“We can take the floor,” says CERN Director-General Rolf Heuer. His remark refers to the observer status his organization was granted in a 14 December 2012 resolution by the United Nations General Assembly. Observers can participate in the work of the General Assembly, attend sessions, and sponsor and sign resolutions, but cannot vote on resolutions. Rather than appoint an ambassador, CERN will send people who can best represent the lab at specific UN sessions, Heuer says.
CERN’s observer status “raises the visibility of science” and affords the opportunity to show the political community “what science can bring to mankind,” Heuer says. “Many parts of the world are in economic crisis—or at least talk about economic crisis,” he continues. “Research cannot avoid crisis, but it can moderate crisis. Research is one of the building stones for the future.”
Heuer also expects CERN’s UN observer status to convey more influence in capacity...
