VOL. 68, NO. 2 - AAFI-AFICS, Geneva - UNOG

NO SMOKING EVERYWHERE
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/63/8) in early November 2008 calling for the
implementation of a complete ban on smoking at all United Nations offices indoor premises, including
regional and country offices throughout the System, as well as on tobacco products at all UN premises.
Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization, praised the General Assembly : “It
deserves congratulations for protecting the health of delegates, employees and visitors” she said. Since
2005, smoking is totally prohibited at WHO premises, outside as well as inside. And the Organization has
had a policy in place banning recruitment of people who smoke or otherwise use tobacco.
UN Intranet site “iseek” informally polled staff working at several duty stations to learn about smoking policies
at the end of 2008 and received responses from staff in Bangkok, Geneva, Nairobi, Santiago and Vienna.
All duty stations responding, except Bangkok, still allowed smoking indoors in designated areas. For
example, in Geneva and Santiago, designated smoking areas are available in cafeterias. In New York,
smoking is still allowed in the Delegates’ Lounge and in Café Austria. In Vienna, smoking is only allowed
indoors in three closed off areas : one near the delegates coffee lounge on the 4 th floor, one at the 7 th floor
coffee lounge and one in the ground floor bar.
All duty stations surveyed allow smoking on exterior grounds. In Nairobi, smoking is allowed on the UN
Compound in designated open areas. In Bangkok, there are two spots popular with smokers: right outside
the backdoor to the building, well-hidden from most people, or the open air café. In Vienna, staff, delegates
and visitors are free to smoke in the Memorial Plaza, outside the entrance to the VIC and anywhere else
outdoors.
Recently. tobacco products were still for sale at duty- and tax-free prices at the commissaries in Nairobi and
Vienna, but are no longer for sale in New York and Geneva.
Medical Services at each duty station run regular quit smoking classes and support groups, and organize
awareness campaigns.
(source: iseek)
GENEVA TOMORROW
Easy parking at the Palais des Nations … in 2016
It is usually in the summer when fresh news is languishing that the newspapers start reporting on sea
serpents and the Loch Ness monster. An extension of the Geneva bus service into neighbouring France has
for many years been a dream for those who live in the region.
However, this year, in the middle of the winter, on a cold January day, the esteemed authorities of the
councils of the Cantons of Geneva and Vaud revived the perspective of a spectacular improvement in crossborder
rail connections which would allow hordes of international officials to take the train to work rather than
their cars. This, in turn, would clear the roads giving those who live in remote villages where buses will still
be rare (as well as, maybe, retirees, who knows?) a hope of being able to enter without tears or grinding
teeth the holy of holies … the Palais des Nations car parks.
The promise is that the Geneva area will at last be equipped with a real rail network. From both the Canton
of Vaud and neighbouring France there will be many more and much more rapid trains. Between Coppet and
Annemasse, via Geneva-Cornavin, there will be a train every quarter of an hour, with about 15 stops,
including, we hope, the avenue de la Paix. Once an hour, this line will be extended to Evian and Annecy.
Every half-hour, fast trains will run between Annemasse and Nyon, with four stops between.
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