DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG SAYS UN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO CONSOLIDATING STABILITY IN EUROPEAN REGION

Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, addressed the opening of the high-level segment of the 60th anniversary session of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) on 26 April, and delivered the Secretary-General’s message to the meeting (issued as separate press release).

In his own remarks at the opening, the Director-General stressed how the ability and willingness of the UNECE to adapt in order to better respond to current challenges and needs was an example for the wider United Nations in its ongoing reform process. Mr. Ordzhonikidze also highlighted how the UNECE had initiated valuable, innovative and collaborative initiatives with other members of the United Nations family to advance common objectives in a coherent and coordinated manner.

“The work of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe illustrates how the United Nations can have a direct impact on the daily lives of people”, the Director-General told the high-level delegates. Through its multi-faceted efforts to facilitate economic growth, the UNECE had contributed to consolidating stability in the region, Mr. Ordzhonikidze said. These experiences could be applied in the global context, he noted.

The Director-General underscored that the work of the UNECE, together with that of the four other United Nations regional commissions, was an integral part of the Organization’s wider efforts to promote peace, prosperity and progress. “The United Nations regional commissions link global, regional and national development activities, which – in turn – reinforce the Organization’s efforts to ensure stability and security”, he concluded.