Housing headache for small delegations in International Geneva

The city of Geneva has for years suffered a chronic lack of affordable housing. The scarcity and high price of property push many people working there to live in other cantons, or in neighbouring France. But this lack of affordable accommodation also affects Geneva’s international institutions. (RTS, swissinfo.ch)

As the European headquarters of the United Nations and numerous international organisations, Geneva hosts foreign delegations all year round. For presidents, ministers, ambassadors and VIPs, there is no particular problem, since embassies and big hotels are there to look after them. 

But the situation is much more difficult for small delegations or representatives of non-governmental organisations from developing countries. For them, finding accommodation in Geneva is a real headache. Here are some examples from the last UN Human Rights Council session. 

Translated from French by Julia Crawford