UNITED NATIONS, Jun 27 (IPS) – Within the US, the success of a enterprise enterprise or the worth of actual property is mirrored in a repetitive and alliterative phrase: “LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION”.
Because the UN continues its plans for system-wide restructuring– amidst a rising liquidity crisis– one of many key points on the negotiating desk is the re-location of UN businesses: a alternative between high-cost and low-cost obligation stations.
The 2 main UN places, New York and Geneva, are described as “among the many most costly cities on this planet”, making it difficult for the UN to function inside its present funds.
In addition to the UN headquarters, NY city can also be residence to a number of UN businesses, together with the UN Improvement Programme (UNDP), the UN Inhabitants Fund (UNFPA), UN Girls and the UN kids’s company UNICEF.
The town of Geneva, thought-about “a hub for world diplomacy”, is internet hosting greater than 40 worldwide organisations and UN businesses, together with the World Well being Organisation, the World Commerce Organisation, the Worldwide Labour Group (ILO), the Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM), the World Mental Property Group (WIPO), and the World Meteorological Group (WMO), amongst others.
Reacting to a doable partial UN pullout from Geneva, the Swiss Authorities final week introduced “a beneficiant monetary package deal of assist to the United Nations presence in Geneva.”
UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres mentioned he’s “very a lot appreciative of the Swiss Federal Council for this choice”. The United Nations is set to proceed working in partnership with Switzerland to advance the reason for multilateralism.
“Our presence in Geneva stays an integral a part of the UN system. The Swiss assist is essential for this continued endeavour”, mentioned Guterres.
In line with a report from Reuters, Switzerland will spend 269 million Swiss francs ($329.37 million) to assist Geneva as a hub for worldwide diplomacy.
The 269 million francs covers the interval from 2025 to 2029, with the federal government requesting a credit score of 130.4 million francs from parliament later this 12 months, a 5% improve from the earlier interval. The federal government has already permitted 21.5 million francs for pressing measures to assist Geneva-based organisations.
Requested for his feedback, UN Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric instructed reporters: “You already know, we see it as an act of generosity on the a part of the Swiss Federal Authorities to assist the United Nations’ work in Geneva. The UN’s presence in Geneva is crucial. It’s also historic, and we very a lot welcome the efforts of the Swiss Authorities in that regard.”
Somar Wijayadasa, previously Director and Consultant of UNAIDS on the United Nations in New York (1995-2000), instructed IPS “It’s a beneficiant move– however to dole out about $60 million additional every year is “peanuts” for the Swiss Govt. contemplating the billions of {dollars} that the 40 UN Companies in Geneva contribute yearly to its coffers.”
Within the “UN80” initiative to audit and merge overlapping bureaucracies throughout all UN businesses, it could transfer some applications to extra reasonably priced places around the globe.
An excellent instance, he mentioned, is the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) that was created in 1995, within the peak of the AIDS pandemic (with 3.3 million folks with HIV and nearly 1,000,000 died) has efficiently curtailed the unfold of the HIV/AIDS pandemic – from a loss of life sentence to a manageable illness with confirmed remedies.
“UNAIDS could be simply re-merged with WHO, and positioned in international locations within the International South – with decrease operational prices – the place the burden of behavioral transmission challenges of HIV/AIDS stay highest. A leaner, regional, behavior-focused program may preserve consciousness, and proceed important work with out the legacy overhead.”
One other instance, he identified, is the UN Workplace for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in New York and its department in Geneva. The UN can’t, or has failed, to disarm or scale back the annually-increasing navy budgets of the US, Russia, India or China.
For instance, the UN lastly adopted the now legally binding TPNW Treaty however which nation has given up its nuclear weapons or stopped different international locations’ urge to create a nuclear weapon to guard themselves from hegemonic warmongers?
On this fashionable age of communications, there are lots of bloated UN departments in expensive New York and Geneva that may successfully, and price effectively, perform from any growing nation, declared Wijayadasa.
In the meantime, as half the UN’s relocation plans, there are reviews that the UN Inhabitants Fund (UNFPA) and UN Girls could also be moved out of New York and relocated to the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, described because the fourth-largest UN headquarters and the one one within the International South.
Presently Nairobi serves as the worldwide headquarters for UNEP (United Nations Setting Programme) and UN-Habitat. In addition to these, a number of different UN businesses have workplaces in Nairobi, together with UNICEF, UNDP, FAO, UNIDO, UNODC, UNV, and WHO.
However Kenya is at present embroiled in a political disaster. If the turmoil continues, the UN might have second ideas on relocating extra of its workplaces in Nairobi.
A New York Occasions report June 26 and titled “Kenyans Battle the Police a Yr After Lethal Tax Protests” says a minimum of 8 folks have been killed and a whole bunch injured amid nation-wide protests “laid naked the anger at President William Ruto’s authorities”
On June 26, the UN Human Rights Workplace mentioned: “We’re deeply involved by reviews of a number of deaths of protesters and lots of extra accidents – of protesters and law enforcement officials – throughout demonstrations in Kenya on Wednesday.”
“We’re involved by reviews that some protesters had gunshot wounds. Underneath worldwide human rights legislation, deadly pressure by legislation enforcement officers, corresponding to firearms, ought to solely be used when strictly mandatory with a purpose to defend life or stop severe damage from an imminent risk.”
Requested concerning the loss of life toll and accidents in Nairobi, Dujarric instructed reporters June 26 mentioned: “We’re clearly involved concerning the violence that we have seen in Kenya. We’re intently monitoring the scenario, very saddened by the lack of life”
“We sit up for an impartial and clear investigation. And it bears reminding that below worldwide legislation, below human rights legislation, deadly pressure by legislation enforcement corresponding to firearms ought to solely be used when strictly mandatory with a purpose to defend life or stop severe damage of an imminent risk,” declared Dujarric.
Moreover, a few of the different European international locations internet hosting UN businesses embrace:
- Austria: Vienna hosts the United Nations Workplace at Vienna (UNOV), the Worldwide Atomic Vitality Company (IAEA), the United Nations Industrial Improvement Group (UNIDO), and the United Nations Workplace on Medication and Crime (UNODC).
- Netherlands: The Hague is the seat of the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice (ICJ), one of many principal organs of the UN.
- France: Paris hosts the headquarters of the United Nations Instructional, Scientific and Cultural Group (UNESCO).
- Italy: Rome is residence to the Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO), the World Meals Programme (WFP), and the Worldwide Fund for Agricultural Improvement (IFAD). Brindisi hosts the UN International Service Centre (UNGSC), together with the UN Humanitarian Response Depot.
- Germany: Bonn hosts a number of UN organizations, together with the Secretariat of the United Nations Conference to Fight Desertification (UNCCD), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) program, and the United Nations Workplace for Catastrophe Threat Discount (UNDRR).
- Denmark: Copenhagen homes the headquarters of the United Nations Workplace for Mission Companies (UNOPS).
- United Kingdom: London is residence to the Worldwide Maritime Group (IMO).
- Spain: Madrid hosts the World Tourism Group (UN Tourism).
- Belgium: Brussels hosts the United Nations Regional Data Centre (UNRIC), a Regional Workplace for Europe of the Workplace of the Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and a Liaison Workplace of the Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
In addition to Nairobi, the UN can also be exploring three different doable relocation websites: Doha, Qatar Kigali, Rwanda and Valencia, Spain.
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