DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA PRESENTS 2009 ANNUAL REPORT OF UNOG

The Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze, has presented the 2009 Annual Report, which shows how UNOG over the past year has expanded its role as a multilateral platform through closer engagement with Member States and enhanced collaboration with other United Nations entities, regional and other intergovernmental organizations, the research and academic community, civil society actors, the private sector and the general public, in line with the Secretary-General’s priorities.

In 2009, 9,923 meetings were held at or serviced by UNOG. Some 1,600 UNOG staff, of 110 nationalities, now serve 177 permanent missions, observer missions and offices, 3,283 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and about 200 accredited journalists. Thirty-seven United Nations entities in Geneva and beyond receive administrative and support services from UNOG.

The Annual Report contains special features on disarmament and non-proliferation and on UNOG’s cultural activities programme in support of cross-cultural tolerance and respect. UNOG’s continuous work to limit its carbon footprint and ongoing efforts towards the implementation of a Strategic Heritage Plan to protect the legacy of the Palais des Nations are also highlighted.

Following are some key statistics for 2009:

• As one of the largest conference centres in the world, UNOG received 169 visits of high-level officials, issued 52,819 badges for conferences and translated 220,056 pages

• 237 press conferences were hosted at the Palais des Nations, and 981 press releases and meeting summaries on United Nations activities in Geneva were issued

• 53 cultural events were hosted at the Palais des Nations to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding

• UNOG has received around 93,000 visitors at the Palais des Nations and 552,677 visits to its gateway website

• 7,816 participants, including delegates from Member States and other members of Geneva International, enrolled in courses and training workshops

• UNOG Library provided services for some 60,000 users

• And the Geneva-Lake-Nations project became operational, through which the Palais des Nations is now supplied with water from Lake Geneva for cooling of the premises. It is estimated that the global reduction of costs for the Palais des Nations, calculated over a 16-year period, will come to approximately 60,000 CHF per year.


For further information and a downloadable version of the report, check the UNOG website (www.unog.ch/annualreport - English, or www.onug.ch/rapportannuel - French)


For use of the information media; not an official record

DG10/005E