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The United Nations Office at Geneva
The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), under the leadership of Director-General Tatiana Valovaya, is one of four main UN Secretariat offices, together with the headquarters in New York and the two offices in Nairobi and Vienna. The United Nations Secretariat carries out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the Organization's other main organs.
More than 1,600 persons from all over the world are currently employed by the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The UN family based in Geneva
More than 40 United Nations system organizations and entities are based, or have a regional office, in Geneva. In addition, the secretariats of numerous international treaty bodies are located here.
The proximity of different UN entities in Geneva allows for close cooperation and a comprehensive approach. This results, for example in joint programmes or institutions such as the Environment Management Group, the Inter-Agency Standing Committee, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and many more.
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Mandate
In the historic setting of the Palais des Nations, the United Nations Office at Geneva serves as the representative office of the Secretary-General at Geneva. A focal point for multilateral diplomacy, UN Geneva services more than 8,000 meetings per year, making it one of the busiest conference centres in the world. It is also the biggest duty station outside the United Nations headquarters in New York.
Through its daily activities, UN Geneva significantly contributes to the global United Nations’ efforts to maintain international peace and security, advance disarmament, protect and promote human rights, eradicate poverty, implement the Sustainable Development Goals, and provide fast, effective humanitarian relief in emergencies.
Every year, UN Geneva welcomes many dignitaries and high-level delegations as they participate in bilateral exchanges, intergovernmental meetings, conferences, and other important events dedicated to sharing and exchanging information. To effectively represent the Secretary-General, UN Geneva performs important liaison duties. It coordinates with permanent missions, the Swiss Host Government and other national Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, research and academic institutions, as well as regional organizations and other organizations of the United Nations common system based in Geneva. UN Geneva also plays a crucial role in facilitating inter-agency cooperation between these various actors.
UN Geneva provides administrative and operational support to more than 40 UN system entities in Europe and their field offices around the world. It manages the United Nations facilities in Geneva and provides conference services for the United Nations system meetings held at Geneva and at other locations. UN Geneva also provides a platform for cultural exchange through the various cultural activities it organizes year-round.
UN Geneva is headed by a Director-General at the level of Under-Secretary-General who is accountable to the Secretary-General.
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Who we work with
Through partnerships between governments, civil society, research, academia and other international actors, UN Geneva works hard to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by the year 2030. Nurturing mutual respect and understanding, cultural exchange, and discussion, UN Geneva protects and preserves the institutional memory and cultural heritage of the United Nations.
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