GENEVA / BERN, SWITZERLAND – A number of celebrations and events are taking place today in Geneva and Bern to mark 10 years since Switzerland joined the United Nations. The neutral country debated and rejected motions to join the UN and its various bodies in 2002, after several years as an active observer.
Among today’s events:
A new library reading room at the UNOG library is being dedicated to US philanthropist John D Rockefeller, in the presence of Michael Rockefeller, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and US Ambassador Betty King
Ban Ki-moon will then take part in a presentation at Uni-Mail in Geneva, “L’ONU et La Suisse dans un monde qui change”, open to the public, at 16:45, organized by the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute.
This evening he will visit the new beehives offered by Switzerland to the UN as a 10-years gift, at the Parc de l’Ariana.
Tuesday he will visit Bern, where he will address Parliament, the first UN head to do so.
