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OF THE ISSUE  Editorial: IPU moves ahead in Middle East and International Trade Special Guest: M. M. Traoré, President of the National Assembly of Burkina Faso Opinion: Mr. M. Moore, Director General of the World Trade Organisation Event: WTO Director General dialogues with MPs at IPU Meeting on International Trade Middle East: Israeli and Palestinian representatives accept to meet under the auspices of the IPU Activities: IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians Gender Issues: Main results of Havana Conference on gender perspective Headquarters: Renovation of the Villa Gardiol Historical Focus: William Randal Cremer Parliamentary Developments
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Renovation of the Villa Gardiol:
The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Fondation des immeubles pour les organisations internationales (FIPOI) have laid the first stone in the renovation of the Villa Gardiol, the new Headquarters of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, on Wednesday, 6 June 2001 at 4.30 p.m. at the Villa Gardiol, which is located at Chemin du Pommier (Grand-Saconnex/GE) and is to become the House of Parliaments.
The ceremony has taken place in the presence of Mrs. Najma Heptulla, President of the IPU Council, Mr. Anders B. Johnsson, Secretary General of the IPU, Mr. Laurent Moutinot, Geneva State Councillor, Officer in charge of the Department for Town Planning, Equipment and Housing, and Mr. François Nordmann, Swiss Ambassador to the international organisations and President of FIPOI.
Last year, the Swiss Federal Council approved a SF 9.5 million loan to FIPOI for the renovation and enlargement of a building destined to become the new headquarters of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The decision was subsequently confirmed by the Swiss Parliament in 2001.
Switzerland's Federal Department for Foreign Affairs (DFAE) had the following to say: "Through this gesture, the Swiss Federal Council is supporting, on the one hand, an international organisation which counts for Swiss MPs and, on the other hand, Geneva as a centre for international cooperation." The loan will be used to renovate the Villa Gardiol and expand the future "House of Parliaments" through the addition of an annex. The new building will have public areas and reception rooms, two conference halls, a cafeteria, a library and some fifty offices. The loan is interest free and repayable over 50 years, while the land has been provided by the Canton of Geneva. The project which the jury for the IPU architectural competition chose is the work of the Brauen and Wälchli firm in Lausanne.
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