Date: Tuesday, 15th April 2008 Time: 09:30 am 11:00 am Topic: History, Structure & Activities of the ITU Speaker: Cristina Bueti, Corporate Strategy Division Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
After
the
very
interesting
and and
comprehensive
presentations
explanations of UNCTAD, UNOG, IRC, and WIPO on the first working day of our stay in Geneva, an insightful presentation of the International and its
Telecommunication
Union
current focus of activities was the first one of our second day. After
introducing the ITU and giving an overview of the organizations mission and structure, Cristina Bueti from the Corporate Strategy Division presented interesting insights of the agencys current work related to cyber security. After this a question and answers session was held that focused mainly on the importance and the extent of the organizations work on cyber security, as well as the internets crucial role in business communication with now well over 1 billion users.
10.1
General Overview
Basic Facts The ITUs headquarters are based in Geneva, and was founded already in 1865, being the oldest specialized agency of the UN system. Furthermore, it is an international organization where governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services.
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Mandate and Scope The ITU acts as a platform to manage the finite resource of radio frequencies, to set technical rules and standards for telecommunication devices and systems and to develop telecommunication infrastructure. It has 11 regional offices and some 760 staff from around 80 nationalities. The ITU has 191 member states and 780 sector members and sector associates making its scope virtually global.
Legal Framework The main legal instruments of the organization, which have treaty status, are the constitution and convention that entered into force in 1994 (with the most recent amendments entering into force in 2004) and the administrative regulations which consist of the radio and international telecommunication regulations.
ITU Structure The basic institutional structure of the Union is set forth in Article 7 of the ITU constitution which states that The Union shall comprise a) the Plenipotentiary Conference, which is the supreme organ of the Union; b) the Council, which acts on behalf of the Plenipotentiary Conference; c) world conferences on international telecommunications; d) the radio communication Sector, including world and regional radio communication conferences, radio communication assemblies and the Radio Regulations Board; e) the Telecommunication Standardization Sector, including world telecommunication standardization assemblies; f) the Telecommunication Development Sector, including world and regional telecommunication development conferences; [and] g) the General Secretariat.
The 3 different ITU Sectors are now explained in further detail. 1. ITU-R (radio communication) is responsible for the management of radio frequencies all over the world, in order to avoid interference between radio stations of different countries. Furthermore, the ITU-R carries out studies for the improvement of the radio telecommunication system, which also plays an important role in case of natural catastrophes or other disasters, because wireless communication becomes crucial when wired communication systems collapse or malfunction.
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2. The ITU Standardization Sector sets rules, regulations and standards which are followed by producers of telecommunication equipment, in order to maintain and create harmonized and compatible telecommunication systems on the whole globe. 3. The ITU Development Sector was established to help spreading equitable, sustainable and affordable access to information and communication technologies as a means of stimulating broader social and economic development and its main concern is to improve the infrastructure for telecommunication in order to get regions connected which did not have appropriate telecommunication means yet. The World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC) is held once in four years to set new goals and discuss possible ways of improvement. The ITU-D works closely together with governments and industry to mobilize all possible resources.
Mission and Activities The ITUs mission is enabling growth and sustainable development of telecommunications and information networks,
facilitating universal access in order for people to be able to participate in and benefit from the emerging information
society and global economy. A further aim is assisting in mobilizing the technical, financial, and human resources needed to make this vision a reality, as the ability to communicate freely is a prerequisite for a more equitable, prosperous and peaceful world. In realizing this vision, a key priority of the ITU lies in bridging the so called Digital Divide by building information and communication infrastructure, promoting adequate capacity building and developing confidence in the use of cyberspace through enhanced online security, as achieving cybersecurity and cyberpeace are amongst the most crucial concerns of the information age and are tackled by ITUs landmark Global Cybersecurity Agenda. ITU
34
also concentrates on strengthening emergency communications for disaster prevention and mitigation.
Furthermore, the ITU, which has been named being one of the worlds ten most enduring institutions, sets out to maintain and extend international cooperation in telecommunications, to assist developing countries technically and in policy making, to harmonize actions of member states and promote cooperation between member states and sector members, as well as to manage the World Summit on the Information Society. ITUs work focuses on the goal of enabling every human being to be within easy reach of information and communication and to contribute significantly to economic and social development of all people. In short: ITU is dedicated to helping the world communicate.
10.2
ITU and Cyber Security Christina Bueti, working in the Corporate Strategy Division of ITU, gave us a very comprehensive and interesting presentation on cyber security and the role of ITU when it comes to prevention of cyber crime.
Due to the fact that internet is very important nowadays, but simultaneously shows security holes which may harm individuals, companies or even governments, ITU has identified cyber security as top priority.
Christina Bueti explained that it is most important to create awareness among internet users and make them participate actively in fighting cyber crime.
The presentation showed the necessity of a global framework fighting crime. Of course there are legal and technical measures in many countries, but not worldwide. Cyber criminals shift their activities to countries where appropriate laws are not yet in place
35
and the ITU provides the forum for the necessary harmonization of legislation on a global scope.
In order to close such security holes the ITU created a global roadmap for cyber security which focuses on legal measures, technical and procedural measures, organizational structures, capacity building and international cooperation. A high level expert group consisting of governments, the industry and other affected sectors has been appointed to manage the success of the global roadmap for cyber security.
Visiting the ITU gave us a very interesting inside into how complex the technology which we are using on a daily basis is, and which problems the modern world is facing. The visit to the ITU taught us that the threats deriving from cyber criminals are a serious global problem due to the borderless nature of the internet and, thus, need to be tackled on a global scale.
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11
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION (ILO)

Date: Tuesday, 15th April 2008 Time: 11:30 am 12:30 pm Topic: Introduction to the Organization and Activities of the ILO Speaker: Mr. Hans von Rohland, Senior Information Officer Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
After the ITU presentation, the second organization to be visited on Tuesday was the International Labour Organization hosted by Mr. Hans von Rohland. The ILOs Senior Information Officer provided us with useful insights into the history and development of the organization as well as general information on the ILOs activities. Afterwards, we got the chance to listen to Ms. Anne Pawletta who is working for the Special Action Program to combat Forced Labour. Her presentation provided us with very specific information on one of the ILOs scopes of work as well as activities in the field. However, there will be a separate section on the next few pages on Ms. Pawlettas presentation.
11.1
The Organization
Since 1946 the International Labour Organization is one of the 16 UN Specialized Agencies. The ILO consists of 181 member states which meet each year in June at the International Labour Conference in Geneva. Each member state is represented by two government delegates, one employer delegate and one worker delegate. During this Labour Conference, international labour standards are adopted and the Governing Body is elected. The ILOs current Director General is Mr. Juan Soavia from Chile.
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The ILO is the responsible organization for setting and overseeing international labour standards, meaning they do not only work out conventions and recommendations for setting minimum standards of the basic labour rights but they also ensure that labour standards are respected in practice.
Basic labour rights are: Freedom of association The right to organize Collective bargaining Abolition of forced labour Equality of opportunity and treatment Other standards addressing conditions of work related issues
11.2
History
The International Labour Organization has been founded in 1919 in the course of the Treaty of Versailles, which ended the First World War. The founders of the ILO believed that lasting peace can only be established if it is based upon decent treatment of working people. Therefore they were aiming to improve working conditions, to reduce hardship and poverty and to improve the opportunities for men and women to obtain decent work.
However, the reasons for the establishment of this international organization were manifold and sourced from different economic, social and political contexts of that time.
To begin with, the Russian Revolution of 1917 had burned itself into peoples minds. Many feared that the Revolution could swap over the borders and cause a change in many societies. Therefore, the idea was to create an organization striving for peace, harmony and social justice in a more peaceful way than the Revolution was trying to. Furthermore, the time was marked by an increasing number of trade union movements which brought about changes in the world of work. Terms like enlightened employers were on the agenda when factory owners, like Engels himself, tried to improve working
38
conditions in their factories. Thats also why these enlightened employers are often said to be the godfathers of the International Labour Organization. Certainly, there has also been a very strong economic argument for the foundation of the ILO. The primary aim was, and still is, to create international labour standards to harmonize national ones in order to make up for unequal progress in the worlds different labour markets. Today, this mainly is a problem of 3rd world countries which makes it still the main argument for the existence of the ILO.
However, the ILO had to adapt over time. After World War I the League of Nations has been established to prevent another World War and humanitarian crimes. In contrast to the ILO, the League of Nations could not survive WWII WWII can also be seen as a proof of the Leagues inefficiency. But from the ashes of WWII rouse an organization that would be capable to prevent such horrors and cruelties in the future the United Nations. The ILO formed an association with the UN and in 1946 became the first Specialized Agency. Today, almost all UN member countries are also member to the ILO and the adoption of the Declaration of Fundamental Rights and Principles at Work in the course of the International Labour Conference in 1998 has added another brick to the road called future.
11.3
Structure The ILO distinguishes itself from other international organizations by its very exceptional structure. As the founding fathers came from different backgrounds and comprised workers, employers as well as government representatives the ILO developed a system of tripartite representation. This structure is unique as in international law usually only governments represent their countries.
Some might think that this structure makes it more problematic to reach decisions as there are 181 member states which have to be multiplied by three. However, one has to look at it in a more formal way. The main governing body of the ILO is the Executive Council which meets three times a year in Geneva. During these meetings they take
39
policy decisions and establish the program as well as the budget. The Executive Council is rather small as it comprises 28 government members, 14 employer members as well as 14 worker members. This structure allows for a very dynamic yet not cumbersome discussion. Furthermore, employers and workers even seem to have a comparative advantage over governments as representatives sometimes stay in office for 20 to 40 years, while government representatives tend to change frequently. As a result, it is very often workers and employers representatives that lead the discussions.
By the way, the International Labour Office is the permanent secretariat of the ILO and is based in Geneva. More than 1,900 officials of over 110 nationalities work at the office. Additionally approximately 600 experts undertake field missions in all regions of the world. The office also contains a research and documentation centre, where specialized studies and reports are issued.
11.4
Scope of Work
The creation of the International Labour Organization has, since its foundation, proved its justification, however, after some time it became apparent that the sole promotion of international labour standards might not be good enough as not all countries were having the same prerequisites or means to implement these standards. Even before WWII the ILO organized employment missions and technical cooperation activities in Latin America. Also today, having international standards is very hard as many countries simply arent able to ratify the standards. Therefore, social dialogue has become a key word for the ILOs work. It has become clear, that there should be an economic motive for the members to adhere to agreed standards.
Promoting decent work for all thats the slogan under which the ILO structures its organization and activities. Firstly, the ILO is about the promotion of employment as well as the creation of jobs. Secondly, the term decent refers to three important pillars of the organizations activities:
40
1. traditional standard setting 2. social protection (referring to social security systems as well as occupation safety and health) and social dialogue (referring to the ideas the ILO exports outside into the world which is particularly important to fight child labour or forced labour) 3. respect for international labour standards
The ILO works together with the UN, the World Bank as well with other multilateral agencies to develop policies and programs that support the creation of decent work opportunities in order to eradicate poverty in the long run.
As already mentioned, in 1919 it was very difficult for developing countries to ratify all ILO standards. In the 1990s a new consensus has been achieved stating that certain conventions are more important than others and therefore have to be ratified and implemented by all members. The four principles that have been covered are the elimination of forced labour, child labour, all forms of discrimination at the workplace as well as freedom of association. All members should be able to implement these conventions as, at the same time, they also constitute fundamental human rights.
So far the ILO has adopted more than 180 Conventions and 190 Recommendations covering all aspects of the world of work. In addition, quite a big number of Codes of Practice were developed covering areas such as maternity leave and the protection of migrants. The ILO also holds the monopoly for the social dimension of globalization and constantly tries to push the topic higher on the international agenda.
Last but not least, the ILO serves as the arbitration body for the whole UN system when it comes to labour matters and its decisions are binding for all the signatories.
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11.5
Q & A Session
After having reported on general issues concerning the ILO Mr. von Rohland gave us the opportunity to pose questions in the course of a 10 to 15 minutes question and answer session.
The first question dealt with the selection procedure of the plenary, more precisely, how the members of the plenary are selected? According to Mr. von Rohland this was mainly a question of international coordination but in case of, for example, the workers representatives all trade union representatives come together and take the decision among themselves.
One further question has been how the ILO ensures application of standards or better said how the organization deals with non-conformity of member states? Here, Mr. von Rohland answered that the ILO basically is against sanctions but Article 29 of the ILO Constitution does provide for the application of sanctions, especially in desperately longstanding cases like the forced labour issue in Myanmar. However, the main tool
42
used by the ILO is certainly public opinion pressure which has very often proved to be a very powerful instrument in international settings.
Further questions have been posed, of course; however, they have been more of clarifying nature and all answers have already been incorporated into the main text above.
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12
SPECIAL ACTION PROGRAM TO COMBAT FORCED LABOUR (ILO)

Date: Tuesday, 15th April 2008 Time: 12:35 pm 13:25 pm Topic: Forced Labour and Human Trafficking Speaker: Ms. Anne Pawletta Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
12.1
Forced Labour
Forced or compulsory labour is all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of a penalty and which the person has not entered into of his or her own free will. It occurs where work is forced by the State, or private enterprises or individuals who have the will and power to impose on workers by severe deprivations and threats, such as physical violence or sexual abuse; restricting peoples' movement or imprisoning them; withholding wages or identity documents to force them to stay on the job; or entangling them in fraudulent debt from which they cannot escape.
In practice, forced labour is a situation where a person is not free to leave his or her work because of threats, debts, or other forms of physical or psychological coercion. Forced labour must be distinguished from the lack of economic alternatives. For a situation to be forced labour there must be a perpetrator.
12.2
Key Figures on Forced Labour and Human Trafficking
ILO research has shown that there are at least 12.3 million victims of forced labour worldwide of which 9.8 million are exploited by private agents, including 2.4 million in forced labour as a result of human trafficking. The majority of victims, namely 9.5 million people, can be found in the Asian Pacific region, followed by Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and industrialized countries.
44
State- and military imposed forced labour makes up for 2.5 million persons, including: forced prison labour forced public works programs forced labour imposed by military authorities or rebel groups who claim political power
The sectors most prone to the application of forced labour are the textile sector,
construction, tourism, health care, agriculture. 32 % of all forced labour is economic exploitation; the victims are men, women and children. 43 % of forced labour
worldwide happens in the commercial sexual sector whereby the majority of victims are women. In total, forced labour is estimated to yield profits of USD 32 billion p.a. worldwide.
12.3
ILOs Strategies against Forced Labour
1) Data collection to get a clear understanding of the nature and scope of forced labour in a country; to develop reliable forced labour statistics at the national level; to develop a set of national indicators of forced labour etc. 2) Legal framework because in some countries it is hard to prosecute crime and to impose legal sanctions against perpetrators effective fines and sentences as well as enforcement of legislation have to be developed. 3) Labour market based measures to monitor and regulate the activities of recruitment agencies and labour contractors; making workplace inspections; providing alternative local income opportunities and skills to prospective irregular migrants and rescued victims of trafficking etc.
45
The most important ILO Conventions in the fight against forced labour are the Forced Labour Conventions No. 29 (1930), No. 105 (1957), the Migration for Employment Convention, No. 97 (1949), the Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, No. 143 (1975), the Private Employment Agencies Convention, No. 181 (1997) and the Labour Inspection Convention, No. 81 (1947).
In order to ensure efficient counter-action the ILO collaborates with different national stakeholders such as: Trade unions Employers Workers Government - Ministries of Labour, Justice etc. Law enforcement agencies Labour inspectors which constitute an important instrument and very valuable partner as they do not need warrants to search a workplace Police and NGOs which are particularly important when it comes to victim assistance
Last but not least the ILO promotes good practice within countries. Not only is it important for a country to ratify conventions but a country can also address the issue of forced labour in trade agreement to make sure that each partner in the Supply Chain adheres to the same standards. Furthermore, countries should have national action plans and national commissions to supervise the implementation of these action plans to ensure that forced labour will be eradicated from todays business landscape.
12.4 -
Examples for Country-specific ILO Projects
Promoting the elimination of bonded labour in Pakistan (March 2007 - April 2010); Enhancing communities capacity in Nigeria and Ghana to combat human trafficking;
Combating trafficking in persons in Brazil (October 2005 - September 2008);
46
Elimination of human trafficking from Moldova and Ukraine through labour market based measures (November 2006 - November 2008);
Capacity building for migration management in China (January 2007 - December 2008)
12.5
Q & A Session
Due to Ms. Pawlettas very informative and exact presentation, only a few questions have been left open which the students were to pose.
However, one question of interest was the role of employers around the globe in the fight against forced labour. According to Anne Pawletta, employers can play a key role in the prevention of forced labour. It is crucial to make employers aware of the possible risks of human trafficking and forced labour, e.g. in supply chains. If employers are informed about consequences of the use of forced labour in terms of juridical action and companies reputation on the market and among customers, the probability that they will use forced labour within their businesses will decrease.
Another question dealt with victim recovery and compensation. The class was interested in who paid for these compensations. Ideally, the money comes from the perpetrator, who has exploited the can be state funds, has set up especially compensating victims within their countries Plans. The State Fund practice example for victim. Other sources meaning funds a state for the purpose of of forced labour
as part of their Action of Georgia is a good this mechanism. In
most countries, reintegration and assistance for the victims is provided by NGOs and international organizations. One important provision for victims is the possibility to be granted a residence permit, especially in those cases where the return to the country of origin would put the victim at risk.
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In case of general questions concerning the work of the Special Action Program Ms. Pawletta advised us to visit the ILOs website (www.ilo.org/forcedlabour) and even offered the possibility to contact her directly via pawletta@ilo.org.
12.6
Internship Opportunities with ILO
In principle, the ILO does offer internship opportunities for students. Anne Pawletta herself started off as an intern and gave useful insights into application procedure and conditions of internships.
Firstly, applications can be posted via the ILOs homepage directly (in case of general inquiries please contact internship@ilo.org) or, in case the applicant would be interested in a placement with the Special Action Program combating Forced Labour, Ms. Pawletta offered that
applications may be sent to her directly (pawletta@ilo.org). To apply with her directly, applicants may send her their CVs as attachment and in the main e-mail body state their motivations for doing an internship with the ILO.
Secondly, there is the possibility to negotiate the length of placement, however, a minimum duration of six months is recommended. Furthermore, the ILO is one of the few, or even only, UN Specialized Agency that offers paid internships. Ms. Pawletta estimated the monthly payments amounting to CHF 1,500.
In case future applicants should have any questions left, we recommend making use of the following possibilities: Pose your inquiries with Mr. von Rohland directly under rohland@ilo.org Pose your inquiries with Ms. Pawletta directly under pawletta@ilo.org Contact internship@ilo.org
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13
AUSTRIAN MISSION TO THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN GENEVA

Date: Tuesday, 15th April 2008 Time: 03:15 pm 05:30 pm Topic: Mission Briefing Speakers: Ms. Christina Kokkinakis, Minister Plenipotentiary, Charg dAffaires a.i. Ms. Elisabeth Brandstetter, Attach Dr. Helmut Friza, Minister Plenipotentiary Mr. Michael Schoiswohl, Attach Mr. Georg Zehetner, First Secretary Mr. Markus Weidinger, First Secretary Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
13.1
Introduction
The afternoon of our third day in Geneva offered us the unique opportunity and outstanding pleasure of being invited to a mission briefing by the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations and specialized agencies in the so called Blue Box building. The principle aim of the Austrian Mission is to represent and promote the interests of the Austrian Federal Government in the United Nations and its specialized institutions, as well as in other agencies like WTO or CERN, situated in Geneva. This is ensured by actively participating in the decision-making process throughout the various organizations and further by keeping direct contact with and reporting to the Foreign Ministry or other respective department of the Austrian Federal Government.
Impressively, a considerably huge part of the delegation of the Permanent Mission was present in order to make the event as diversified and comprehensive as it finally turned
49
out to be. After the excellent and highly informative formal part of the briefing, our study group could take advantage of the possibility to consult the various representatives on a face-to-face-basis in order to obtain further in-depth knowledge, as well as to ask for professional opinion. This so to speak, informal part took place in the form of a small reception, merely set up for us IMC students, and additionally eased the already comfortable and inviting atmosphere and even opened the floor for rather private discussions with the valued hosts concerning, for instance, living in Geneva and educational backgrounds.
Commencing the briefing, Ms. Kokkinakis, Charg dAffaires a.i. and Minister Plenipotentiary, warmly welcomed us to the premises of the Blue Box and moreover to the briefing of the Permanent Mission of Austria itself. After some introductory words about the general purpose and principle aims of this very special representation of Austria, the speaker further elaborated on the specific issue of CERN. This topic was followed by the presentations of Ms. Elisabeth Brandstetter, Attach (WTO); Mr. Helmut Friza, Minister Plenipotentiary (Health); Mr. Michael Schoiswohl, Consultant Human Rights; Mr. Georg Zehetner, First Secretary Economic and Development Affairs; and last but surely not least Mr. Markus Weidinger, First Secretary Humanitarian and Labour Affairs.
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13.2
Ms. Christina Kokkinakis Introduction, CERN
Minister Plenipotentiary and Charg dAffaires a.i., Ms. Christina Kokkinakis, officially opened the briefing by explaining the study group the principles and aims of the Permanent Mission of Austria like the promotion of the interest of the Austrian Federal Government in the United Nations and further specialised organisations, located in Geneva. To be more precise, Ms. Kokkinakis explained that Austria is actively participates in the decision-making processes in the United Nations when it comes down to issues as dealing with human rights, health, economic and development affairs, humanitarian and labour affairs, as well as in other international organisations like the WTO and CERN.
Following this very basic introduction, Ms. Kokkinakis devoted her precious time to discuss the nature and importance of CERN (Conseil Europen pour la Recherche Nucleaire), the worlds largest particle-physic centre, and employer to approximately 2,500 scientists from all together 81 countries. Founded in 1954, this European organization dealing with particle physics accommodates the so called Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the worlds biggest particle accelerator, with a diameter of 27 km. The organization itself consists of 20 member states, whereas Austria joined in 1959. The Austrian contribution to the organization is around 21 Mio CHF, which is approximately 16 Mio , which in relation to the size of Austria shows a high commitment.
The question from the audience about Austria and its application for becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council arose, but since this very topic is not one of the main objectives of the Permanent Mission, there was no further statement, but that we are running for being elected in October 2008 and that the issue is discussed between Vienna and New York.
13.3
Ms. Elisabeth Brandstetter WTO
Continuing the very vivid start into the briefing, Ms. Elisabeth Brandstetter elaborated on the Missions duties and position regarding the WTO (World Trade Organization) likewise on this very trade organization itself.
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The WTO department within the Permanent Mission, consisting of three people, is basically in charge of promoting Austrias interests in WTO conferences, whereas this is usually incorporated into a common opinion, discussed prior to the conferences, representing the point of view of the European Union. Besides that, this department of the Mission, which is to be seen as special, as it does not deal with the United Nations, is also responsible for reporting current issues to the embassy in Berne and the Federal Government in Vienna.
Currently composed of 152 members, the WTO covers various trade agreements like GATT, GATTS and TRIPS. Coming into force in the beginning of 1995, the organization sees its beginnings already in 1948, when the GATT was established. A Ministerial Conference, which takes place every two years, a General Council, happing three to four times a year and the Director General are building the basic framework of the WTO. As a member-driven organization, the WTO promotes decisions to be taken by consensus.
Besides those general facts, Ms. Brandstetter further discussed the current trade round, the Doha Development Agenda, which especially deals with agricultural trade aspects, NAMA (non agricultural market access), services and development. In more detail she explained that the main task of the U.S. is to reduce trade distorting domestic support in agriculture, with regard to the EC, Japan, Norway and Switzerland, and she mentioned the necessity to reduce tariffs on agricultural goods. Last but not least to mention the actual situation of Brazil, Argentina, India, China and ASEAN - they are expected to reduce industrial tariffs. However, she also explained that the trade round is actually lacking behind the time schedule, but is expected to be finished by the end of 2008, after the US American presidential elections.
Ready for challenging questions after the presentation itself, Ms. Brandstetter was asked about her opinion concerning the future of the Doha trade round. She stated that the current situation is a very difficult one and if it is not concluded soon it might even get more sincere than it already is.
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13.4
Dr. Helmut Friza Health-related Issues
Having discussed an economic aspect of the Permanent Mission, Dr. Helmut Friza, Minister Plenipotentiary (Health), draw our attention on a rather different field, on health-related concerns.
Health, as described by the WHO (World Health Organization), is the physical, mental and social which refers to human rights well being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity. Based on this definition Mr. Friza pointed at the fact, that only a healthy society can be the basis of a wealthy community with a high standard of living.
Mainly, the presentation dealt with WHO, whereas the Permanent Mission is also involved in other organization and programs like UNAIDS (The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS), GAVI Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation) and IFPMA (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers). Founded by 26 members in 1948 (including Austria), the WHO has as many members as the United Nations itself, except of the Princedom of Liechtenstein. The yearly World-Health Assembly determines the future direction the WHO will be heading to and additionally deals with financial and organizational decisions. So far, the only Convention which was signed by 168 states was the Framework Convention of Tobacco Conference (FCTC).
The Executive Board, composed of 34 health experts elected every three years, is the governing body of the WHO. Besides the Geneva-based head office, there are six local offices worldwide that implement decisions, and furthermore, there are around 200
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different research stations all over the globe, cooperating with the WHO. Concerning the budget, which is set on a two-year-basis, it has to be mentioned that around a fourth derives from regular payments by the member states and approximately three fourths are voluntary donations, coming from nations, companies or private persons. Some of the success stories by now are the vaccination programs against Malaria and other disabilities, the eradication of smallpox and the early eradication of the Guinea worm.
With regard to the question about the efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, Dr. Friza mentioned that the WHO only dedicates its work on a theoretical basis, whereas UNAIDS is committed to the practical approach towards this topic.
13.5
Mr. Michael Schoiswohl Human-Rights-related Issues
Elaborating on the important issue of human rights, Mr. Michael Schoiswohl started off by exploring the definition of human rights and its theoretical underpinnings. Embracing universal values, distinctions can be made between different categories of human rights, such as civil and political rights on the one hand and economic, social and cultural rights on the other.
The international human rights framework consists of numerous human rights treaties and other instruments, with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) forming its core (the international "Bill of Rights").
The international human rights framework also includes mechanisms and bodies. Basically, those can be distinguished between conventional ("treaty based") and extraconventional ("Charter based") mechanisms. The former is based on human rights treaties, such as the Human Rights Committee in the case of the ICCPR and the CESCR (Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural rights) in the case of the ICESCR. These bodies consist of independent experts. The latter is comprised of bodies established on the basis of the Charter of the United Nations and, given that it is composed of state representatives, can be described as being of a more political nature.
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In that regard, the recently established Human Rights Council, replacing the former Commission on Human Rights, is the primary organ within the United Nations dealing specifically with human rights. It consists of 47 elected members and Austria is currently an observer. The Human Rights Council has several important mechanisms at its disposal to further develop the international human rights framework (standard stetting) and ensure compliance with it. Among them figures the Universal Periodic Review, an innovative procedure whereby each member state of the United Nations is being subjected to a scrutiny of its human rights record by the Human Rights Council. That process is based on national reports as well as other available documentation allowing the Council to identify imporvements or possible impairments. Furthermore, the Council has so-called "special procedures" through which thematic and countryspecific issues are examined by independent experts.
While currently not being a member of the Council, Austria is actively engaged and contributes substantively to its work and mechanisms. Mr. Schoiswohl highlighted the following areas in which Austria has been particularly engaged: human rights issues concerning minorities, internally displaced persons, administration of justice and human rights education.
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13.6
Mr. Georg Zehetner Economic and Development Affairs
With regard to economic and development affairs there are two main UN organizations which need to be mentioned in this context. Mr. Georg Zehetner, our 5th speaker on the second day in Geneva, stated and explained them in more detail: the UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) and UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe).
As we had a visit to the UNCTAD, we will keep the part about this organisation rather short. Important to state is that the organization, which was established in 1964, has the main task to foster the integration of developing countries into the world economy and assist them in their way to sustainable development.
The UNECEs main aim is to foster sustainable economic growth among all of its 56 member countries. The UNECE furthermore allows its member states to communicate with each other through a forum for communication, addressing issues like trade, transport, the environment; and this forum in addition makes statistics and economic and environmental analysis available. Referring to Austrias role, one has to say that it is an active member, and has been the Chair during 2004-2005. An increasingly crucial problem which needs to be tackled in the future is the ageing of the population.
13.7
Mr. Markus Weidinger Humanitarian and Labour Affairs
Last but not least, Mr. Markus Weidinger, First Secretary Humanitarian and Labour Affairs, introduced us to humanitarian and labour affairs, whereas he firstly pointed out several institutions dealing within humanitarian affairs on different levels. He explained that this very field is totally fragmented and there are a lot of organisations with different mandates, which makes it more difficult to cooperate and to work together. One problem he mentioned are gaps within the mandates of the organisations and that they have different methods. Therefore, since the new millennium a reform has been developed to address those very gaps. Even though this fragmentation has not been abolished so far, coordination is much better now.
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Among those organisations, he especially mentioned the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), which is responsible for giving protection to refugees and has a further extension of its mandate where it deals with internally displaced persons; OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), a department of the UN Secretary, with its main objective to coordinate the different efforts concerning humanitarian affairs, working as well with refugees and internally displaced peoples; the IOM (International Organization for Migration) dealing with migration issues and ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), IFRC (International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies) and again OCHA taking care of humanitarian aid.
Additionally, Mr. Weidinger mentioned that those organizations are largely or even entirely financed by voluntary contributions from member states or private sources, which makes them, obviously, donor driven. This aspect implies that current political issues often have a heavy influence on those organizations. Furthermore, he showed us Austrias geographic as well as thematic focus concerning contribution in the area of humanitarian aid. Mr. Weidinger concluded his presentation with elaborating on the two most important specialised agencies, which are dealing with labour affairs, namely ILO (International Labour Organization), where he explained the functioning and its difference compared to other organisations and WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization).
Due to the fact that we were already lacking behind our time schedule, there was unfortunately no possibility to directly ask questions during the presentation. However, right after the official speech, the students used the opportunity of getting a closer insight into the issue and talking to Mr. Weidinger personally during the informal reception.
13.8
Reception and Cocktail
After the excellent and highly informative formal part of the briefing, our study group could take advantage of the possibility to consult the various representatives on a faceto-face basis. This opportunity has been used to obtain further in-depth knowledge, as
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well as to ask for professional opinion on topic related issues, such as Austrias role and position in various organizations as well as the EU. This, so to say, informal part took place in the form of a small reception, merely set up for us IMC students. It additionally eased the already comfortable and inviting atmosphere and even opened the floor for rather private discussions with the valued hosts concerning, for instance, living in Geneva and educational backgrounds.
13.9
Internship Opportunities
The Austrian Mission gladly welcomes interested Austrian citizens who have just finished or are in the process of finishing their studies. Due to the well-established relation between the Mission and the IMC and in particular Prof. Bajrektarevic, interns from Krems are taken on a regular basis. Even tough the Mission does not pay any salary or pocket money, IMC students appreciate the excellent opportunity and also seize their chances of becoming a contributing member to this very team. This is why in a few weeks a colleague of the fourth semester will be joining the Mission as an intern, after already two Export students have had their internships at the Mission.
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14
DAY 2
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15
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)

Date: Wednesday, 16th April 2008 Time: 03:00 pm 03:45 pm Topic: History, Structure and Accessing Documents Speaker: Mr. Jochen Picht, Manager Existing Business and Renewals, Public Affairs and Communication Directorate Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
The
Organisation
for
Economic
Co-operation
and
Development (OECD) is THE source for reliable statistics on economical and social data as well as for the analysis and forecast of economic developments. Moreover the organisation is the worlds largest publisher of economic and public policies. Our group was given the excellent opportunity to listen to Mr. Jochen Picht from the Public Affairs and Communication Directorate in the OECD headquarters in Paris. We appreciate indeed his explanations of the organisations history, mission, general organisation and structure as well as of the main actions of the OECD. There was also the possibility to raise questions in a questions & answers session.
15.1
History and Mission
In June 1947 George C. Marshall held a speech at Harvard University where he laid out the importance of recovering and rebuilding Europe after World War II. His initiated Marshall Plan indirectly gave birth to the OECD: In April 1948 the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) was founded in order to coordinate the Marshall Plan and in 1961 this organisation was then restructured into todays OECD. Since then the organisation has grown to a 30 member states comprising organisation, with strong co-operations with more than 70 non-member states. But the OECD not only brings together the governments of countries committed to democracy and the market economy but is also tied to non-governmental organisations and the European
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Commission as a separate entity. Today, the organisations declared mission (as set out in Art.1 of the OECD Convention) is to support sustainable economic growth, boost employment, raise living standards, maintain financial stability, assist other countries economic development and contribute to growth in world trade.
15.2
Organisation
For 2008 the OECD disposes of a budget of 342.9 million for carrying out its activities. This budget consists of contributions of the member states (Austria is contributing about 1% to the OECD budget, the biggest contributors are the US and Japan).
As concerns the work done by the OECD it is basically driven by three bodies: The council is authorized to provide oversight and gives the strategic direction. It consists of representatives of all member countries and the European Commission. Any decision is taken by consensus.
In the approximately 200 committees the representatives of member states and invited non-member states discuss and work on specific issues. In fact, about 40.000 delegates meet each other in the committees every year.
The secretariat consists of 2.300 employees responsible for carrying out analysis and proposals. The secretariat is headed by the Secretary General Angel Gurra.
Mr. Picht explicitly emphasized the fact that the authority of the OECD purely lies in its reviews. The organisation doesnt have money power to implement certain policies, meaning it cannot enforce them. The organisation just gives proposals and in fact it depends on the goodwill of the members to implement them.
15.3
Major Work Areas
The main focus of the OECD is data collection and data analysis, collective policy discussion and the subsequent decision-making and implementation of policies in the fields of:
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employment, education and social welfare (i.e. to promote effective and accessible health systems, to fight against social exclusion and unemployment)
economy (i.e. to produce forecasts, to offer knowledge in order to help countries in the economic development process)
environment, sustainable development (i.e. to cut wastage and pollution, to bring together member countries to discuss fundamental environmental issues)
finance (i.e. to analyse national tax systems, to promote investment policy reforms and international co-operation)
governance (i.e. to promote effective public administration, to fight corruption and money-laundering)
15.4
innovation (i.e. to measure countries innovation performance)
Publications
All researches, analysis and statistics carried out by the OECD are published and available to the public. There are about 250 published titles per year which can all be found in the OECD online bookshop and through SourceOECD
(http://www.sourceoecd.org). Mr. Picht demonstrated where to find and how to access relevant documents on SourceOECD for any research. It shall be highlighted that one can consult all factbooks, surveys, economic outlooks - which are released every two years - and statistical data on one clearly arranged website and hence it is an excellent source for all kind of information. Moreover, there is the OECD observer (the organisations corporate magazine) and OECD centres in Berlin, Mexico City, Tokyo and Washington in order to disseminate the organisations work. Specific reports and statistics on Austria can be found under http://www.oecd.org/austria or on http://www.oecd.org/berlin.
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15.5
Questions & Answers
After the presentation of Mr. Jochen Picht the floor was open for posing several questions. Among other things the questions were raised where the OECD gets all the required information and data from, if there is a certain body that is responsible for quality management, and which requirements a country must fulfil in order to become a member of OECD bearing in mind that the organisation decided in May 2007 to offer membership to Chile, Estonia, Israel, Russia and Slovenia. Mr. Picht explained that the data is generally provided by the member states themselves and verified on their accuracy in the respective working groups of the OECD. As concerns the last question potential member countries are assessed on several relevant factors, among them for example mindedness in terms of sticking to the values of democracy and the rule of law, being a significant global player, mutual interest and global consideration.
15.6
Internship Possibilities
Mr. Picht emphasized several times that there is the unique possibility of doing an internship with the OECD at the headquarters in Paris, precisely in the Public Affairs and Communication Directorate. Students that are interested in working with a truly international organisation can send their CV and a letter of motivation to Mr. Picht
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personally (jochen.picht@oecd.org). Furthermore, the OECD offers unpaid traineeships to full-time students. Among other things they will get involved in the participation in study preparation and documents, in the documental research and analysis of existing work, in gathering, organizing and evaluating statistical information, and in the drafting of reports. More specific information about the requirements and tasks can be found on the OECD homepage.
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16
PERMANENT DELEGATION OF AUSTRIA TO THE OECD

Date: Wednesday, 16th April 2008 Time: 03:45 pm 04:30 pm Topic: The Role of the Austrian Delegation to the OECD Speaker: Mr. Tobias Gamper, Member of the Permanent Mission Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
After Mr. Picht had delivered us a very comprehensive and profound insight into the organisations character and functioning we had the pleasure of listening to Mr. Tobias Gamper from the Austrian Delegation to the OECD, who was so kind as to fill in for Ms. Sandra Scheffel (sandra.scheffel@bka.gv.at) on short-term notice. His presentation was dedicated to give the IMC students an oversight of Austrias representation within the OECD.
16.1
Role and functioning of the Mission
Basically, each of the member states of the OECD appoints several representatives and delegates who carry forward the members interests within the organisation. Austrias interests vis--vis the OECD on site are represented by the Permanent Delegation of Austria to the OECD (hereafter also referred to as Austrian Mission). The Austrian Mission consists of an ambassador, currently Mr. Wolfgang Petritsch, who was appointed by the Federal Chancellery of Austria on 4 March 2008 and who acts within the Council of the OECD, and several delegates and diplomats who form part of the committees of the OECD.
Mr. Gamper explained that the Austrian Mission constitutes the interface between Austria and the OECD. When working on a specific issue all Austrian federal ministries are contributing according to their competencies. The Federal Chancellery then coordinates and harmonizes the respective positions of the federal ministries and the
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members of the Austrian Mission finally communicate the unified Austrian standing within the framework of the OECD. This means in fact that the Austrian Mission represents the position of the Austrian government during multilateral negotiations. But the Mission also communicates to the OECD in which areas Austria would require the expertise of the organisation and reports back any OECD recommendations. Moreover, Austria co-decides on the OECD work program, its general strategic direction and content as well as on the OECD budget through the Permanent Representative of Austria to the OECD.
16.2
Questions & Answers
During the discussion that followed the presentation of Mr. Gamper, he was asked for the specific tasks of the Permanent Delegation of Austria to the OECD and which advantages arise for Austria from a membership of the organisation. Mr. Gamper illustrated that the specific tasks of the Austrian Mission could basically be summarized to be the active participation in the OECD council and committee meetings, the reporting to the Austrian Federal Chancellery, generally the political coordination and the organisation of the Ministerial Council Meetings of the OECD. What is more important, Austrias membership in this organisation bears the advantage that it can better analyse and develop its economic, social and environmental policies through the provided comparable statistics and data, which constitute a highly important instrument in related considerations.
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17
INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA)

Date: Wednesday, 16th April 2008 Time: 04:45 pm 05:30 pm Topic: Energy Efficiency, Climate Change, IEA Policy, Renewable Energies Speaker: Samantha lz, Policy Analyst at the Renewable Energy Unit Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
17.1
General Information The International Energy Agency is a Paris-based
intergovernmental organization founded by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the oil crisis. The IEA was initially dedicated to prevent disruptions in the supply of oil, as well as acting as an information source on statistics about the international oil market and other energy sectors. They have expanded their mandate to include energy security, economic development, and environmental protection. At a later stage, it has focused on mitigating climate change. Their role is to promote and develop alternate energy sources, rational energy policies, and multinational energy technology co-operation.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) acts as energy policy advisor to 27 member countries in their effort to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for their citizens. With a staff of around 190, mainly energy experts and statisticians from its 27 member countries, the IEA conducts a broad program of energy research, data compilation, publications and public dissemination of the latest energy policy analysis and recommendations on good practices.
Ms. lz mainly informed us about renewable energy and the goal-setting for the future. She mentioned during her presentation the Key Drivers for Renewable Energy, which include according to IEA topics from Environmental concerns and Kyoto
67
commitments, Security of supply and Agricultural, rural and social policy issues to Technological development and business perspectives. Germanys Renewable Energy Law was therefore cited as an example of economic success and a development towards more sustainability, as 134,000 new jobs have been a direct result of this law and furthermore the investments in Renewable Energy have been stimulated.
Furthermore Ms. lz mentioned some more practical examples which mark positive steps towards more sustainability through increased use of renewable energies such as the biggest current non-hydro electricity project in New Zealand, with big windfarms. By now, wind energy accounts for 15% of total energy sources, this figure should be raised by 2025 up to 90%.
She also highlighted solar energy, with the example of the PV roof program in Japan, the country which is the second largest producer of PV energy slightly after Germany (1 422 MW) and ranks top as the worlds biggest solar penal producer.
She also introduced to us the annual World Energy Outlook (WEO), which focuses on global energy trends and functions as one of the IEAs major publications.
2007 the focus was on China and India; in the 2008 report three timely topics will be analyzed: post-2012 climate change policy scenarios, oil and gas supply prospects and energy poverty in resource-rich Sub-Saharan African countries.
If policies currently under consideration are implemented, renewable energy is projected to provide 29 % of global electricity supply by 2030. In this Alternative Policy Scenario, a large portion of renewable electricity will derive from non-hydro sources: 51 % wind energy, while solar energys contribution would rise by a factor of 60.
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WEO 2007: Global Shares in Electricity Generation (Powerpoint-Presentation IEA Activities on Renewable Energy, Samantha lz, 16 April 2008):
40 000 Rest of renewables 35 000 30 000 25 000 TWh 20 000 15 000 10 000 5 000 0 2005 2015 Reference 2015 Alternative Scenario Policy Scenario 2030 Reference 2030 Alternative Scenario Policy Scenario Hydro Nuclear Gas Oil Coal
17.2
Questions & Answers
During the Question & Answer session the issue regarding the definition of Renewable Energy sources was raised. The IEA defines renewable energy sources as sources which derive from natural processes that are replenished constantly. In its various forms, it derives directly or indirectly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. In this context Ms. lz explained that fossil fuels as well as uranium are considered to be non-renewable, because they cannot be replenished in a short period of time. However, an IMC student raised the issue that the US has already started working on the development of different enrichment techniques, e.g. fast breeder reactors, which might lead to uranium gaining the status of a renewable energy source in the future. The speaker verified the possibility of uranium being recycled in breeder reactors and through nuclear reprocessing. However, energy is lost in each conversion and eventually runs out, making uranium a finite resource and therefore non-renewable.
As we were shown statistics concerning the present and expected future consumption of pollutants contributing to climate change, one of our colleagues started a debate
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questioning the stated amount of prospective fossil fuel emissions. According to his knowledge of the issue he expected them to be much lower. Ms. lz explained that although considerable progress is being made with regards to lowering fossil fuel emissions, this undertaking will take time and cannot be achieved from one day to another.
A further point of discussion referred to the creation of monocultures such as sugarcane and corn plantations for making ethanol or the cultivation of biomass for deriving bio diesel. The point of critics thereby is that those are competing with crops for food production or might lead to the displacement of other naturally growing flora and fauna such as rain forests. This can trigger a chain effect of displacement which undoubtedly has impacts on the natural environment. However, no precise prediction of possible consequences could be made yet.
Concerning internship opportunities at the IEA, Ms. lz mentioned that is theoretically possible to apply for an internship, but as it is a rather technical issue, a good knowledge of natural sciences and perhaps some experience in the energy sector is of major advantage.
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18
RECEPTION AT THE RESIDENCE OF H.E. AMBASSADOR DR. WOLFGANG PETRITSCH

Date: Wednesday, 16th April 2008 Time: 06:00 pm 07:30 pm Topic: Reception Speaker: H.E. Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch
Later in the afternoon, after the presentations, our class was invited to a nice reception at the residence of the Permanent Representative to the OECD, H.E. Ambassador Dr. Wolfgang Petritsch. The IMC students keenly enjoyed the possibility to personally talk to him and to the other members of the Austrian Mission in a very warm and welcoming atmosphere. At this point we want to express our gratitude for this invitation. Our class had the evening come to an end with a glass of delicious Austrian wine.
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19
DAY 3
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20
WORLD BANK EUROPE

Date: Thursday, 17th April 2008 Time: 10:00 am 12:00 am Topic: Scope and Work of the World Bank Europe Speaker: Ms. Valrie Chevalier, External Affairs Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
20.1
General Information The World Bank, with its headquarters in Washington D.C. and its European headquarters in Paris, is working for a world free of poverty. Besides its headquarters it has other offices in Europe located in Brussels, Rome and London.
The WBS objective is to overcome poverty and spur development growth. Therefore the WB takes on the role of aid co-ordination and of being a platform for strategies. Its long term strategy is a strategy of poverty reduction and country assistance.
20.2
History & Mission
The World Bank was established in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference in order to reconstruct Europe after WWII. In 1946 France borrowed a total of 250 million Dollars. Later on it became obvious that more countries needed help: the former colonized countries.
Nowadays there are many donor countries such as Austria, Denmark, etc. but the bank has its operations only in developing countries.
The WB has partnerships with many countries in order to implement programs to alleviate poverty and promote equitable growth. Offering a combination of financial
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resources and expert knowledge, it works closely with the governments of the member countries in order to improve economic and social standards.
20.3
Organisation
The World Bank is run by its 185 member countries who appoint governors. These meet twice a year and delegate executive directors who meet weekly. The president of the WB reports to the board of executive directors.
The voting shares are distributed the following way: 17% USA, 4.3% GB, other countries around 2% (Russia, Brazil) and the rest holds around 50%.
Austria has a voting power of 1.53 %. Proportionally equal to the voting shares is also the financial contribution of the member states. The US and UK are the two leaders in contributing to the financial fund of the organization, followed by Japan which is in third position. However, measured in contribution per capita it is interesting to notice that Sweden, Luxemburg and Norway are among the top contributors to the WBs financial fund.
The structure of the WB looks as following: Member Countries
Board of Governors
Board of Executive Directors
President (usually an American, as the US has the biggest share (16.38 %))
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20.4
Project Life Cycle at WB
Source: www.worldbank.org
20.5
Main Products
The Banks main products are: 20.6 investment loans/credits (long-termed for infrastructure projects) development policy loans/credits guarantees (for governments in order to encourage private sector) non lending products (such as studies, very helpful for governments)
The World Bank Group
The World Bank Group consists of 5 different Institutions: IBRD IDA the World Bank with 112 projects in over 30 countries deals with poorest countries
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IFC
the private arm of the WB Group; it is providing funds for private enterprises in developing countries
MIGA ICSID
deals with political risk settles disputes between states and investors
IBRD It provides loans, guarantees and non-lending services to middle income countries. Their repayment period varies between 18 and 40 years.
The IBRD is providing money by fund raising for example borrowing on financial markets, selling AAA rated bonds and other debt securities.
IDA It provides credits (loans on 0 % interest), grants and technical assistance as well as policy advice to the poorest countries.
The IDA has donors and gets funds from government contributions, IBRD earnings, repayments of earlier IDA credits, etc.
20.7
Poverty Reduction
The 5 poorest countries currently account for 3 % of world expenditure whereas the richest 5 countries account for 75 %. At the same time, developed countries spend five times more on military than helping developing countries.
Furthermore, population growth poses a very big problem nowadays. Rich countries register an average population growth of 50 million per year, compared to poor countries with an average number of 1.5 billion p.a.
Millennium Development Goals: 1. wipe out extreme poverty and hunger 2. provide primary school education 3. equal rights for women
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4. decrease the death rate of children 5. improve the health of mothers 6. combat HIV/Aids, malaria and other diseases 7. help countries protect the environment 8. promote a global partnership for development
These goals were endorsed by 189 countries in 2000 and are set to be achieved by 2015. As far as the poverty reduction rule is concerned the world is on the right track but some regions (especially in Africa) are left behind and there the goals will not be met.
Generally spoken, there is a lack of financial assistance by donor countries. In 2006, 104 billion Dollars were donated by the DAC (Development Assistance Committee) and usually Northern European countries provide most aid. The 22 DAC countries (the richest countries in the world) fund 103.94 billion US$. Some spend 0.7% of their GDP for development aid, but there are still some countries that do not reach this level. For example, Austria contributes 0.48% of its GDP.
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20.8 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2007
Evolving Development Paradigm European Reconstruction Rural Human Development Economic Reform Poverty Reduction Governance Physical Development Natural Development Human Financial Social Development Institutional
Sustainable and Inclusive Globalization
20.9
Challenges in 2007
For 2007s challenge there are six strategic themes the WB works with: 1. Poverty and sustainable growth 2. Post conflict states 3. Diversify menu of development solutions for middle income countries 4. Active role in regional global public goods 5. Support advance development and opportunities in middle east regions 6. Bank as brain trust of applied experience (optimizing knowledge)
20.10 New Approaches and Instruments The World Bank has reconsidered and developed new strategies in order to face its challenges now and in future times, using instruments such as:
+ Information Disclosure + Compliance Mechanisms + Debt Relief + Environmental and Social Safeguard + Poverty Reduction Strategies + Community Driven Development + Empowerment Agenda
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20.11 Further Interesting Facts India is actually the biggest borrower and Asia and Europe borrow 15% each (mainly Poland, Albania Slovenia as well as Slovakia have recently graduated from its status as debtor)
22% of the money goes to law, justice and public administration which represent the sectors most invested in, followed by transport 20% and water and food protection 12%.
20.12 Question and Answer Session At the end of the presentation, Ms Chevalier took some time to answer questions from the audience. She told us right at the beginning that directly after the presentation with us she was going to have an important meeting so unfortunately we did not have too much time for questions. However she took some time to answer 5 questions from the students. The questions were mainly about strategies the World Bank is following in certain areas and also about the conditionality and comparison to the IMF. We were given some very interesting inside knowledge and point of view. The event at the Wold Bank ended with a family picture in the beautiful building in Paris.
The World Bank also offers students the opportunity of internships for which one can apply online. On their homepage, www.worldbank.org, they provide the possibility to apply. Summer internships from June to September as well as winter internships from December to March are offered.
20.13 Additional Information about the World Bank and related Topics www.worldbank.org www.worldbank.org/austria econ.worldbank.org publications.worldbank.org www.worldbank.org/disclosure www.wds.worldbank.org www.worldbank.org/wbi
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UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC ORGANIZATION (UNESCO)

Date: Thursday, 17th April 2008 Time: 02:00 pm 03:30 pm Topic: Scope and Work of UNESCO, Role of the Austrian Delegation Speakers:
Dr. Alexander Schischlik, Chief of Executive Office/Social and Human Sciences Sector Mag. Helene Steinhusl, Minister and Deputy Permanent Delegate of the Permanent Delegation of Austria to UNESCO Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
On the fourth working day of our Study trip we had the pleasure to pay a visit to the UNESCO Headquarters in
Paris. After arriving at the Organization and passing the security checks our group was very warmly welcomed by Dr. Alexander Schischlik and Mag. Helene Steinhusl. Right at the beginning Mag. Steinhusl gave us an overview of this specialized agency of the United Nations, which was then followed, by a historic overview, the tasks of UNESCO itself and the responsibilities of the Permanent Delegation of Austria to UNESCO. This very exciting and lively presentation has been concluded with an equally interesting film about the activities of UNESCO.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with its headquarters in Paris has been founded on the 16th of November 1945, right after the World War II. Its constitution states:
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Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.
After World War II UNESCO was founded with the prime focus to reconstruct the educational system of its member countries. At this time the primary objective of UNESCO was education for development. Today UNESCO consists of 193 member states which work together to create conditions for dialogue among cultures and people, based upon respect for each other, focusing especially on sustainable development, the observance of human rights as well as the reduction of poverty. UNESCOs work is divided into 5 sectors: Education Natural Sciences Social and Human Sciences Culture Communication and Information
As a specialized agency of the United Nations, UNESCO is actively contributing to the achievement of the Development Goals of the United Nations Millennium Declaration by the target date of 2015. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Promote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortality Improve maternal health Combat HIV/Aids, Malaria and other diseases To ensure environmental sustainability Develop a global partnership for development To achieve universal primary education
Mag. Steinhusl, who is Minister and Deputy Permanent Delegate of the Permanent Delegation of Austria to UNESCO, worked on behalf of the Austrian foreign ministry in Brussels for 10 years and later on in Vienna in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs for another period of 8 years, especially dealing with European affairs.
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Mag. Steinhusl gave us an introduction into the structure of the UNESCO. The three governing bodies of the Organization are: The Directorate General, The General Conference and the Executive Board. The General Conference of UNESCO, in which each of the 193 member states is represented, meets every two years. Its duties are to set the program and the budget and furthermore to elect the members of the Executive Board. The Executive Board of UNESCO meets twice a year and consists of 58 member states. Its responsibilities lie within the preparation of the sessions of the General Conference and the enforcement of its instructions.
The task of the Permanent Delegation is the representation of Austria as a Member State of the Organization. Furthermore, it participates in the consultation process to develop the UNESCO Program and Strategy, as well as the development of International Standards and Instruments of International Law. The role of the Delegation is also to indicate ways and means how to improve the program delivery and the execution of the Organizations main functions.
Austria is present in the following UNESCO bodies: Intergovernmental Committee Convention on Cultural Diversity (2007-2009) Intergovernmental Coordinating Council Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme (2005-2009) Intergovernmental Council Information for All Programme (2007-2011) Intergovernmental Committee Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict (2005-2009) Intergovernmental Committee on Physical Education and Sport (CIGEPS, 2007-2011) Intergovernmental Committee Int. Bureau of Education (IBE) in Geneva (2005-2009).
Priorities of the Austrian ministries are the areas of human rights, ethical and social questions, cultural diversity and the protection of World Heritage Sites. Although the protection of the World Heritage Sites is only one aspect of UNESCOs work, it is mainly known for its activities in this area. Mag. Steinhusl illustrated the problems
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which can arise if countries do not respect the criteria outlined for the protection of World Heritage Sites with a practical example: as it is currently the case at the Neusiedler See region where the construction of a hospital within the protected area is planned. The problem is that the design of the hospital does not meet the requirements of the UNESCO, which could lead in case of starting with the constructions to a withdrawal of the UNESCO world heritage site.
Afterwards Dr. Schischlik, who is the chief of the executive office of Social and Human Sciences, informed us that the overall budget of UNESCO amounts to USD 631 million for two years. Compared with the budget of other specialized agencies of the UN this is a relatively low amount. Austrias contribution to this budget amounts to USD 1.2 million per year. Important to mention is that the total budget of USD 631 million is used only for financing the main functions of UNESCO.
Due to its low regular budget UNESCO is highly dependent on extrabudgetary funding from its member states but also from private donors. With this extrabudgetary funding UNESCO supports research in comparative education, provides expertise and fosters partnerships to strengthen national educational leadership and the capacity of countries to offer quality education for all. As an example Dr. Schischlik mentioned an ongoing cooperation with the French company LOral.
When Prof. Bajrektarevic raised the question concerning internship possibilities at UNESCO, Dr. Schischlik frankly spoke about the career possibilities at UNESCO. He informed us that an internship in general is possible, but one has to finance it by its own.
As the last part of our visit to UNESCO we were invited to watch a short but meaningful movie about the specialized agency, which concluded the very interesting event at the UNESCOs headquarter. Although time was so short, we are very thankful for this great experience and the honest and open-minded statements of the speakers.
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DAY 4
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INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (ICC)

Date: Friday, 18th April 2008 Time: 10:00 am 12:30 pm
Topic: History and scope of work of ICC, ADR, DOCDEX, Expertise, Dispute Board, role of the Court and the ICC arbitration rules Speakers: Mr. Julian Kassum, Ms. Bozena Nawrot, Ms. Tessa Manuello Moderator: Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic
World peace through world trade the slogan is dominating the International Chamber of Commerce and shaping its work since its foundation in 1919 right after WWI. Since then the ICC has grown and has become the only international organization representing worldwide business. More than 100.000 companies in over 130 countries are members of the ICC which task is to promote and support the members interests in their international business relations. The member companies stemming from all different kinds of industries comprise everything from SMEs to multinational corporations.
The main focus of the ICC is on promotion of growth and prosperity, setting international rules and business standards and finally spreading its business expertise of its members.
The ICC mission consists of promoting cross border trade and by doing so, increasing the living standards across the world, employment and consumer choice.
The ICC understands the concept of trade as a powerful force to promote peace and prosperity worldwide (acc. Mr. Julian, Kassum).
On the last day of our study trip we had the great chance to hear presentations by ICC staff members in order to get insight knowledge of the organization. Thanks to the expertise of Mr. Julian Kassum, who explained the ICCs history and general objectives as well as the work of the policy department, Ms. Mlanie Meilhac, who explained
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Amicable Dispute Resolution (ADR), Dispute Resolution Services (DRS), DOCDEX, Expertise, and the Dispute Board, and finally Ms. Tessa Manuello, talking about the ICC Arbitration court, we were provided with a concise insight in the work and values of the ICC.
23.1
Mr. Julian Kassum
Mr. Kassum was our first speaker at the ICC and as already
mentioned he provided us with a short overview on what the ICC actually does to get later deeper into the topic policy, as he is working in the policy department and is therefore an expert in this field.
As already mentioned in the introduction the ICC has thousands of members from around 130 different countries in the world, being it companies of all kinds and size, the local, regional and national chambers of commerce as well as different business associations. Further the ICC has worldwide offices in over 90 countries, whereas the headquarters, and therefore also the premises we got to know, is located in Paris. The international secretariat in Paris employs around 130 persons. The ICCs global network makes it unique and makes it have a large influence on the business world as such.
To put it in a nutshell the ICC has three major activities, which are Rule setting Arbitration Policy
Regarding rule setting it is to say that the ICC provides rules for businesses (e.g. Incoterms, banking rules etc.) in addition to law regulations, self-regulatory business
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codes and guidelines to spread best practice - just to mention a few examples - in the field of anti-corruption, bribery, corporate social responsibility etc.
As indicated before the actual focus of this first presentation was policy as such. To start off Mr. Kassum explained us that the ICC formulates policy and tries to build consensus by running discussions and debates, which is of course often quite difficult.
The International Chamber of Commerce acts as a policy advocacy and is a strong promoter of multilateral trade and investment. According to Mr. Kassum multilateral trade systems are favorable as they are really beneficial because everyone has to agree first. In contrast to that, bilateral agreements are preferential and may hurt others; therefore they should actually be avoided.
The ICC is also making policy in the field of intellectual property and with regards to that Mr. Kassum shortly mentioned one of the ICCs special projects, BASCAP (Business Action to Stop Counterfeiting and Piracy). Why was the launch of that project that important? In the 21st century our economy is a knowledge economy and intellectual property is of utmost importance and therefore must be protected. BASCAP connects all business sectors and cuts across national borders to stop counterfeiting and piracy.
Regarding climate change the ICC is also promoting the idea of corporate social responsibility by offering guidelines and tools for good domestic governance.
All in all one can say that the ICC shapes the rules of the UN, WTO, G8 as well as the national governments via the ICC National Committees.
23.2
Ms. Bozena Nawrot Ms. Nawrot focused on the The Dispute Resolution Services (DRS), also called green services, provided by the ICC. The first part of the presentation dealt with the ADR (Amicable Dispute Resolution), which came into force on 1st July 2001. As the name already says the disputes
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between the contract partners should be solved amicably in an inexpensive and rather speedy procedure. The costs for the ADR procedure are fixed ones given by the ICC and charged at the end of the court procedure as it is the case with every other procedure too.
In the year 1976 the ICC set up so called Rules for Expertise which Ms. Nawrot explained in her second part of the presentation. Those rules were revised in 2003 and are used for a wide range of businesses from different industries. The goal is either to obtain an opinion on topics like financial, technical or legal aspects or to settle the disputes through an expert determination of the disputes. Those expertises are charged with USD 2.500 by the ICC and additionally with administrative costs and the fees for the experts.
DOCDEX (Documentary Credit Dispute Resolution Expertise) was revised in 2002 and as the name already says focuses on the resolution of disputes concerning the or stemming from documentary credits. The procedure is normally done by a panel of 3 appointed experts that are responsible for the revision of the problem, the notification of the decision taken and the handling the occurring costs. All decisions taken are
authoritative and the procedure normally is very fast (between 2 or 3 months). The minimum price for the procedure is USD 5,000 but it cannot exceed the maximum of UDS 10,000.
The last topic mentioned by Ms. Nawrot was the Dispute Board Rules which are in force since 1st September 2004. Those rules assist parties of the contract to solve their problems on their own throughout the duration. Those rules are established at the outset of the contract. Again the ICC charges USD 2,500 plus any additional administrative costs.
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23.3
Ms. Tessa Manuello
The ICC Arbitration represents an alternative means to solve disputes related to the enforcement of business contracts and is mostly used in the international field, especially in relation with goods, the construction business, etc. The New York Convention of 1958 provides the legal basis for the arbitration procedure, which currently 130 countries have adopted, with the number of countries signing constantly increasing. Core attributes of ICC Arbitration are neutral and flexible proceedings which can be held in any country and in any language with arbitrators of any nationality, the parties deciding on the conditions of the proceedings - preferably already in the respective clause of their contract.
Another advantage of this kind of dispute resolution is shorter time needed for proceedings compared to usual court trials. Once the arbitrator has come to a decision, it is legally binding and immediately enforceable.
Furthermore parties can agree to fast-track arbitration providing given deadlines within which a decision has to be taken. This kind of arbitration brings along the advantages of higher costeffectiveness and certainty about the length of the trial. Another overruling principle of ICC
Arbitration is the secured confidentiality of the outcome so that only the parties at dispute, the council and the arbitrators know about the proceedings
The ICC court of Arbitration was founded in 1923 and since then has dealt with over 15,000 Arbitration cases including all types of contracts, legal systems and fields of industries. At the moment there are 1,200 ongoing cases with participating parties located in over 100 countries of the world. The court itself is an autonomous body and
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independent from the ICC and its organs. One chairman and 9 vice-chairmen work on a weekly basis on the present cases.
Function of the court The court does not make decisions on cases but rather monitors the Arbitration process from beginning until the end and acts as a supervisory body.
Secretariat Sixty people from 23 nations work in the secretariat under the supervision of the Secretary General, Secretary Vice General and the council. The secretariat represents the link between the arbitrators and the court of Arbitration. For better administration of the court proceedings employees are divided in teams. Each of those teams specializes in a certain geographic region.
23.4
Questions & Answers
The question section after the presentations showed that the students were interested in ICCs cooperation with other international organizations, such as the United Nations and their specialized agencies, the WTO etc, as well as ICCs general perceptions of trade regulations, the Arbitration procedure and ICC promotion of industry-experts.
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DAY 5
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25
25.1
DIARY
Saturday, 12-04-2008/Sunday, 13-04-2008
Our study trip started full of expectations in Krems at 8 pm on Saturday evening where we left in a very comfortable double decker bus of the company Reiseparadies Kastler towards Geneva, Switzerland. After
around 14 hours in the bus playing the guitar, singing,
drinking one of the 800 NM yoghurt drinks, eating bread sponsored by the Viennese bakery Strck, stretching our legs and relaxing outside the bus in the 20 to 40 minutes breaks and of course sleeping, we arrived at our hotel in Geneva at around 11 am which was situated in Archamps, France, just around the border to Switzerland.
We arrived at the Hotel facilities around 11 am, and even though we were exhausted for the trip, we were really anxious as well, so we decided to take a look of this French, beautiful and picturesque village and the surrounding areas as soon as we got out of the bus until 1 pm when we had to check-in. After doing this at the hotel and the deserved shower we all left for exploring the city. But it turned out that getting to the city form our hotel was an experience itself. As our hotel was situated in France there was no direct public transport to the city. In order to save the 40-50 Swiss Francs for a taxi it was necessary to walk to the border and catch a bus which was passing on an hourly basis.
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Strolling around in Geneva, the small narrow alleys of the old town and enjoying the view over the Lac Lman let us immediately and, once again, forget our tiredness resulting out of the long lasting journey. The organization of the afternoon varied from student to student, who mostly made groups according to their priorities in the city. Some enjoyed the huge green parks to rest, some got themselves informed about the city and its history and others just did not stop to walk around the city and enjoy its spirit.
Some let the day end by having dinner in some typical Swiss restaurant in the old town of Geneva eating Raclett, some cheese fondue and Rsti or by dropping by in the supermarket Coop to get some sandwiches in order to save our students budget of the so elevated prices in Geneva.
But finally, when we returned to the hotel, the only thing in common with all of us was a big smile for having had a great 1st day away from home.
25.2
Monday, 14-04-2008 After enjoying a relaxing night in the quite small hotel rooms at the IBIS Hotel Archamps Porte de Genve, the first, obviously hungry people, appeared at the breakfast buffet already at half past six. Breakfast was really delicious including a great variety of cakes and croissants, but also cereals, yoghurt, fruits and of course traditional French baguette. We all ate as much as we could and even prepared some sandwiches for lunch. We then met all in the hotel lobby at 7:45 and our bus
driver, Roland, took us to the UN building in Geneva. We were all curious about the first organization And what were our first impressions? Long and intense security
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checks! Not only screening our bags, but also filling out some forms and presenting our passport. These measures caused an almost one hour time delay and we were really glad and full of expectations, when we finally entered the room for our first lecture on the UNCTAD. After this presentation we all expected another one on the UNECE, however surprisingly the next point on our agenda was a guided tour through the UNOG building. Till now we are still not sure, if the presentation on the UNECE was cancelled due to our time delay or due to another reasonwell probably never know! Afterwards most of us had lunch at the canteen of the International Red Cross. Even though we had not booked any lunch there and caused therefore some inconvenience to the cook, we got something to eat and we ate up everything! After the break we had a one hour tour through the Museum of the International Red Cross with audio guides. So, what next? To relax, a walk form the Red Cross to the WIPO was planned, and of course we could not pass this huge three-legs-chair without taking one or lets say 50 family photos in front of it!
Arriving at the WIPO, we again experienced that security checks are custom in all organizations. However, as we already had those UNO-badges, we were lucky and had only, always five after five, to sign a list. Still more surprises waited for us at the WIPO! A lack of seating capabilities gave a few students some unexpectedly gained free time, which was of course used for some shopping in the city centre. The rest of us
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still had one hour to go and listened to a lively presentation about the WIPO. At the end of the presentation all rushed once more to the toilette to be prepared for the rather long walk to the city centre. Most of us then met after some minutes again in a nearby supermarket and then we explored Geneva even further - going shopping, going for a coffee or similar. At 8 pm most of us met at the train station to make use of the kindly provided shuttle service by our bus driver back to the hotel. What to do in the evening? What about going to the near Buffalo Grill restaurant to have a few drinks? Ok, sounds good. Meeting point: 9pm in the hotel lobby. At half past 9 we were only 10 people, but nonetheless we walked in the rain to Buffalo Grill. At the Buffalo Grill, we couldnt believe our eyes. Buffalo Grill had expected that 40 people would eat, and for 40 people the salad was already put on the tables! The biggest problem was, we did not understand the waitress and neither did she! After sorting out the misunderstanding by using our joint French knowledge we concluded our second day of our study trip with a good glass of wine!
25.3
Tuesday, 15-04-2008
We started our third day of the study trip already at 7 am with an early breakfast at the Ibis Hotel in Archamps. After having checked out and having overcome the logistical challenge to store 80 suitcases in the bus, it was time to leave the hotel, as Tuesday was already our last day in Geneva. After one hour journey through Genevas morning traffic, we arrived at the first organisation, the International
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Telecommunication Union, where we were warmly welcomed by the ITUs staff and enjoyed a very interesting presentation about Cyber security.
The transfer to the second organisation, the International Labour Organisation, was organized by bus, so we could be at the next location on time. Needless to mention, we where welcomed in a very friendly manner and, as actually at all institutions we visited, we were really impressed by the huge and beautiful premises. After the presentation at the ILO we went for lunch at the ILOs canteen, where paying became a quite challenging task as our Euros where not that appreciated and a rather flexible exchange rate was used when everything, independently what was ordered, was charged with 12 Euros
Later we left the ILO building, looking for the so called Blue Box which was somehow funny to watch, as some 70 people ran around Geneva, obviously without having a clear plan where to go, and desperately asking almost every person passing by for a better description of how to get there. When finally arriving at the EC Mission to the UN we tried to get up to the 5th floor where the Austrian Mission staff was already expecting us. When I say we tried to get up Im referring to a rather big adventure (for at least some of us) as an elevator with some 15 IMC students and luckily one staff member of the Mission, got stuck between the 4th and the 5th floor. After some 35 minutes getting to know each other still a bit better, we were rescued and enjoyed some fresh air before joining the already started Austrian Mission Briefing. Following the presentations, a small reception with a delicious buffet, and even more importantly, the possibility to talk to the Austrian Missions staff face to face, was offered, and after safely reaching the ground floor by elevator again we went to explore the beautiful city of Geneva one more time.
Some of us went for dinner, some just to drink a coffee in one of the numerous cafs in Genevas old-town; others went to take some more pictures at the lakeside or to stroll
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around the city centre. Anyway, it was a really relaxing and nice last evening we spent in Geneva and when boarding our bus at 11 pm everyone was somehow sad having to leave this charming city. However, we also looked forward to the new destination Paris, which we would reach after a comforting bus ride of some 10 hours.
25.4
Wednesday, 16-04-2008
Good morning Paris. Another night on the busdizzy, confused and dozy we said hello to the worlds capital of fashion. After leaving our luggage in the storage room 70 people stormed the bathrooms of the fancy Novotel Tour Eiffel as we could not check in before visiting the first organization. So, after a cat lick and formal clothing we headed for the very close-by Eiffel tower.
Fascinated by the beauty and the atmosphere of the city we enjoyed the sunshine. After walking along the Seine we decided to grab a bite - and what would be a better snack than the typical crpes. With a mixture of English, French and Spanish we managed to organize ourselves and realized that the French have a worse reputation than reality turned out to be. It was really surprisingly easy to ask people who would then help us to find our way around
At 3 pm we had our first appointment that day fighting our way trough the huge city and following the creative fingerposts and having a wonderful time with our friendly hosts - even though the night on the bus had cost us a lot of energy, which made the cosy chairs a cruel trap.
After an interesting afternoon at the organization the whole group was invited by the permanent representatives of Austria to the OECD and their chief of mission, Mr.
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Petritsch, to join them for refreshments. Most people enjoyed the opportunity to meet various people who represent Austria in organizations in Frances capital.
After a very long day, we were all happy to finally check in and use the facilities of our great hotel. In the evening we had time to explore the city a little bit more and were as happy as a clam when we saw the sparkling Eiffel
Tower.
All together we spent a wonderful first day in the metropolis and Paris definitely lived up to its promise. Combined with sunshine and nice spring temperature we started falling for the city.
25.5
Thursday, 17-04-2008
Our first morning in the French capital. After comparing our previous and present accomodation and having breakfast, we start thinking on how to get somewhere in 30 minutes, what we have 1 hour for. We leave in small groups from the hotel Novotel. Lets get some orientation and lets start speed competition!
The location: Paris. The distance: Novotel WB After lunch break: somewhere in the city UNESCO. To be on our way to the next
organisation/institution, and sightseeing in the meantime. 2in1.
When the end of the presentation at WB comes closer, the anticipation in the room becomes sensible. Its not easy to keep the students stick to their chairs. You hear the
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rustling of city maps, city guide books, etc. everybody is already informed about what NOT to miss in Paris. So ready, steady, maps in hand, go!
In front of the WB-Building nearly the whole group starts its way towards Arc de Triomphe, but at each of the small streets and restaurants at Champs Elysee we lose a few people. Getting hungry, some eat in a restaurant, investigating the taste of France; some target the McDonalds demonstrating how to be resistant against French gastronomy successfully, of course!
Afterwards we explore the city in smaller cliques. On the occasion of a meeting we exchange experiences before we finally meet again in front of the UNESCO building with direct view on the Eiffel Tower.
During the very interesting lecture there some of the city maps already get in use again always searching for the next sight worth to see. The main targets that evening are again the Eiffel Tower (allthough wind and rain make it rather venturesome to go up to the top you only survive if you are equipped like for an expedition to the northpole as some pictures show), the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, etc.
Countdown has started 2 days left in the capital of fashion. The very thing we already agreed on: we could easily bear a half-year-period of studying or internship here!
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25.6
Friday, 18-04-2008
Friday started with a little less stress than the rest of the week as we were finally able to wake up later than 8am. Our last and only visit of the day was ICC. The lectures were interesting as always, but many were eager to call it a day and start enjoying the vocational part of the trip. Luckily for us, the weather turned out to be absolutely fantastic unlike expected after the rainy morning. When the ICC meeting came to an end people split up into different interest groups, some were keen on seeing the Montmartre, some decided to go to Versailles, other took the boat trip along the river Seine while the rest of the group was walking around the city sightseeing and shopping. Many students also took the opportunity to visit the museum Louvre for free after six oclock in the evening. This event took the rest of the time for many before the marvelous nightlife of Paris embraced the students of IMC. Many people met their old friends from France who they havent been seeing for a while.
Towards the evening the students developed a common interest planning the last night in Paris. All wanted to go out and feel the spectacular party atmosphere of the beautiful city Paris.
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25.7
Saturday, 19-04-2008/Sunday, 20-04-2008
After having a tight schedule for five days, everybody was looking forward to a relaxing day in Paris as this was the last chance to enjoy this vibrating and exiting city. In the morning most of us used the opportunity to sleep in and after the check out at twelve, people spread out to either go shopping or sightseeing. As there wasnt a planned schedule, everybody had the choice on how to spend the day.
While some groups went to see the famous Palace of Versailles, others preferred to explore the modern business district La Dfense, which is located in the west of the city. Some went for a shopping tour at Les Halles or La Fayette.
Due to the great weather, the Jardin du Luxembourg was a great place to spend the afternoon and to take a well deserved rest after these busy days. Many of us enjoyed the famous and spirited French quarters like the Quartier Latin or Montmatre, home of many well-known artists, where you can also find the Basilica of the Sacr Coeur and the Moulin Rouge. Others still went to see the beautiful Gothic cathedral Notre Dame and explored the surrounding.
In the late afternoon most of us ended our trip with a nice dinner at one of the many fantastic restaurants in Paris. At 8:00 pm we met in front of the hotel to load our luggage and to start our journey through Germany to beautiful Krems. All of us seemed to be very exhausted after this busy and impressive week. After watching a movie on the bus and finally finishing all yoghurt drinks, almost everybody was asleep. In Regensburg we changed the bus driver and after a fifteen hour journey we finally reached the train station in Krems in the early afternoon.
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Although the study trip was quite exhausting, it was a great insight to some of the world leading organizations and in addition we were able to explore two fascinating cities. In general, one can say that the study trip was a great success also on a social basis, as we finally, after six semesters, had the opportunity to get to know each other even better and to spend more time together. Therefore the study trip was a huge success on all levels!
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CONCLUSION
It can be said without doubt that the time we spent in Paris and in Geneva was a truly unique experience. It was a definite enrichment in intellectual, personal and cultural terms. We are more than grateful for this great opportunity that was given to us and knowing that there is no other Austrian school or university besides the IMC that offers a comparable event of this dimension we are very proud of taking part in it.
The visits to the various organisations did not only 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. Because of the warm welcome that we received at all organizations and due to the commitment and competency of their individual members, the visits were not only highly informative but also a very pleasant stay.
On a more interpersonal level, we benefited very much from exploring two wonderful cities and from spending time together as a group amidst a work-intensive semester in Krems. Also for our exchange students, coming from various countries of the world, it was an extraordinary opportunity for getting to know European culture and to deepen their relationship with the IMC students. Finally, we could match the theoretical part covered in our fifth semester with walking those organizations in real and thanks to the trip we our
definitely horizon.
broadened
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PERSONAL COMMENTS
Dear Professor, I am searching for the way how I could express my thankfulness.
The last week was gorgeous in terms of both the institutions, organisations we have visited and the cities we have explored, not speaking about the group. They are great guys and great company. Getting a deeper insight into the activity of these (UN) institutions was a kind of doesnot-come-often occasion. They all have come alive and by now we have recognised the main point of them, have an idea about them, better than we could ever come to know them from books or any theoretical source. This is a huge value coming from your connections, working experience and acquaintance, and very beneficial for those of the students attending the school in Krems, and was edifying for me. During these days, a properly constructed plan was due to offer the frame. The whole week was well organised, special thanks to the organising group for it. The camera men were present everywhere to immortalize every moment for the next generation of students. We spent sufficient time in Geneva and Paris. I hope this trip will stand as an example in front of those guys who are not third-year students yet. I wish you all the bests. Success, power and energy to do your work in the future. I am reporting to Dr. Fbin about the study trip. Kind regards, Judit Monek University of West Hungary Faculty of Economy
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Business is conducted within a legal framework and international business, especially when dealing with a multitude of countries, works best when harmonized supranational legislation exists for which many of the visited international organizations act as a forum. As this fundamentally influences how and to what extent one can conduct business, getting to know the rule makers was definitely a valuable experience for my future career. On a personal level, it was both great fun and inspirational to visit two of the most cultured and beautiful cities in the world, the grand world metropolis of Paris and the picturesque home to many international organizations and multinational companies of Geneva. The intellectual exchange between representatives of the international organizations, our Professor, and us students intensified my knowledge of the important organizations and refined my views. The sight seeing of some of the world's most beautiful landmarks and the good company of my colleagues and our Professor made this truly unique trip that broadened my horizon a most memorable experience. Finally I want to voice my genuine appreciation for Prof.(FH) MMag. Dr. Anis Bajrektarevic's initiative and great and continuous efforts and enthusiasm and for my fellow colleagues who organized and administered the trip, it was great and I thank you all very much! Vincent Kramer, Export-Oriented Management, 6th Semester
The study trip to Geneva/Paris was definitively one of the highlights of the 4 years IMC Krems, at least for me. The organization team has done a really great job, hotel, bus, sponsoring and the many details have been organized perfectly. Furthermore I enjoyed getting to know two beautiful European cities, learning about the international organization and also getting to know my colleges somewhat better. The amount of presentations and the scheduling have also been good so we could organize every day very well and do a reasonable amount of sightseeing. All in all it has been a very exciting and interesting trip and I personally have not always been in a that desperate need of coffee. Thanks a lot to the IMC and Prof. Bajrektarevic for enabling and to the org-team girls for realizing the study trip. Sladjana Simic
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CONTACT INFORMATION
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) www.unctad.org United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) www.unece.org United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) www.unog.ch International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) www.icrc.org World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) www.wipo.int International Telecommunication Union (ITU) www.itu.int
Mr. Ramoul Kheireddine kheireddine.ramoul@unctad.org
Ms. Tamara Nanayakkara tamara.nanayakkara@wipo.int Ms. Cristina Bueti cristina.bueti@itu.int Mr. Hans von Rohland rohland@ilo.org Ms. Anne Pawletta pawletta@ilo.org Ms. Christina Kokkinakis Ms. Elisabeth Brandstetter Dr. Helmut Friza
International Labour Organization (ILO) www.ilo.org
Austrian Mission to the International Organizations in Geneva www.mfa.at/geneva
Mr. Michael Schoiswohl Mr. Georg Zehetner Mr. Markus Weidinger Generally: manuela.sarkissian-kleb@bmeia.gv.at
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) www.oecd.org Permanent Delegation of Austria to the OECD
Mr. Jochen Picht jochen.picht@oecd.org Mr. Tobias Gamper tobias.gamper@bka.gv.at
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International Energy Agency (IEA) www.iea.org World Bank Europe www.worldbank.org/europe United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) www.unesco.org
Ms. Samantha lz samantha.olz@iea.org Ms. Valrie Chevalier vchevalier@worldbank.org Dr. Alexander Schischlik a.schischlik@unesco.org Mag. Helene Steinhusl h.steinhaeusl@unesco.org Mr. Julian Kassum jkm@iccwbo.org
International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) www.iccwbo.org
Ms. Bozena Nawrot bozena.nawrot@iccwbo.org Ms. Tessa Manuello tessa.manuello@iccwbo.org
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TIMETABLES OF FORMER STUDY TRIPS

TIME INSTITUTION TOPIC SPEAKER
09:30-10:30
UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) UNOG (United Nations Office at Geneva) ICRC (Museum of International Red Cross) WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation)
Mandate, role and activities of the Organisation & Creative Industries
Ms. Lisanne Losier, President of the Sectoral Assembly of UNCTAD; Ms. Edna dos Santos, Senior Economic Affairs Officer Mr. Jean Michel Jakobowicz, Public Information Officer
10:30-11:30
Scope of work
11:30-12:45
Guided tour through the facilities Guided tour through the museum General overview of the history, structure and activities of the Oganisation Ms. Cathy Jewell, Senior Information Officer/Media Relations & Public Affairs Section
01:45-02:45
03:15-04:30
09:30-11:00
ITU (International Telecommunication Union)
History, structure & activities of the Organization
Mr. Venen Paratian, Chief of Protocol Mr. Hans von Rohland, Senior Information Officer; Ms. R. van Snellenberg, Training and Technical Cooperation Librarian; Ms. L. Pecherina, Information Resources Specialist
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11:30-01:45
ILO (International Labour Organisation)
Presentations on the activities
03:00-06:15
WTO The art of multilateral negotiations rounds
Dr. P. Jankowitsch, Former Austrian Foreign Minister; H.E. Amb. Wolfgang Petritsch, Chief of Mission; Dr. Helmut Friza, Attach for Public Health; Ms. M. ReichRohrwig, Deputy Head of Mission; Dr. Michael Schoiswohl, Junior Professional Officer at UNDP; Mr. Markus Weidinger, Attach for Humanitarian Affairs; Ms. E. Marschang, Counsellor of the Mission
Wednesday, 18th April 2007 (Paris)
03:00-04:00
04:00-04:45
OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Permanent Delegation of Austria to the OECD
The OECD: History, Structure and Accessing Documents The Role of the Austrian Delegation at the OECD
Mr. Jochen Picht, Public Affairs and Comminication Directorate Ms. Sandra Scheffel, Counsellor for Public Governance Ms. Barbara Buchner, Energy and Environment Analyst/Energy Efficiency and Environment Division
04:45-05:30
IEA (International Energy Agency)
Energy Efficiency and Climate Change: Course of Action
10:30-12:30
World Bank Europe
World Bank Europe Scope and Work
Ms. Catherine Doody, External Affairs WB
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03:00-04:00
04:00-05:00
UNESCO (United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization) Austrian Mission to the UNESCO
Scope and Work
Dr. Alexander Schischlik, Chief of Executive Office H.E. Amb. Harald Wiesner
Mission Briefing
10:00-11:30
ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) ICC Arbitration
11:30-12:30
History and scope of work of ICC, ADR, DOCDEX, Expertise, Dispute Board Role of the court and the ICC arbitration rules
Mr. Julian Kassum; Ms. Mlanie Meilhac Ms. Graldine Scarfoglire
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TIME
INSTITUTION
TOPIC
SPEAKER
09:00-10:15
11:45-02:00
02:30-04:00
UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) UNOG (United Nations Office at Geneva) ICRC (Museum of International Red Cross)
Briefing
Mr. Jean Michel Jakobowicz, Public Information Officer
Guided tour through the facilities Guided tour through the museum
09:30-01:00
ILO (International Labour Organisation) UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)
Presentations on the activities
Mr. Hans von Rohland, Senior Information Officer
01:15-04:00
Presentation
03:00-03:45
03:45-04:30
04:30-05:15
OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) Permanent Delegation of Austria to the OECD IEA (International Energy Agency)
The OECD: History, Structure and Accessing Documents The Role of the Austrian Delegation at the OECD Presentation
Mr. Jochen Picht, Public Affairs and Comminication Directorate Ms. Sandra Scheffel, Counsellor for Public Governance Ms. Philipine de TSercalaes
01:00-03:00
DEXIA
Presentations
112
30
CREDITS
Schwarz, Reisinger, Holbck Ablinger, Eisl Erikson, Hiehs, Tellian, Kulic, Schenkenfelder Frlinger, Jorge Weigl-Pollack, Alberto Steiner, Alejandro Zauner, Montserrat Zsifkovits, Judith Monikainen, Raspopina Winter, Juan Egele, Thor, Matzinger Mller, Gerasimenko Gurgul, Jurdic Hametner, Obermaier, Scherney Edelmller, Steixner Kovacec, Kramer Scheliessnig, Pennerstorfer, Wolkner Cabrilo, Chu, Luckeneder, Riessland, Reischl Bruckner, Veigel, Popek Steurer, Kautz, Hoffmann Httl, Simic, Reiser Stift, Zeilinger, Gschladt Hehenberger, Eimer, Gratzenberger, Mayer, El Jaafari Zinkel, Manzl, Judmaier, Silber, Wallner, Heinreichsberger, Schusser
Technical Report Comparison Technical Reports Photos Diary - Sunday, 15.04. Diary - Monday, 16.04. Diary - Tuesday, 17.04. Diary - Wednesday, 18.04. Diary - Thursday, 19.04. Diary - Friday, 20.04. Diary - Saturday, 21.04. UNCTAD UNECE UNOG ICRC WIPO ITU ILO Austrian Mission to Int. Org. in Geneva OECD IEA World Bank Europe UNESCO ICC + ICC arbitration
Final Draft of report
113
Study Trip 2008
Export 2005
114

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Study Trip Report

of our visit to the international organizations in Geneva and Paris

Export-Oriented Management Export 2005

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Thank you all for your kind support!

25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 25.6 25.7 26 27 28 29 30

Study Trip Report 2008

impressions and photos. enjoy Please

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

Monday, 14th April 2008 (Geneva)

Mr. Ramoul Kheireddine, Expert on accession to WTO

Tamara Nanayakkara, Counselor SMEs Division

Tuesday, 15th April 2008 (Geneva)

Austrian Mission to the International Organizations in Geneva

Study Trip Report 2008

Austrian Mission to the International Organizations in Geneva

Ms. Christina Kokkinakis, Minister Plenipotentiary, Charch dAffaires

Wednesday, 16th April 2008 (Paris)

OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development)

The OECD: History, Structure and Accessing Documents

Thursday, 17th April 2008 (Paris)

World Bank Europe

World Bank Europe Scope and Work

UNESCO (United Nations Educational and Scientific Organization)

Study Trip Report 2008

Friday, 18th April 2008 (Paris)

ICC (International Chamber of Commerce) ICC Arbitration

Mr. Julian Kassum; Ms. Bozena Nawrot

Ms. Tessa Manuello

Study Trip Report 2008

UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT (UNCTAD)

When it comes to economic development of developing and least developed

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

Current and Future Perspectives

Question and Answer Session

Internship Opportunities with UNCTAD

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

THE UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE)

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA (UNOG)

The group was split into three sub-groups, which were

guided separately. The visit started at the Council

Study Trip Report 2008

September 1937 during the League of Nations

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

Study Trip Report 2008

MUSEUM OF INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS (ICRC)

Study Trip Report 2008

The Mission Statement of the ICRC

The Mandate of the ICRC

Geneva Conventions, which task the ICRC with visiting prisoners,

ICRC's Statutes, which encourage it to undertake similar work in situations

Study Trip Report 2008

Governing Bodies & Membership