The Geneva Peace Conference was held on January 9, 1991 to find a peaceful solution to the Iraqi occupation of
Kuwait in order to avoid a war between
Iraq and the
United States backed coalition. Iraqi Foreign Minister
Tariq Aziz represented Iraq, while
United States Secretary of State James Baker was the United States representative. Lasting nearly seven hours, both parties refused to move on their initial positions. Iraq refused to withdraw from occupied
Kuwait, while the United States and its allies continued to demand Iraq's immediate withdrawal. The meeting was the final initiative that eventually led to the
Gulf War.