The ceremony included the inauguration of new office buildings and the groundbreaking of a new conference facility at the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Office at Nairobi (Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵON), which will substantially expand the Organization¡¯s footprint in Africa.
Approved by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ General Assembly, the $340 million project is the largest investment undertaken by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Secretariat in Africa in its 80-year history, strengthening Nairobi¡¯s role as a global centre for diplomacy and multilateral cooperation.
¡°These are more than buildings,¡± the Secretary-General said during a press encounter. ¡°They are a vote of confidence in Africa¡¯s place at the heart of international cooperation.¡±
A Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ closer to the people it serves
The project will increase conference capacity at Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵON from 2,000 to 9,000 participants, including through the construction of a new assembly hall and expanded meeting facilities.
Mr. Guterres said the expansion reflects the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ¡¯s broader efforts to bring its work closer to the regions most affected by global challenges.
¡°Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ must be closer to the people it serves ¨C connected to their realities and equipped to support the solutions they are building,¡± he said.
Remarks by Kenya Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi , at the Ground breaking for the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Conference Facilities Project and Inauguration of the New Office Blocks.
