Portrait of Ambassador Amadeo Pérez, Head of the Host State Division at the Swiss Mission to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva With the elegance of a Spanish hidalgo and the efficiency and modesty of a Swiss diplomat, Amadeo Pérez is a familiar face to all ambassadors accredited to Geneva. Not because he likes to show off (it's impossible, for example, to persuade him to speak to a journalist), but because he embodies Switzerland's welcoming policy like no other. The 60-year-old Galician, who grew up in Fribourg, joined the Swiss Mission to the United Nations and other international organizations in 1988, after studying law and working at the Federal Office of Justice in Berne. AP: "When our representation in Geneva was opened 50 years ago, there were three people working there. When I arrived, there were barely twenty," he recalls, pointing out how things have changed with the growing importance of Geneva. 
and Switzerland's membership of the United Nations. Today, the mission has a staff of 61, 28 of whom work in the Host State Division. They manage the status of 40 international organizations, some 250 missions and permanent delegations, and around 43,000 people. Among other things, they are responsible for issuing legitimation cards (residence permits for internationals), security aspects of international Geneva, and maintaining the attractiveness and competitiveness of international Geneva, notably by supporting organizations in their real estate projects. Collaboration with local authorities, now largely a given, used to be something of a work in progress. AP: "Sometimes, for example, I would call a cantonal official who wanted to tax a diplomat, to explain the rules of the Vienna Convention. I would introduce myself as an employee of the Swiss mission, and they would ask me: mission of what religion?" Amadeo Pérez is the historical memory of the Swiss mission. He was instrumental in achieving successes, such as the establishment in Geneva of the World Trade Organization (WTO), or the creation, in 1996, of the Geneva International Welcome Center, the CAGI, in partnership with the private sector. It has also experienced some difficult moments, such as the decision by the Green Climate Fund to establish itself in Korea. This setback led to the Federal Council's strategy for strengthening Switzerland's role as host country.
AP: "We have given ourselves the means to compete with other cities with ambitions to host new entities. The annual budget of the international organizations based in Geneva is around 8 billion francs. Understandably, these figures are a source of envy. Not to mention that, as host country, Switzerland enjoys a privileged position in the multilateral arena, which enables us to get our messages across more effectively."
You don't just become a diplomatic capital. At federal level, the legal bases have been modified to reinforce Switzerland's position as a host state. At cantonal level, the right decisions were taken to maintain the quality of our real estate assets and preserve Geneva's attractiveness. Amadeo Pérez has worked hard to bring cantonal and local institutional circles closer to the cosmopolitan culture of international organizations. AP: "More than ever, we need to keep in mind that international Geneva is everybody's business, and that every partner has a role to play in defending this collective wealth that extends far beyond the canton's borders. As Kofi Annan has always said, Switzerland, thanks to its role as host state, fights in a higher category than the one destined for it by the size of its territory". Deeply convinced that the quality of hospitality plays a fundamental role in the strength of International Geneva, Ambassador Pérez, together with his colleagues from the Directorate of Public International Law and the United Nations and International Organizations Division of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, is committed to shaping the practice of privileges and immunities into a set of modern rules much appreciated by the diplomatic community. Since 1995, for example, spouses have had access to the job market. The Host State Act, in force since 2008, is the result of a modern legal vision, adapted to changing times. AP: "We have know-how that sets us apart and enables us to deal with certain factors that are unfavorable to us and that we cannot influence. It's true that life in Geneva is expensive and the Swiss franc is strong. But if you ask the internationals, you'll discover that a sizeable number of them have no desire to leave the city" "Eliminating irritants" is the motto of Ambassador Pérez, who works with his team to resolve situations that poison people's lives, to find the right contacts and clear up misunderstandings. Sometimes called upon to deal with rather improbable matters, as was the case, for example, with a dispute between a diplomat and a local shopkeeper over... a carpet. He believes that finding an amicable solution contributes to harmonious coexistence between the diplomatic community and the local population. Those who know him well emphasize that his strength lies in his ability to impose himself gently, without ever giving the other person the impression of losing consideration. One thing is certain: when Ambassador Pérez retires next year, a page in the history of the Swiss mission will have been turned.