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PARIS GENEVA 2013Study Trip: 1624 MAR 2013

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DISCLAIMERThis study trip report contains information solely based on minutes and notes taken by the Export students of the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Austria and is intended as a summary of what has been presented and discussed during our visits to and meetings at the Geneva and Paris-based international organisations. Consequently, let us hereby advice the reader that the following content is rather descriptive then instructive, as it could be a subject to errors stemming from misunderstandings or misinterpretation on the part of the ST-participating students. Therefore, any quotation from this text we would kindly discourage.

Hotel Ibis budget Geneve

Thank you all for your kind support!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

At this point of our report we feel very obliged to pay tribute to all people who supported us and made this exceptional study trip not only possible but also unique and invaluable.First and foremost, it is of importance to us to express our sign of gratitude to Prof. Anis Bajrektarevic, Chairperson for International Law and Global Political Studies at the IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems. Thanks to him and his tireless substantive and innovative efforts, we benefited in the course of our studies a lot. It is not only from the numerous and precious in-house visits and discourses of governmental representatives and speakers from all over the world he personally invited, as well as many visits to all significant organizations in Vienna that he organizes for over a dacade, he also initiated and organized this remarkable and Austria-wide unique event for the 6th time. We do extremely appreciate all the time and effort our Prof. Bajrektarevic invested throughout the past months to make this trip accomplishable. His personal reputation and contacts made it possible for us to enjoy and benefit from such a diverse and highly educational programme.Secondly, special thanks go to our organization student team for the endurance and energy both brought with them prior to, during and after the study trip.Moreover, with our sincere thanks, we pay due tribute to each and every organizer and speaker of all visited entities and International Organizations in Geneva and Paris respectively. Moreover, our very special gratitude goes to the Austrian Mission in Geneva and Ambassador Strohal as well as the Austrian Mission in Paris and its ambassadors (H.E. Ms. Plassnik and Mr. Stanzl). To conclude, we would also like to express our gratitude to all the sponsors for their support, be it financial or in kind.

In Krems, June 2013Export 2010, SS 2013

Table of content

Introduction7Geneva9Paris14Monday, 18th March 201317ITU Committed to connecting the world17UNCTAD21Austrian Mission Briefing30Tuesday, 19th March 201333CERN - Conseil Europen pour la Recherche Nuclaire33Permanent Delegation of the European Union to the UN Office36and other international organizations in Geneva36WIPO World Intellectual Property Organization39Wednesday, 20th March 201342World Bank42Thursday, 21st March 201347UNESCO47OECD51Permanent Mission of Austria to the OECD53International Energy Agency (IEA)58Friday, 22nd March 201362ICC - International Chamber of Commerce62Organizations which were scheduled but were cancelled:67History of the UNECE67Red Cross69Diary entries71Sunday, 17th March 201371Monday, 18th March 201373Tuesday, 19th March 201374Wednesday, 20th March 201376Thursday, 21st March 201377Friday, 22nd March 201379Saturday, 23rd March 201381Task List82

Introduction

International Organizations represent a very important part of our society. Learning about them in class aroused our interest to get to know them and their scope of work more detailed. As part of our International Strategies of Sustainable Development course we had the chance to visit several international organizations in Geneva and Paris. We would like to thank our distinguished Professor Anis Bajrektarevic, Chairperson for International Law and Global Pol. Studies, and deeply appreciate all his efforts to giving us a chance to visit such organizations, a chance that certainly not many people have. Moreover, we would like to thank our organization team, who put a lot of effort into the organizational logistics of the whole trip. Without them it would not have been possible to visit Geneva and Paris at such a remarkably reasonable price. In the evening of March 16, we finally started our trip. Our group consisted of the majority of 6th semester Bachelor students as well as several Master students. What followed were three very interesting days in Geneva and four outstanding days in Paris. Admittedly, this trip really strengthened the coherence among students and gave us Bachelor students a last chance to go on a trip as a whole. This report represents a summary of what we experienced during our study trip to Geneva and Paris. It contains descriptions of all organizations we visited as well the main points of the presentations that we were given in each institution. Additionally it contains a diary of each respective day as well as pictures of this unique study trip.

Geneva

Geneva also called city of peace or smallest of the major metropolitan is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland right after Zurich. The city is the southwestern tip of the French-speaking Switzerland (Romandie), where the river Rhone exits into Lake Geneva.Geneva provides not only highest quality of life, but since 2012 the city bears the title third most expensive city in the world. Only two cities, namely Zurich and Tokyo are more expensive when it comes to cost of living.

Figures & FactsInhabitants: 193,150Size: 15.9 km2Altitude: 375 above sea levelDistricts: Cit, Plainpalais, Eaux-Vives, Petit-Saconnex;Mayor: Rmy PaganiGeneva's economy is mainly services oriented. The city has an important and old finance sector, which is specialised in private banking and financing of international trade. About hundred foreign banks are located in Geneva.Furthermore, Geneva is a worldwide centre for diplomacy and international cooperation. Geneva is regarded as a very important global city, mainly due to the fact that many international organisations have their headquarters in Geneva. The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) is the second-largest of the four major office sites of the United Nations (second to the United Nations Headquarters in New York). UN constituent agencies in Geneva are e.g., ITU, WIPO, WHO, ILO, WMO, UNHCR.Moreover, Geneva hosts headquarters of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).Geneva is also famous for the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers (CERN) which is the worlds largest particle physics laboratory. Physicists at CERN are seeking answers to the questions... What is the universe made of? And how did it start?...

...by using some of the world's most powerful particle accelerators.In addition, also lots of multinational companies such as Procter & Gamble and Ralph Lauren have their (European) headquarters in Geneva.As home to renowned luxury watch manufacturers like Rolex (headquarters), Omega SA, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin or Baume & Mercier, Geneva is one of the most important watchcities in the world.

Genevas landmark is the Jet dEau which is located in the Lake Geneva. This large fountain sprays water up to 140 meters into the air. Among others, further tourist attractions are the Cathedral of St. Peter, Place des Nations and Jardin Anglais.

Geneva also hosts and locates lots of fairs in the famous building Palexpo. The most important international fairs are: EBACE, air show International motor show International fair for books and press International exhibition of inventions ITU Telecom World, telecommunications exhibition Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, luxury watch fair

ParisParis is situated on the banks of the Seine River and is one of the largest European cities and capitals. It is part of the le-de-France region. The metropolitan area of the city is one of the most populated within Europe. More than 12 million people live in this area. In general, Paris has a population of about 2.230.000 inhabitants.Paris is a leading political, business and cultural centre with a global influence on arts and fashion. Many international organizations and large companies have their offices and headquarters in the city. Paris is world-known with its neo-classical architecture and is a home to many museums, art galleries, historical monuments and recreation places.

The Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris. It is an iron structure erected on the Champ de Mars beside the Seine River. It is 324 m. high and stands out against the skyline of the city. The tower was built for the celebration of the French Revolution centenary and inauguration took place on March 31 1889.The Towers builder and architect, Gustave Eiffel is also famous for designing the iron backbone of the Statue of Liberty. The Eiffel Tower is the most visited wolrds monument. The annual flow of visitors is about 6 million a year, more than the Empire State Building and the Tokyo Tower combined. The tower was the tallest worlds structure until 1930. The tower was decorated by lightning in 1902 and 300feet of the top needed to be reconstructed. Today, the tower has 1660 steps to the top and elevators. The twinkling lights of the tower were at first made for the arrival of the year 2000.At the end of Champes-Elysees is the Arc de Triomphe which is situated in the middle of the large circular square Place Charles De Gaulle, from which about 12 streets named after French military leaders emanate. Built between 1806 and 1808, it followed the model of the Arc of Constantine in Rome. It honours the victories of Napoleon and the grand army. The bronze horses on the top of the monument were taken from Sr. Marc in Venice. The names of generals who were in charge of the French troops during the regime of Napoleon are engraved on the Arc. It is adorned with many bas-reliefs commemorating the battles of the emperor. The most famous one is the Departure of the Volunteers in 1972, also known as the Marseillaise. At the top of the monument there are 30 shields, each of them bearing the name of one successfully fought battle of Napoleon. The Arc includes as well the Grave of the Unknown Soldiers from WWI. Furthermore, the Arc is the home of an observatory with glorious views of Paris and places in the city.Notre Dame de Paris is a Holy place of worship, a premier tourist attraction and one of the most beautiful cathedrals in the city. It is located near by the River Seine and in the eastern part of the Ile de la Cite. It is the place of residence of the archbishop of Paris for the Roman Catholic Church. It has two massive towers from the Early Gothic period. The western facade of the cathedral is the most famous sight for tourists. Stained glass is its major feature. A 'Rose Window' is an intricate and massive window located in the centre of the front. Monmartre is a historic hill at an altitude of 130 meters in Paris and is topped by the Sacre Coeur Basilica. It has always been connected with culture and trends and has many cafes and studios of many great artists. Sacre Coeur is a Byzantine basilica and is crowned by white elongated domes. The white stone whitens with age and gets more beautiful as time passes by. The interior of the basilica is decorated with mosaics and a figure of the Virgin and Child. Sacre Coeur was built in 1914. It is an important place for pilgrimages of worshippers from all over the world. It is an imposing building and a landmark of Paris.The Louvre is one of the largest museums in the world and one of the most famous. It began as a fortress, later it was a royal residence and in 1793 it became a museum. Nowadays it has an enormous collection of different paintings and statuary.

Monday, 18th March 2013ITU Committed to connecting the worldby Juliana Pattermann & Eva StadlerOverviewDate: Monday, 18th March 2013Time: 09:30 13:40Topic: History, structure & activities of the organizationSpeaker: Welcome by Ms Marianne Lathuille, presentation by Mr. Fernardo Rivera

Historical background ITU at its foundation and todayITU (The UN Special Agency) the International Telecommunications Union is, as the name says, an agency responsible for information technology and telecommunications. Initially it was founded under the name of International Telegraph Union in 1865 with the aim of supporting the worldwide telegraph network. Over the course of time, its name was officially changed to International Telecommunications Union and became a fully-fledged specialized agency to the UN system. As of today, the ITU has 193 member states as well as 700 sector members, comprising large companies (NOKIA, Siemens), small NGOs or universities. These partners participate in projects and activities and contribute to the budget as well. ITU has an estimated budget of USD 160 M annually, with members contributing a certain amount on a voluntary basis, which has to be above a minimum value. However, ITU finances roughly USD 15 M from its own publications. The ITU has its headquarters in Geneva and twelve regional and area offices around the world e.g. in Bangkok, Moscow, Brazil, etc.

Mission & Main activitiesThe ITU is a norm-setting organization which is committed to connecting the world. It aims to develop systems and standards which will be employed in both the private as well as public sectors. Further, one of its objective is to actively integrate developing countries into the global communication network.As it was mentioned during the presentation at the ITU in Geneva on March 18, 2013, ITU has divided its tasks into the following parts:

Radio communication (ITU-R): ITU manages satellites in order to avoid collisions still, they do occur frequently. Only last year a Chinese and a Russion satellite collided. ITU allocates specific frequencies of waves for the usage of different wireless devices.Telecommunication - Standardization (ITU-T): Using ITUs standards is not compulsory, but only a recommendation, e.g. USB 1,2 cm. ITUs current project is the development of a common charger. They allocate country codes, such as Austria: +43 Also the different data formats are standardized by the ITU, e.g. audi-music files such as the mp3, avi, etc.Development (ITU-D): After natural disasters and catastrophes, ITU sets up new networks for the people in these regions to enable communication for police, ambulance, etc. Cyber crime: provide templates for protection. Furthermore ITU tries to increase the Internet access in the developing world because there is still a huge gap between developed and developing countries.For the future, ITU will place its focus on the following three issues: protect children online attract more girls and women to technological related jobs go greenInternship opportunitiesProspective interns can apply at https://erecruit.itu.int/public/. Applicants are strongly encouraged to express and specify their area of interest. As for most UN agencies, ITU does not offer monetary rewards to its interns and hence costs have to be borne by the students themselves.

UNCTADby Susanne Schimpl & Laura GrannerOverviewDate: Monday, 18th March 2013Time: 13:45-14:45Topic: UNCTAD- Scope & MandateThe Creative Economy Scope and TrendsSpeaker: Ms. Carolina Quintana, Creative Economy & Industries Programme UNCTADOur first official day of the study trip started in Geneva-based compound of the United Nations the UNOG. After a lovely morning at the premises of ITU we were warmly welcomed by our second speaker of the day, Ms. Carolina Quintana of UNCTAD Creative Economy & Industries Programme. We were brought to a nice conference hall were Ms. Carolina Quintana was introduced to us. After a short introduction of her as a person, an overview of UNCTAD and details about current projects concerning Creative Economy followed. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has been established in 1964 to help developing countries to integrate in the world economy. It is an organ of the UN General Assembly and serves as a permanent intergovernmental body that deals with trade, investment and development issues. The conference was introduced due to rising concerns about the great disparity between developed and developing nations.The creation of the conference was based on concerns of developing countries over the international market, multi-national corporations, and great disparity between developed nations and developing nations. The Secretary-General of UNCTAD at the moment is Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi from Thailand, who took office on September 1st in 2005.Since 2012 UNCTAD consists of 194 member states and about 400 staff members. It has an annual budget of $68 million from the United Nations and $40 million of extra-budgetary technical assistance funds. However, it does not provide financial support to governments but advice and expertise. UNCTADs main goal is to: "maximise the trade, investment and development opportunities of developing countries and assist them in their efforts to into the world economy on an equitable basis." In order to reach this goal it works together with governments and interacts with organizations of the United Nations systems, non-governmental organizations, trade and industry associations, research institutes and universities worldwide while holding three main functions. First of all, it serves as a forum for intergovernmental deliberations, supported by discussions with experts and exchanges of experience, aimed at consensus building. Secondly, it undertakes research, policy analysis and data collection for the debates of government representatives and experts. An finally, it provides technical assistance tailored to the specific requirements of developing countries, with special attention to the needs of the least developed countries and of economies in transition. When appropriate, UNCTAD cooperates with other organisations and donor countries in the delivery of technical assistance. HistoryUNCTAD was founded in 1964 with its first conference taking place in Geneva. Rising concerns about the situation and position of developing countries in international trade led to the introduction of this conference to discuss these problems and identify appropriate international actions and strategies to improve the situation. Due to the magnitude and the importance of the problems the conference was institutionalised to meet every four years. Administrative and logistic support was handed over to a permanent secretariat and intergovernmental bodies meet on a regular basis between the sessions to prepare ad discuss minor issues. At the early stage it gained recognition for its intergovernmental forum for North-South dialogue and negotiations on issues of interest to developing countries, including debates on the "New International Economic Order" and for its analytical research and policy advice on development issues. It launched several agreements including the Generalized System of Preferences of 1968 where developed economies granted improved market access to exports from developing countries, a number of international commodities agreements and the agreement on Trade and Competition Policies. Furthermore, it passed the Convention on a Code of Conduct for Liner Conferences which strengthened the ability of developing countries to maintain national merchant fleets. In 1971 it published a list of the poorest countries, the Group of Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which drew special attention on their needs and encouraged the improvement of their situation. Later in the 1980s UNCTAD faced a changing economic and political environment. Strategies became more market-oriented and focused on trade liberalization and privatization of state enterprises. At that time many developing countries struggled with severe debt crises which marked the lost decade especially in Latin America. Countries had difficulties to recover and many experienced negative growth and high rates of inflation. Nevertheless, economic independence increased and UNCTAD broadened its scope of activities to give technical assistance to developing countries and help them integrate in the world trading system. It assisted developing countries in the rescheduling of official debt in the Paris Club negotiations and pushed for trade efficiency, customs facilitation and multimodal transport. Major milestones in the last years have been the establishment of the WTO in 1995 as a conclusion of the Uruguay Round of the General Assembly on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). It strengthened the legal framework governing international trade. Increases in financial flows increased financial instability and volatility and foreign direct investment flows became major components of globalization. As a result UNCTAD further focused its analytical research on the linkages between trade, investment, technology and enterprise development. Moreover, it diversified its technical assistance and provides early warnings concerning the risks and the destructive impact of financial crises on development.

Scope of workThe UNCTADs primary goal is to foster economic growth in developing countries and to integrate them into the world economy. The organisation serves as a forum for intergovernmental debate based on consensus building. This means that UNCTAD assists developing countries in trade negotiations and promotes diversification of production and trade structures in order to enable new policies to be implemented by governments. Moreover, extensive research and data collection conducted by the organisation should contribute to the integration of the developing world into the global economy. The organisations most essential publications include the Trade and Development Report, the World Investment Report and the Africa Report, which are available at the UNCTAD website. Especially the development of African countries is of great concern to the organization. As a result, UNCTAD is highly committed to support countries located on this continent in their development progress through its analytical work. In addition to that, UNCTAD closely cooperates with other UN bodies on environment and sustainable development.

Decision making bodyConferencesThe highest decision-making body of UNCTAD is the conference meeting every four years. It is a subsidiary organ of the UN General Assembly and gives member states the possibility to make assessments of current issues, discuss policy options and formulate global policy responses. The conference also sets the organizations mandate and work priorities.The last conference was held in 2012 in Doha. UNCTAD XIII was the first major United Nations ministerial gathering focusing exclusively on trade and development since the fallout from the 2008-2009 economic and financial crisis. It addressed issues of inclusive development, green economy and climate change, debt and financial and monetary reform. Furthermore issues like science, technology and the next era of globalization were discussed.

Trade and Development BoardIn-between the quadrennial Conferences, the Trade and Development Board oversees the activities of the organization. It meets in Geneva on a regular basis up to three times a year. It deals with urgent policy issues, as well as management and institutional matters. Besides, it disposes over three commissions that allow governments to exchange political views in their respective division: Commission: Trade and Development Commission: Investment, Enterprise and Development Commission: Science and Technology for DevelopmentThe Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD) is a subsidiary body of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). The Commission provides the General Assembly and ECOSOC with high-level advice on relevant science and technology issues. UNCTAD is responsible for the substantive servicing of the Commission. In addition, the work of the commissions is supported by technical support of experts during so called Expert Meetings. To ensure equal treatment of all member states, every member is given one vote. Decision-making can be very lengthy but gives equal weight of votes to developing countries. Creative EconomyMs. Quintana provided us with a very good insight into the Creative Economy Programme, which was introduced for the first time into the international economic and development agenda in 2004. In the So Paulo Consensus, which was negotiated among 153 member states, it was agreed that the international communities major aim should be to support developing countries to protect and promote their creative industries and benefit from economically dynamic sectors.Ms. Quintana explained that the primary input of the creative industries are creativity and intellectual capital, while technology and demand, from the youngest to the oldest generation, are seen as the industries major drivers. The impact of these factors is supposed to drive employment and enhance trade and economic growth in developing countries.The following sectors are representing the major fields the creative economy is working in: Design Arts and Crafts Visual Arts Publishing Music New Media Audiovisuals

Creative economy in the developed worldThe students were also informed about the status quo of the creative economies in the developed world. Ms. Quintana pointed out that in the European Union, the creative economies account for 2.6% of GDP and provide jobs for 5 million people. Furthermore, in the United Kingdom the creative industry makes up 6.2% of GDP and is experiencing strong growth. Generally speaking, the United Kingdom is strongly promoting its creative industries, which can be recognised by the fact that approximately 13,000 companies and 250,000 people are working in the UK advertising industry.Ms. Quintana also stressed that the world economy is moving more and more into the digital world and, hence, the role of intellectual property rights is important in order to protect creativity. UNCTAD is very committed to bring transparency to the creative economies. In the following paragraph UNCTADs role is clearly depicted: Role of public policies: Government as a facilitator Policy directions: Strategic actions, concerted cross-cutting actions Target measures for enhancing capacities: Infrastructure Institutional mechanisms Financing & investment Regulatory framework Promote public private partnership, support SMEs University & research networks Tailoring policy actions at the national level, the increasing role of technology & connectivity in the creative economies, strengthen IPRs Promoting creative economy partnerships among cities, provide an enabling environment for enhancing the creative economyProjects realised by UNCTADThe students were also familiarised with UNCTADs most recent projects. In Medelln (Colombia), for instance, a project was initiated in one of the poorest regions of the city. The goal was to put cultural communities at the centre of urban development. In the course of this project a library was constructed, which serves as a place for children to do their homework and to develop their creativity. Moreover, as a result of Medellns Metrocable - project the city was declared the most innovative city in the world in 2013 by the Wall Street Journal. Due to the projects realised in this city through the collaboration of the public and private sector, criminality strongly dropped and neighbourhoods were completely reshaped.Furthermore, UNCTAD recently realised a project in Nigeria. Under Nollywood, a film was produced in this African state in cooperation with an US firm. Through this project a huge number of locals found employment.In addition to that, UNCTAD was working on a project in Bollywood, which was financed by the Indian Development Bank.Question & Answer SessionAfter Ms. Quintana had finished her presentation students got the possibility to raise questions in case there was any doubt left or to lay out their personal interests. The first question concerned the financing of UNCTADs projects. The speaker pointed out that, generally, UNCTAD does not provide financing, but that the financial means for the projects come from the public side. UNCTAD merely serves as an advisor for countries and makes them aware of existing opportunities to take advantage from.As a consequence, the question of how a project of UNCTAD is initiated arose. Ms. Quintana explained that UNCTAD usually receives a request from the government of a particular country for a project. Sometimes the government itself is financing the project, but in many cases UNCTAD is searching together with the respective government for a sponsor.

Internship opportunities with UNCTADUNCTAD offers an internship programme for students in order to enable them to get a better understanding of trade and development issues and to give them an insight into how the organisation intends to encounter these challenges. The internship programme can be completed any time during the year and lasts for a minimum of two and a maximum of six months. In general, there is no compensation paid to interns, which means that all costs related to the internship have to be borne by the students themselves. Further information about the programme and the application process is available on UNCTADs official webpage. (http://unctad.org/en/Pages/About%20UNCTAD/Internship-Programme.aspx)

Austrian Mission Briefingby Verena Stierschneider

Date: 18/03/2013Speakers: Ms. Eveline Jamek, Mr. Johannes Strasser, Mr. Martin Fagerer, Mr. Peter SteinerPlace: The Council Secretariat of the European Commission, Rue du Grand-Pr 64, 5th floor called Blue Box

At the Austrian mission to Geneva, the Deputy of the Head of the Austrian mission and his colleagues elaborated on four main issues the delegation deals with:1) Humanitarian Affairs incl. Migration2) Human Rights3) Trade (WTO)4) DisarmamentHumanitarian Affairs are considered a crucial issue for the Austrian mission in Geneva as the International Committee of the Red Cross, which assists victims of armed conflicts, is situated there. Furthermore, the Austrian mission collaborates with the High Commissioner for Refugees that works towards the protection of the 43 million people that are misplaced worldwide. Also, the cooperation with the OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) and IOM (International Organisation for Migration) are essential parts of the Austrian missions work in Geneva.Human Rights are another important issue as Geneva is the worlds Human Rights capital. Austria is currently a member of the Human Rights Council that meets three times a year, with additional sessions scheduled if necessary. Special rapporteurs are appointed to analyse the situation of Human Rights in certain fields or certain countries e.g. North Korea or Iran. All members of the UN, once they have ratified Human Rights Conventions, have to report regularly on the implementation of these conventions. Furthermore, universal periodic reviews take place, where members of the UN come to Geneva and measures are suggested to them by other UN members.Mr. Fagerer, representing the Austrian mission with the WTO, elaborated on the history and structure of the WTO as well as its goals and the current Doha Development Rounds. According to him, there are several issues to be tackled in the upcoming WTO meeting in Bali in December that are of special interest for Austria: agriculture, development and trade facilitation. Finally, Mr. Fagerer responded to various criticisms that the WTO has to face on the topics of democracy, development and environment. In the field of Disarmament, the Austrian mission to the UN recognized various instability zones: the Sahel zone and Northern Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia regions, but also Myanmar/Burma and North Korea. In the future, challenges to be tackled will be territorial conflicts, resource conflicts, internal conflicts and conflicts referring to the security of supplies. An especially important topic being dealt with currently by the 65 members of the Conference on Disarmament are the multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. This conference holds annual sessions to analyse the situation of defence in different countries in the world: while some maintain their defence spending steady, others reduce or increase it. From an Austrian point of view, it is clear that the world should become free of nuclear weapons and that the Conference on Disarmament needs to be strengthened in order to achieve that.

Internship opportunitiesAfter a question-and-answer session with the staff of the Austrian Mission, we had a chance to speak to a current intern from IMC who is doing her PTS at the Austrian mission in Geneva. She pointed out her tasks to us and provided us with an insight on the internship opportunities at the Austrian Mission. There have been various interns from IMC at the Austrian Mission before and the Missions staff highlighted the Missions readiness to receive further interns from IMC in the future. Interested individuals are expected to contact the Austrian Missions staff directly, sending an application including CV and cover letter.

Tuesday, 19th March 2013CERN - Conseil Europen pour la Recherche NuclaireOn Tuesday, 19 March our visit to the United Nations Office in Geneva and to the WMO was cancelled. Hence, some of us took the opportunity and visited CERN the European Organization for Nuclear Research, located nearby the border between France and Switzerland.HistoryAt the end of the Second World War European science was no longer world-class. Hence, a few visionary scientists, such as the French Raoul Dautry, Lew Kowarski, Pierre Augor, the Italian Edoardo Amaldi and the Danish Niels Bohr began thinking about creating a European atomic physics laboratory. This laboratory would firstly, unite European scientists and secondly, allow them to share the increasing costs of nuclear physics facilities. In 1949 the idea of a European laboratory was proposed at the European Cultural Conference. Finally, in 1951 the first resolution concerning the establishment of a European Council for Nuclear Research was adopted at an intergovernmental meeting of UNESCO in Paris. In the end, in 1954 the CERN laboratory was found at the Franco-Swiss border. Nowadays, about 100,000 scientists from 100 countries worldwide are working at CERN. Although, they typically spend some time on the CERN site, they usually work at national laboratories and universities in their home countries. CERNs mission is fundamental physics: finding out what the Universe is made of and how it works. CERNs physicists use the most highly complex scientific instruments to study the ultimate constituents of matter: the fundamental particles. The particles are made to collide together at close to the speed of light. By studying what happens when these particles collide, physicists perceive the laws of Nature.CERN uses purpose-built particle accelerators and detectors. The accelerators boost beams of particles to high energies before these beams are made to collide with each other or with stationary targets. In turn, the detectors observe and record the results of these collisions.The physics programme at CERN presents engineers with different challenges at the forefront of technology, from the atomic scale to the colossal. Engineers are needed to build and test machines as well as systems that physics rely on. Further, technicians maintain these systems in order that they are running smoothly, perform repairs and upgrades where necessary. In addition, building a particle accelerator might require civil engineering, such as digging tunnels and installing large infrastructure projects. In total, there are ten times more engineers and technicians working at CERN than research physics.Another interesting fact about CERN is that the World Wide Web has been invented there by the British scientist Tim Berners-Lee in 1989. The original purpose of the web has been to meet the demand for automatic information-sharing between scientists in universities and institutes around the world. In addition, it should merge the technologies of personal computers, hypertext and computer networking into a powerful and easy to use global information system.Our visitWe visited two museums at CERN; one has been the Globe of Science and Innovation including an exhibition of the Universe of Particles. The purpose of the Universe of Particles exhibition is for visitors to address the great questions of contemporary physics, currently being explored by the CERN via the Large Hadron Collidor (LHC) accelerator. The exhibitions innovative design plunges the visitor into the fascinating world of particles, from the infinitesimally large to the infinitesimally small, from the Big Bang to the present day. Visitors pass through luminous spheres which together represent the Universe of Particles, each sphere containing an interactive kiosk illustrating CERNs quest for knowledge and recounting the international cooperation and technological advances which underpin this incredible research venture. At regular intervals, spectacular video shows recount the history of the Universe. Moreover, information on the LHC, the world's largest accelerator of particles, was provided. The Large Hadron Collider is CERNs flagship scientific facility. The LHC is exploring some of the questions related to the origin of mass, dark matter in the Universe, antimatter, extra dimensions and the primordial state of matter. It comprises a 27 km ring of superconducting magnets with a number of accelerating structures in order to boost the energy of the particles along the way.A guide of CERN told us that experiments with the LHC usually last for six to twelve months. During that time about 5,000 people from all over the world are working at CERN. After this period the accelerator and all other parts of the system need to be revised and maintained by engineers. This process lasts about one year. In general, the LHC intends to imitate the situation and the condition of particles just after the Big Bang. Basically, seven experiments exist at the LHC, the biggest ones are called CMS, ATLAS, ALICE and LHCb. They use detectors in order to analyse the myriad of particles produced by collisions in the accelerator. At these experiments six million explosions/second happen. The particles move with 99.9% of speed of light. Recently, CERN was able to detect the Higgs boson (a particle predicted by theory for explaining how particles acquire their mass). According to the guide, scientists would have preferred not to find it, as this would have meant that they need to doubt what they have found out so far and have to answer a lot of new questions. Once during an experiment an explosion happened at one of the electromagnets, which aim at accelerating the particles. Fortunately, nobody was injured as this happened in the tunnel 100 meters below the surface. However, the experiment had to be stopped. Then, in the second museum we visited the exhibition "Microcosm". There we watched a movie about CERN and its LHC in general and what scientists intend to find out. Further, we could inform ourselves about different matters of physics, how accelerators work etc. At around 10pm we departed from Geneva train station in direction of Paris. A more or less comfortable 8h bus ride lay ahead of us. The upcoming morning should be a melancholic one.

Image 2 The tunnel from insideImage 1 The location of the LHC

Image 3 Globe of Sciene and InnovationPermanent Delegation of the European Union to the UN Officeand other international organizations in Geneva by Julia Heissenberger & Daria HofstetterDate: 19 March 2013Time: 15:00 16:30Topic: Human RightsSpeaker: Christina KokkinakisModerator: Prof. Anis BajrektarevicOn the second day of our journey we were welcomed at the EU delegation to the United Nations by Minister Counsellor Christina Kokkinakis and her intern Miriam.The EU is committed to effective multilateralism, with the United Nations (UN) at its core. This is a central element of the EUs external policy. To respond successfully to global crises, threats and challenges, the international community needs an efficient multilateral system, founded on universal rules and values.Over the years the EU has established a strong relationship with the UN. Co-operation takes place across a broad range of areas: development, human rights, climate change, peace building, disarmament and non-proliferation, humanitarian assistance, fighting corruption and crime, addressing global health concerns, managing migration flows and labor issues. Many of these issues are debated in Geneva within the UN bodies and Geneva-based specialized agencies such as the Human Rights Council, UNHCR, UNCTAD, WHO, ILO, the Conference on Disarmament and IOM. The EU Delegation and the EU Member States take an active part in their activities, coordinating positions within these bodies.The EU has played an important role in developing and implementing UN Conventions and Protocols and taken an active part in UN global conferences. As an observer within the UN, the EU does not vote but is party to more than 50 UN multilateral agreements and conventions.We were told that the employees of the EU delegation to the UNO are busy at the moment as one of the three yearly sessions of the Human Rights Councils is currently held in Geneva. The March session is a very intense one as it lasts four full weeks and about 90 resolutions are on the agenda which are voted for at the end of the fourth week. All 90 resolutions are tabled during those four weeks but not on all of them is action as it depends very much on the topic what can be done and decided and what not. According to Christina Kokkinakis the sessions are very much like a bazar and usually there are no final decisions until the very last minute. Mrs. Kokkinakis worked for 17 years for the Austrian foreign ministry and in the course of her career she represented Austria as a diplomat in Brussels. Since 6 months she is the head of the EU delegation to the UNO.The topic of our visit was Human Rights as they form the core of the EU foreign policy. Christina Kokkinakis told us about the standpoint of the EU concerning Human Rights. The UNO Human Rights Council has the goal to promote and protect Human Rights globally. The EU is not a full member of the UN Council on Human Rights but it has an observer status. As observer with enhanced rights it is allowed to take the floor and to reply but it does not have the right to vote. The EU delegation to the UN Human Rights Council coordinates the different positions on Human Rights of the 27 member states internally and then the delegation represents and defends the EU position on Human Rights to the outside world. The most important resolutions of the current March session are the following:1. Resolution on Myanmar-Burma2. DPRK North Korea relations to Japan3. Rights of Children Resolutions are usually run by different countries either due to historic reasons or due to a strong interest into certain topics. However, it is not possible for one country to run a resolution all alone as partners are needed in order to push it through.Mrs. Kokkinakis told us that it is possible to do internships at the EU delegation to the UNO in Geneva. The internships last up to 6 months and are paid. Every citizen of the European Union can apply online or directly per mail. She recommended sending an application to her personally that also indicates the preferred field where one would like to work. If it is in the area of Human Rights she would be pleased, as it is her specialization.

WIPO World Intellectual Property Organizationby Theresa ZwicklDate: 19 March 2013Time: 17:00 18:30Topic: Intellectual Property RightsSpeaker: Cathy Jewel

After the interesting presentation of Mrs. Kokkinakis, a short walk brought us to the buildings of the World Intellectual Property Organization, short WIPO, which is now renovating but already impressive. Having received the badges and gone through security Cathy Jewel (cathy.jewell@wipo.int), the Senior Information Officer of the Communication Division welcomed us warmly in a very nice and comfortable conference room. Ms Jewel started the presentation with the History of the intellectual property system which was founded in the Paris (1883) and Bern (1886) conventions. Everything began with a small organization based in Bern which only comprised of seven people. In 1960, the organization moved to Geneva and a bilateral agreement was made with the UN in 1974 and the WIPO thus became part of its organizations. Since the year 2000 the 26th April is the intellectual property day, which this year focuses on creativity for the next generation. Their goal is to expand the scope of IT protection in todays rapid developing technological environment. In order to boost innovation and support creativity the protection of intellectual property was necessary. Due to the importance intellectual property is often called currency of the 21st century.Ms Jewel also promoted the WIPO magazine, which features stories about different new products and activities taken by the WIPO. A free subscription and downloads of the Magazine are available under www.wipo.int/wipo_magazine/en/. Today the organization it is comprised of 185 member states and 350 NGOs with observer status. Generally, decisions are made with consensus and voting is avoided as much as possible. At the moment there are 25 treaties in place but as it is not obligatory to sing them all, the system remains very flexible. The WIPO fights to build awareness in the public as well as in the private sector. Nevertheless, much has to be done in order to fight piracy successfully in the future. The WIPO has three main activities which are:1) Norm setting: reviewing existing standards and setting new international standards if the business environment demands it2) Economic Development3) Development of global IP infrastructure, focusing on the legal framework and the free flow of IT information. The WIPO database functions as a rich source for business or technical information, which is publically accessible and free of charge under www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/ and www.wipo.int/wipogold/en/.4) Services to the industry, which generates 90 % of the income.The WIPO cooperates with organizations like Interpol on the one hand and the WTO on the other hand; consequentially four WIPO agreements are also in cooperated in the TRIPS. The increasing in patents and trademarks is considerable, especially in developing countries (e.g. China 33% increase in patents). The WIPOs mediation center also helps settle cross border disputes. A good way for students to get in contact with WIPO and experience their domain of activity first hand is the WIPO academy which offers distant as well as face-to-face learning courses as e.g. summer schools. Another possibility is doing a paid internship where the application procedure goes through HR and positions are posted on the website. WIPO tries to stay close to the young generation by engaging in partnerships with universities. Already during the presentation Ms Jewel allowed for questions, which was welcomed by the audience. As the WIPO is located near the UNOG the UN Main Geneva compound, our family picture was taken in front of the UN after which the group split up in order to further explore the city before the bus left in direction of Paris in the night. We said goodbye to Geneva eager to explore Paris and its organizations. Wednesday, 20th March 2013World Bank Date: 20tht of March 2013Time: 15:00 pm 16:30 pmTopic: World Bank - Working for a World Free of Poverty (including Questions and Answers Session)Speaker: Catherine DoodyFounded in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Convention in the USA alongside the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank main objectives is to eradicate poverty. Worldwide 2.8 billion people, more than half of the population in developing countries, live with less than $2 a day. Furthermore, it is predicted that in 25 years the population in developing countries will increase by 1.5 billion people. The purpose of the World Bank is to combat a number of issues in the fields of health (AIDS, Avian flu), environment (scarcity of raw materials), social and political unrest and economic risks (income inequality, capital outflows). The strategic priorities of the World Bank are organized as following:1. Target the poor and the vulnerable2. Create opportunities for growth 3. Promote global collective action 4. Strengthen governance 5. Manage risk and prepare for crisisAlthough the World Bank consists of five organizations, the meeting mainly focused on the International Bank for Reconstructions and Developments (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). Whilst the IBRD is responsible for middle income countries and offers loans with repayment of up to 35 years with interest rates determined by the LIBOR, the IDA is responsible for low income countries and grants loans with repayment of up to 55 years with 0% interest rates. These countries will use the loans to invest into water and food production (10%), agriculture and forestry (9%), education (8%) and many more areas that require financing. The total amount of loans granted by the World Bank can be seen in the figure below. In the year 2012, the total amount of loans granted summed up to $35.4 billion. During the years of the recession (2009-2011) a significant increase of loans granted can be observed as more countries required financial assistance. Indonesia, Brazil and Romania were the top three borrowers of IBRD loans in 2012. India, Nigeria and Pakistan were the top three borrowers of IDA loans in the same year.

Figure 1: IBRD and IDA loans granted since 1991The World Bank's goal is to wipe out poverty by 2015. However, when evaluating the current trend and looking at the challenges the World Bank has yet to face it becomes clear that this goal will not be achieved. First of all, the extreme poverty rate has been greatly reduced through international projects such as Fairtrade and access to water has also become easier. On the other hand, the World Bank has great difficulty in improving maternal mortality and child mortality.When large projects at national or international level are planned the World Bank follows a number of steps as seen in Figure 2 below. First of all, the project is identified, prepared, and appraised by the nation's country and the World Bank. The World Bank's Board then negotiates and either declines or approves the document. For large projects that require a lot of financing countries can submit a proposal to the World Bank outlining how they will implement the project and how much the expenses will be. The Board then decides on the most efficient proposal and grants the project to the winning country. In 2012 the countries that were awarded the most projects by the World Bank were China, India and Brazil. However, there have been some criticisms that the mentioned countries rather bring in their own workers than employ local workers. On the other hand, it can be argued that local workers do not have enough knowledge of a certain project to participate.

Figure 2: Project CycleEvery country can participate in the World Bank's activities, however the leadership roles are clearly in control of a few selected countries. As seen in Figure 3 below the most voting rights go to the United States with 15.7% followed by Japan (9.39%), Germany (4.89%), and France (4.38%). This percentage is determined by the amount of contributions each country pays to the World Bank. However, as the diagram shows most control is granted to highly developed countries which can afford to pay the most contributions. Critics argue that less developed countries, those which the World Bank is actually trying to help, have the least to say. In an effort to improve this, and to reverse the negative trends, the World Bank actively employs bank managers from lesser developed countries and currently 42% of all bank managers originate from these countries. (the so-called equal gender, geographic and social distribution of the appointed and seconded staff.)

Figure 3: LeadershipThe general trend of the World Bank's objective to wipe out hunger and poverty is positive. However, there are dire forecasts for some regions especially in the Sub-Saharan African region as they may be left behind in development due to reasons such as war and insufficient infrastructure.

Internship opportunities: All internship applications are handled by Washington DC in the United States. If you wish to apply for an internship at one of the representative offices or in a country where the World Bank is currently active you should mention this in your application to Washington. Furthermore, it would be advisable to get into contact with the offices you wish to do an internship in order to verify that they are willing to take internships from abroad as the World Bank normally chooses to hire employees and interns locally.Source:Doody, C. (2013). World Bank: Working for a World Free of Poverty. Paris.

Thursday, 21st March 2013UNESCO Historyby Marie MitterThe history of the UNESCO dates back to 1942 when eight allied governments called in the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education (CAME) for the purpose of establishing a plan in order to reconstruct the education systems once the war was over. In 1945, upon a proposal of the CAME, a United Nations Conference for the establishment of an educational and cultural organization which would provide the moral and intellectual basis for peace was held in London. At the end of the conference the Constitution of UNESCO was ratified by twenty countries and the UNESCO was founded. The newly established specialised agency of the UN included structural and substantive elements from its predecessors the International Committee of Intellectual Co-operation (CICI) and the International Institute of Intellectual Co-operation (IICI) as well as the International Bureau of Education (IBE) whose work was largely interrupted by the onset of World War II.The political divisions of the Second World War were represented in the composition of the founding Member States of UNESCO. Other historical events such as the Cold War and the dissolution of the USSR also left their trace on UNESCO. Source: Unesco.orgUNESCO visitby Lisa Speiser & Julia StichlingDate: 21st of March 2013Time: 10:00 am 12:30 pmTopic: UNESCO An Overview (including Questions and Answers Session)Speaker: Christina von FurstenbergThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is located in Paris since November 1945. It has 195 member states and 8 associated member states. The UNESCO building is huge and member states donated important and well-known pieces of art which decorate the whole building. Therefore, before entering the building, we needed to do a security check.The UNESCO has the goal to make education accessible for everyone, promote research in science concerning drinking water availability and protection of species and promote freedom of press and the conservation of the world heritage of humans. Ms. Christina von Furstenberg welcomed the whole group warmly and started to present the organization and her function within the organization. During her presentation, she started to introduce herself. She is working within the organization since 1991, where the first forum on Sustainable Development took place. Currently, she is working as chief of the Social and Human Sciences Sector within the organization of UNESCO. Furthermore, she mentioned several current topics related to the UNESCO in order to give us a broad understanding of the organization. The UNESCO comprises three organs: the Secretariat, the General Conference and the Executive Council. The Secretariat is lead be the Director-General, currently Ms. Irina Bokova, the first female and Eastern European Director-General. In November 2013 the UNESCO is celebrating its 68th birthday.

Ms. von Furstenberg put a special focus on the program MOST, Management of Social Transformations, which aims to provide decision makers with the results of Social Science research to promote cooperation in the favor of people. For a better understanding of the program, we watched a movie, where special initiatives under the MOST program were presented. The slogan Most is a must promotes the program within the member states, third countries, as well as NGOs or businesses. In 1993 this slogan was introduced together with the launching of the program. Currently 35 member states, which are elected by the General Conference, try to work pro-actively within the fields of the program. Recently the Most 2-program was launched which focuses on the current topics, such as changes in society, climate change, ageing population, inequality of society etc. After the presentation and the video, questions arose and were answered by Ms. von Furstenberg very kindly. One of the questions was about her opinion to the Rio de Janeiro summit last year. In general, in her opinion, this summit was a re-discussion of the failed summit in Copenhagen in 2009 and a future outlook on what the UN will do from now on. She stated that to her opinion the Rio de Janeiro summit was successful and there was much progress going on. Another question was about the way of fundraising, whether companies support projects or if money is paid in general fund pots. There Ms. Von Furstenberg mentioned that there is of course a contribution of the member states, but as well depending on the projects companies or private individuals are supportive as well. A very interesting question was about the MOST program and its impact in the world. Here especially Central America was highlighted by Ms. von Furstenberg, as here NGOs have a great impact and the question here is not only whether the intervention improves the situation, but also how does the population perceive this intervention?A great possibility for students to gather further insights into the work of UNESCO is an internship, which one can apply for two to three months in advance, the latest. Internships are published at the homepage of the UNESCO and one should also contact Ms. von Furstenberg, as she can also help to find a place and is always open for interesting interns. Interested persons can try their luch by applying directly via: c.von-furstenberg@unesco.org.All in all, the trip to the UNESCO was very interesting for us and one could gather deep insights into how this organization works and what its aims are.

OECD Historyby Daniela SchpplThe precursor of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was the Organization for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC), which was established in 1947. The OEEC was formed to administer American and Canadian aid under the Marshall Plan for reconstruction of Europe after World War II. By making individual governments recognize the interdependence of their economies, the OEEC paved the way for a new era of cooperation that was to change Europe. It is worth to mention that Austria was one of the very few founding members of this Paris-based, that-time only one cross-Atlantic intergovernmental organization.Since it took over from the OEEC in 1961, the OECDs profession has been to build strong economies in its member countries, improve efficiency, enhance market systems, expand free trade and contribute to development in industrialized as well as developing countries. Today, 34 OECD member countries worldwide regularly turn to one another to identify problems, discuss and analyze them, and promote policies to solve them. After more than four decades, the OECD is moving beyond focusing on its own countries and is now setting its priorities on those countries that embrace the market economy. The Organization is, for example, putting the benefit of its experience to the service of emerging market economies, particularly in the countries that are making their transition from centrally-planned to capitalist systems. As it opens to many new contacts around the world, the OECD will broaden its scope, looking ahead to a post-industrial age in which it aims to tightly weave OECD economies into a yet more prosperous and increasingly knowledge-based world economy.Source: www.oecd.org

Permanent Mission of Austria to the OECDby Katharina Schneeweiss & MarleneLedigerPermanent Mission of Austria to the OECDDate: Thursday, 21.03.2013Time: 14:20 15:30Topic: OECD history and its structure, scope and mandate, role of Austrian mission at the OECDSpeaker: Mrs Birgit WILDER, Deputy Permanent Representative of Austria to the OECD

Background Information:The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), based in Paris, is one of the worlds major and most reliable providers of comparable statistics and economic and social data. Due to numerous researches in the field of economics and public policy, the OECD is one of the worlds leading publishers of reports and forecasts in that area. After we got a the general overview of the OECD by Andrew Gentry, the PAD Coordinator, the speech was continued by a definition of the role of the Permanent Representation of Austria to the OECD (hereafter referred to as Austrian Mission). In this presentation, Mrs Birgit Wilder outlined the structure and the role of the Austrian Mission. The mission of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was founded in the year 1961 and its aim is to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. The OECD provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems. The organization works with governments to understand what drives economic, social and environmental change. Furthermore, they measure productivity and global flows of trade and investment. Additionally, they provide current reports based on analyses and they do compare data to predict future trends. The organisations aim is to care about issues that directly affect the lives of ordinary people, like how much they pay in taxes and social security, and how much leisure time they can take. Comparing how different countries school systems are readying their young people for modern life, and how different countries pension systems will look after their citizens in old age belong to the OECDs tasks.The OECD employs 2500 employees and has got a budget of approximately 354 million Euros available and furthermore has got sites in Paris, Washington, Tokyo, Mexico City and Berlin.

Role and Responsibilities of the Austrian MissionEach of the 34 OECD-member states is represented at the organisation in Paris by several representatives and delegates. In addition Mrs Birgit Wilder pointed out that the OECD actually consists of 35 members, as the European Union (EU) is also considered as a member and part of the OECD as the EU takes part in meetings. The fundamental role of the Austrian Mission is to act as a linkage between the OECD Secretariat and national authorities. Furthermore, the Austrian Mission promotes Austrias national interests in multilateral negotiations. It basically aims at ensuring a good fit between the OECDs work and their countrys interest. As a further point, it informs about current developments of the OECD programmes of work. The Austrian Mission is composed of one ambassador and several diplomats. At present, Mrs Birgit Wilder is Austrias Counsellor Austrian Delegation to OECD. However, at present Mr Wolfgang Petritsch is Austrias ambassador. He was appointed by the Austrian Federal Chancellery on March 4, 2008. Mr Petritsch, in consultation with his peers, has the responsibility to agree on programme of work, validate strategic work and establish the volume of the annual budget.Mrs Birgit Wilder pointed out, that the leading slogan of the OECD was once club of rich countries. However, this mindset changed and altered into club of better policies. In fact the slogan of the OECD now is: better policies for better lifes. Mrs Wilder gave us a short but rather detailed insight into the OECD. She let us know that applicants for a membership need to fulfil the three main criteria which are: like-mindedness, mutual benefit or bilateral benefit and geographic balance. Like-mindedness means that the members and the applicants should share the same values. There should be a mutual benefit on both sides. In addition applicant countries need to have a democratic political system, respect human rights and have a stable market economy. Mrs Wilder also pointed out that there are countries which will never join the OECD just for reasons like that they do not want to lose their status as developing country (after joining the OECD applicant members are considered as developed countries) and that the OECD does not provide subsidies or financial support but member countries have to open and disclose their financial books in order to promote transparency. In fact the OECD is like a trade mark and gives investors security and makes them feel more comfortable as the membership to the OECD means that the member countries are complying with the standards.Moreover, Mrs Wilder explained that the main targets of the OECD include the promotion of economic growth and employment, the augmentation of the standard of living, the contribution to the expansion of world trade, the stability of public finances, and support economic growth in third countries. In addition the OECD collects data from member states and third countries and analyses them, therefore the OECD publishes a lot in the fields of economy, education and knowledge society, social systems, labour markets, environment and climate change and changing of growth (continuous growth means growing poverty).Strengths of the OECD The OECD acts as aid to orientation and provides standards and rankings in order to support countries for self-monitoring. The OECD provides political recommendations for various political areas. Countries can learn from best practices of other OECD countries. The OECD offers regular publications (PISA, Economic Outlook, Going for Growth, Health at Glance, Education at a Glance, Migration Outlook, etc.) THE OECD provides studies and publications for particular horizontal topics (Babies and Bosses). The OECD develops indicators for the regulation of the product and employment market and provides economic forecasters.Question & Answer SessionAt the beginning of the discussion round, Mrs Birgit Wilder explained how the Austrian Mission is composed, in concrete terms, the Delegation consists of 14 diplomatic staff, which are mostly specialists from a variety of ministries such as the Ministry for Finance, the Ministry for Agriculture, the Ministry for Economy, Family and Youth and, of course, the Federal Chancellery itself. A question that was raised in this context concerned the Austrian competences within the OECD. According to Mrs Wilder, Austrias major competences within the OECD focus on agriculture, renewables energies and investments. For further information about the Austrian Mission, Mrs Wilder recommended us the following links: www.oecd.org, www.oecd.org/Austria, www.bka.gv.at/oecd.Internship OpportunitiesWith regards to the Austrian Mission, Mrs Wilder talked about employment possibilities directly at the Permanent Delegation of Austria to the OECD. The Austrian Mission offers traineeships, which are generally paid until 800 Euros per month. However, one important condition was that the person applying holds the citizenship of one of the OECD-Members in order to be considered for an internship position. Another very crucial condition is that the trainee already graduated and can convince with this Master degree. The internship lasts 3 months exactly and applications can be sent at any time.

International Energy Agency (IEA)by Christian Schmied & Bernhard EndmayerDate: 21st March 2013Time: 4pmTopic: IEA An Overview & World Energy Outlook 2012Speaker: Timur Topalgoekceli, Energy Analyst, Directorate of Global Energy Economics at IEAModerator: Andrew Gentry, Co-ordinator, Seminars & Visits Program, Public Affairs and Communications Directorate at OECD and prof. Anis BajrektarevicGeneral informationThe International Energy Agency (IEA), an autonomous agency, was established in November 1974. Its primary mandate was and is two-fold: to promote energy security amongst its member countries through collective response to physical disruptions in oil supply, and provide authoritative research and analysis on ways to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 28 member countries and beyond. The IEA carries out a comprehensive program of energy co-operation among its member countries, each of which is obliged to hold oil stocks equivalent to 90 days of its net imports.The Agencys aims include the following objectives:Secure member countries access to reliable and ample supplies of all forms of energy; in particular, through maintaining effective emergency response capabilities in case of oil supply disruptions.Promote sustainable energy policies that spur economic growth and environmental protection in a global context particularly in terms of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions that contribute to climate change.Improve transparency of international markets through collection and analysis of energy data.Support global collaboration on energy technology to secure future energy supplies and mitigate their environmental impact, including through improved energy efficiency and development and deployment of low-carbon technologies.Find solutions to global energy challenges through engagement and dialogue with non-member countries, industry, international organizations and other stakeholders.About the presentationStarting with a short delay due to the interesting Q&A session after our first presentation, Mr. Topalgoekceli quickly and effectively explained the scope and activities of the IEA to the group. In a very entertaining manner, he managed to convey a lot of information in a very short time. After that, Mr. Topalgoekceli went into details and depicted trends and developments in one of the worlds most interesting sectors: the energy and resources sector. One of the most striking developments is the subsidizing of renewable energy production sites, because it is still not even one third of the subsidies that fossil energy production sites receive. Another sad, but not surprising issue was mentioned around the topic of climate change: the IEA analyzed its costs with the result, that every Dollar not spent on mitigation of climate change before 2020 would cause costs of $4,35 after 2020.

Mr. Topalgoekceli went on to stress the main future energy trends that will shape our future. Those were the result of intensive research and reviews with a lot of partners and governments for producing the World Energy Outlook 2012. We were kindly handled this 700 page outlook with a huge amount of statistics and interesting information free of charge as PDF by Mr. Topalgoekceli after the presentation and would like to thank the IEA for their kindness.

World Energy Outlook 2012: main trends until 2035Rising incomes and population push energy needs higherEnergy-market dynamics are increasingly determined by the emerging economiesFossil fuels continue to meet the bulk of the worlds energy needs, from an ample resource baseProviding universal energy access to the worlds poor remains an elusive goalIn the IEAs central scenario, the New Policies Scenario, global primary energy demand rises by over one-third in the period to 2035. Oil demand reaches 99.7 mb/d in 2035, up from 87.4 mb/d in 2011. Coal demand rises by 21% and natural gas by a remarkable 50%. Renewables are deployed rapidly, particularly in the power sector, where their share of generation increases from around 20% today to 31%. Growth in nuclear power is revised down relative to our previous projections, in large part due to policy moves following Fukushima Daiichi. These trends call for $37 trillion of investment in the worlds energy supply infrastructure to 2035.China accounts for the largest share of the projected growth in global energy use, its demand rising by 60% by 2035, followed by India (where demand more than doubles) and the Middle East. OECD energy demand in 2035 is just 3% higher than in 2010, but there are dramatic shifts in its energy mix as fuel substitution sees the collective share of oil and coal drop by fifteen percentage points to 42%.A renaissance of the US energy sector is reshaping the worlds energy landscape, with far-reaching implications. The United States currently relies on imports for around 20% of its primary energy demand, but rising production of oil, shale gas and bioenergy means that it becomes all but self-sufficient in net-terms by 2035. By contrast, most other energy importers become more dependent on imports.Growing water constraints are set to impose additional costs on the energy sector and in some cases threaten the viability of projects. In the New Policies Scenario, the volume of water consumed to produce energy increases by 85%, from 66 billion cubic metres (bcm) in 2010 to 120 bcm in 2035. This is more than twice the rate of growth of energy demand, driven by more water-intensive power generation and expanding output of water-thirsty biofuels. In the New Policies Scenario, energy-related CO2 emissions rise from an estimated 31.2 Gt in 2011 to 37.0 Gt in 2035, pointing to a long-term average temperature increase of 3.6 C. Phasing out fossil-fuel subsidies, which totalled $523 billion in 2011 (outweighing subsidies for renewables by a factor of almost six), would sharply curb growth in emissions.Question and Answer sessionAfter the presentation, Mr. Topalgoekceli also kindly answered all our questions from economical as well as technological view with simple and understandable vocabulary, showing his deep knowledge and understanding of all topics connected with energy economics. It was a great pleasure for our fellows to hear his presentation and all the interesting remarks he made during the following Q&A session. Further information can be found on the official website of the organization: www.iea.org

Friday, 22nd March 2013ICC - International Chamber of Commerce by Astrid Prem & Carola SeyrOverviewDate: Friday, 22nd March 2013Time: 9:00-12:00Topic: International Court of Arbitration & International Centre for ADR Speaker: Deputy Counsel Alma Forgo and Deputy Manager Ana Sylvia PradoOn our final day of visits we arrived at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in the morning and Deputy Counsel Alma Forgo gave us some interesting insights in the general structure and her duties at the ICC. Furthermore she included many illustrative examples and the meeting rather corresponded to a dialogue with the students than a straight forward presentation. Below, a brief summary of her main points is given. International Chamber of CommerceThe International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) was founded in 1919 by a few entrepreneurs. The aim of this organisation was to represent business everywhere. International Court of ArbitrationA few years after the foundation of the ICC, the ICC International Court of Arbitration (ICA) was founded in 1923. The ICA was created to add an international dispute-resolving mechanism to the Chamber of Commerce. Today, the ICA has around 130 court members from 87 countries and was dealing with over 750 new cases solely in 2012. Statistics show that most of the parties involved in arbitration are from North and West Europe, coming mainly from the construction & engineering, as well as the energy sector. The SecretariatThe Secretariat is responsible for day to day administration of cases. It is represented in form of several teams in Paris, one Hong Kong and is planning on introducing another team in New York. People from over 25 different nationalities are working for the secretariat.It is important to know that the secretariat itself does not settle disputes, they only supervises and administers them.

ICC International Centre for ADRDeputy Manager Ana Sylvia Prado was in charge of the second presentation which dealt with the ICC international centre for Amicable Dispute Resolution (ADR). She explained the importance of mediation which can settle up to 80% of the cases at considerably lower cost. Moreover she talked about the challenges of the field, for example finding an expert for very specific issues. Finally she invited us to the ICC Mediation Week in Paris which takes place from February 6 to 12, 2014. Application deadline is in July and the groups of four people must at least include one law student. During this event a paid internship possibility from September 2013 till March 2014 exists also for business students. In case of interest, students must follow the official online application procedure. 2 month internships are preferably given to law students but business students with a law background will also be taken into consideration. The main tasks during these months are to prepare the agenda for staff meetings and to follow the dispute development, to do research on the mediation database and to participate in broad sessions. The following topics give an overview of her presentation. International Centre for Amicable Dispute Resolution (ADR) ProceedingsThe International Centre for ADR is dealing with everything, but arbitration. It is one of the two main bodies of the ICC Dispute Resolution, next to the ICC International Court of Arbitration. Surely it is a body with the extensive and long-lasting experience in the matter therefore of a huge international reputation and authority. The ICC International Centre for ADR is based on four different sets of rules: Arbitration and ADR Rules Expertise Rules Dispute Board Rules Docdex Rules

The International Centre for ADR has different types of settlement techniques. Mediation is voluntary and aims at developing a consensual solution with the assistance of a third party. It focuses on the interests of the two parties and its outcome is contractually binding. Neutral Evaluation, Conciliation and Combinations are other techniques for settlement. Amicable Dispute Resolution (ADR)The ADR is dealing with domestic, as well as international commercial disputes. Its rules are short and flexible, meaning they can be adapted to the parties needs. Like in the ICA, the majority of the cases are international (80%) and spread worldwide. ICC International Centre for ExpertiseIn this kind of proceeding, the ICC is appointing experts to deal with the issue. For each case, an individual search for experts has to be conducted, depending on the needs and qualifications of the expert, such as language skills, field of activity, nationality or experience. ICC Dispute BoardsThe ICC Dispute Board is used for middle- and long-term contracts and is a standing dispute resolution panel. There are three types of ICC Dispute Boards: Dispute Review Board, which does not provide decisions, the Dispute Adjudication Board, which does provide decision, and the Combined Dispute Board, a combination of Review and Adjudication Board. Internship OpportunitiesDeputy Manager Ana Sylvia Prado invited us to the ICC International Commercial Mediation Week in Paris which takes place from February 6 to 12, 2014. During this even students from various countries come together and get the chance to test their abilities and innovative ideas to solve problems. Only one team per university will be admitted to the event and can be supervised by a professor. Application deadline is in July and the groups of two to four people must at least include one law student. The costs for participation depend on the number of students in the team and range from 500 for a team with two members to 800 for a team with four members. During this event two paid internship possibility in Paris from 2 September 2013 till 14 March 2014 exist. In case of interest, students must follow the official application procedure by email. The two-month internships are preferably given to law students, but business students with a law background and a convincing letter of motivation will also be taken into consideration. The main tasks during these months are to prepare the agenda for staff meetings and to follow the dispute development, to do research on the mediation database and to participate in broad sessions. Furthermore the intern will handle the online registration tool, reply to participants questions, prepare the event schedule, format documents, deal with related accounting issues, prepare meetings and trainings, execute general administrative duties, plan logistical aspects of the event and communicate with participants via email. Note that the intern will not work with the Secretariat of the ICC International Court of Arbitration. Requirements Enrolment in a university program proven experience in organising large-scale events enthusiasm for and knowledge of mediation and other forms of ADR ability to work under high pressure very good management of priorities problem solving capacity excellent communication skills customer service skills ability to work both independently and within a team demonstrate attention to details excellent English skills and very good French (further languages are a plus) very good MS office and general computer skills event management studies and practical experience is a plusFor interested students please sent your cover letter and CV as well as minimum two referees until 30 April 2013 to Hannah Tmpel at the@iccwbo.org and Angela Herberholz at ahz@iccwbo.orgOrganizations which were regularly scheduled but were this time cancelled due to construction work:

UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION for EUROPEHistory of the UNECEby Patrick OffeneggerThe United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, short UNECE was set up in the year 1947 by ECOSOC. The idea behind was to establish an organization that supports the rebuilding process due to the received damages during WWII. Furthermore, UNECE was seen as an intermediary between East and West as they were torn apart through the Iron Curtain. In 1957 it became a permanent body of the UN due to the increased need of maintaining peace and fostering economic activities. The need of the organization gained more importance during the cold war as it was the only instrument for a peaceful dialogue among the nations. When the Cold War came to an end the activities of UNECE changed. The main part of their work was now to promote market economies and to help countries of the former Easter Block to successfully integrate in the fast changing world economy. Furthermore, the organization set up different kind of workshops in order to provide expert knowledge from specialists for its member countries. Due to the causes of globalization and the steady changes in the economy UNECE was forced to undertake some reforms in 1997 and 2005 in order to scope and be up to date with the modern Europe of the 21th century.Today the organization has 56 member countries and its Headquarter is situated in Geneva. Its main activities nowadays are in supporting countries during their accession process and to help economies to transform from planned to market economies. The commission is organized through an executive committee that consists of one chairperson and two additional vice chairpersons. The current chairperson is Mr. Ugljea ZVEKI from Serbia and the vice chairpersons are represented by Mr. Eviatar MANOR from Israel and Mrs. Maria CIOBANU from Romania. Furthermore, there are eight Sectoral Committees addressed to the different programs of UNECE. These programs are further divided into six divisions who are led by the Executive Secretary currently represented by Mr. Sven Alkalaj from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Source: www.unece.org

Red Crossby Jasmin Krutner

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network that reaches 150 million people in 187 National Societies through the work of over 13 million volunteers.Together, they act before, during and after disasters and health emergencies to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people. They do so without discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinions.Guided by Strategy 2020 their collective plan of action to tackle the major humanitarian and development challenges of this decade they are committed, in this fast-changing world, to saving lives and changing minds.Their strength is in their volunteer network, their community-based expertise and their ability to give a global voice to vulnerable people. By improving humanitarian standards, working as partners in development, responding to disasters, supporting healthier and safer communities, they help reduce vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience and foster a culture of peace around the world.The Red Cross idea was born in 1859, when Henry Dunant, a young Swiss man, came upon the scene of a bloody battle in Solferino, Italy, between the armies of imperial Austria and the Franco-Sardinian alliance. Some 40,000 men lay dead or dying on the battlefield and the wounded were lacking medical attention. Dunant organized local people to bind the soldiers' wounds and to feed and comfort them. On his return, he called for the creation of national relief societies to assist those wounded in war, and pointed the way to the future Geneva Conventions.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) was founded in 1919 in Paris in the aftermath of World War I. The war had shown a need for close cooperation between Red Cross Societies, which, through their humanitarian activities on behalf of prisoners of war and combatants, had attracted millions of volunteers and built a large body of expertise. A devastated Europe could not afford to lose such a resource.

Diary entriesSunday, 17th March 2013by Clemens PhringerWhat we didWhen we arrived at our hotel in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday, the 17th of March 2013 everybody was exhausted but happy. The first thing we did after the 12-hour bus ride was to check in our hotel, the Etap Hotel at the Avenue Louis Casa. After freshening up a little bit and storing our luggage at the hotel, everybody took the public transport to go to the city centre of Geneva and enjoy the free day. After visiting the centre and the most important sights (including but not limited to the Cathedral St-Pierre, the Brunswick Monument and the Quai Gustave-Ador with the Jeu deu (the big fountain)) we finally decided to end the day at the International Geneva Motor Show, which is one of the most important international auto shows of the world. It was an amazing experience and brought us into the right mood for our study trip in France and Switzerland.The City of GenevaThe city of Geneva, which counts a bit less than 200,000 people, is the second biggest city in Switzerland and the biggest city of the countrys French-speaking part. Situated directly at the Lake Geneva, it is also the capital of the Canton of Geneva. Basically Geneva is a global city, a financial centre as well as a worldwide centre for diplomacy. Thanks to the presence of numerous international organizations, including the headquarters of many agencies of the United Nations and the Red Cross, Geneva is well known and a rather important place.The following list includes some of the international organizations, which are located in Geneva. Our study group has visited the bold ones:

United Nations Organization (UNO) UNOG World Trade Organization (WTO) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) International Labour Organization (ILO) World Health Organization (WHO) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) International Organization for Standardization (ISO) International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) International Red Cross and Crescent Movement European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN)+ Additionally weve had a meeting with the Austrian Mission to IOs Geneva.Monday, 18th March 2013by Lorenz Haas & Stefanie HagleitnerWaking up at 7:15 a.m. we looked out of the window and were a little bit shocked snow was falling. With a corresponding bad mood we dressed up and went downstairs to have breakfast. As it was the first day visiting organizations we were discussing how the day will look like. With caps, gloves and umbrellas we walked to the bus station where our bus was waiting for us. The bus left the Hotel at 8:55 a.m. heading towards our first meeting in the International Telecommunication Organization. After a short 20 minutes bus ride we arrived at the ITUs premises. We