International Geneva is facing one of its most serious challenges in decades.
The city, which hosts 40 international organizations and nearly 500 NGOs, has been shaken by sharp budget cuts following reduced American contributions.
Now, competition is intensifying: Austria and Italy are said to be campaigning to attract major institutions – even some cities in the Gulf.
UNICEF has already begun shifting a significant part of its headquarters to Rome, and the International Labour Organization is studying a move of several hundred posts to Turin to reduce costs.
The foreign minister, Ignazio Cassis, says that some cities are aggressively positioning themselves to persuade Geneva based organisations to move.
The Swiss government is looking to help international Geneva. Parliamentary votes are expected next week to inject CHF 200m - more than 5% than previously earmarked.
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