UN GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the United Nations Office at Geneva, the World Food Programme, and the World Health Organization.

End-of-Year Update from United Nations Geneva Director-General

Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), said the year was slowly but steadily approaching its end.  The year 2025 had been challenging, testing the resilience of the United Nations system.  The liquidity crisis was one of many issues the system had had to address.  However, UNOG had delivered tangible results despite these difficult circumstances.

In 2024, UNOG had facilitated 8,500 meetings, but it had facilitated 8,700 meetings thus far in 2025.  This showed that Geneva remained a very important place for meetings, multilateral dialogue and events.  This year, it had hosted three sessions of the Human Rights Council, the World Health Assembly, the International Labour Conference, the second part of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, and the Sixth Conference of Speakers of Parliament.  This symbolised the growing importance of Geneva as a place for the world to discuss crucial topics.

This year, Security and Safety Service staff allowed about 880,000 persons to enter the Palais, including staff members and members of permanent missions.  In 2024, the Visitors’ Service had welcomed 37,000 visitors to the Palais despite refurbishment challenges; in 2025, the number of visitors was expected to reach 46,000.

2025 was a very important year for UNOG in terms of refurbishment.  It had seen the re-opening of the Assembly Hall, which was now being used very regularly, and of Section AB, with its historic conference rooms.  The Library was closed for renovation, which involved the greatest migration of books in its history, with the transition of 43 linear kilometres worth of books into storage.  Library offices and reading rooms had been temporarily relocated, while library and archives services were still being provided both online and on-site. Journalists with an office space at the Palais had also moved back in the historic Secretariat Building, Building S.

In 2025, the UN80 initiative was launched by the Secretary-General.  All parts of the United Nations system were included in this process and were actively involved in discussions; Under-Secretary-General Guy Ryder had held a meeting yesterday on the subject.  The initiative was about making the United Nations system more resilient, fit-for-purpose and efficient in the modern world.  The Secretary-General had also revised the budget to make more efficiencies, and this budget was now with the UNGA Fifth Committee.  It was smaller than the budget for 2025, with a 15 percent reduction in spending and an 18 percent reduction in posts. 

As part of UN80, a review of mandates was also underway.  Representatives of New Zealand and Jamaica, the co-facilitators of this work, would be coming to Geneva in January to discuss their work with the Geneva community and seek input.  In 2026, the United Nations would move forward with decisions taken this year as part of the UN80 initiative and think about further steps.

Member States believed that international Geneva would continue to play an important role in global diplomacy into the future. This was evidenced by the fact that last year, they had approved an increase in the budget for UNOG’s Strategic Heritage Project (SHP), which had been requested to account for inflation since the project’s budget was approved in 2015. In spring 2026, UNOG planned to reopen Building C with the historic Council Chamber, where the Conference on Disarmament was formerly held.  A new conference room, constructed with the support of China, would also be opened.  The press bar would also be re-opened; it would be bigger and more attractive than before.  Building E had been closed in mid-September. Preparation to remove asbestos was currently under way, and the building would soon be demolished, step-by-step, while preserving the bottom four floors, where there were conference rooms. 

Next year would also see the opening of the Portail des Nations, UNOG’s new visitors centre, which had been constructed thanks to a generous donation from a Geneva-based foundation.  It would be able to host 180,000 visitors per year and would offer more opportunities to tell people about the work of the United Nations.  Also, thanks to a generous donation from another Geneva-based foundation, UNOG had started construction of a new archives building, which would house UNOG’s growing physical and digital archives.

Next year, though staff would be less numerous, the Geneva ecosystem would remain very important.  United Nations entities would remain here.  Ms. Valovaya said she was sure that next year would bring more noteworthy events.  She thanked the Geneva press corps for its continued coverage of these events and for drawing attention to the situation in Geneva. Without the press, international Geneva would not be the same.

In response to questions, Ms. Valovaya said the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), like other United Nations entities in Geneva, was affected by budget cuts and the early retirement programme.  She said that she would continue to support UNIS in collaboration with the colleagues at Headquarters.  UNIS was an important part of UN Geneva and UNOG would work to address the issues facing it.

Ms. Valovaya said that, in the meeting yesterday with Guy Ryder, he expressed the message that UNOG remained an important part of the United Nations ecosystem.  Mr. Ryder had said that Geneva had practically universal representation of Member States, with 188 permanent missions and delegations.  Jobs that involved everyday contact with Member States would not be moved. However, jobs that did not require regular contact with Member States, such as internal administrative jobs, could be moved to less costly locations as part of the UN80 initiative.  Some agencies in Geneva were facing severe financial cuts as they relied on voluntary contributions.  These agencies were required to relocate staff, but this was not directly related to UN80.

Asked about peace talks in Geneva, the Director-General said that when Member States asked UNOG to facilitate talks, it was always happy to do so.  The doors of UNOG were always open for facilitating mediation.

UNOG had used parts of the donations received from Geneva-based foundations to make the Celestial Sphere on its grounds more modern and functional.  The Sphere was expected to be reopened early next year.

There was a rule that forced the United Nations to return to Member States money that it had received too late to spend.  The Secretary-General and other colleagues had been raising concerns about this situation for many years.  This rule could make the situation in 2026 even more difficult.  A proposal to change the requirement to return unspent funds had been submitted to the General Assembly.

Building H had been constructed to host staff from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights who were working in Palais Wilson.  This was a part of the SHP project.  Building H was an open-space building, but there were possibilities for modifications to suit the purposes of different organisations, including those of the Office of the High Commissioner.

Renovation was a very complicated process.  For example, staff needed to be moved to Building H before Building S could be closed, and the historical portion of the Palais needed to be restored so it could host staff from Building E and Building E could be closed for renovations. Once Building C was reopened, this would create better working conditions for journalists.

The Director-General also clarifies that in June this year, the General Assembly had agreed to increase the budget for the SHP by 88 million francs.  The General Assembly had given a clear timeline for the project to be substantially completed by 31 December 2027.  This was a realistic timeline, and progress was being made towards it.

There had been significant cuts in international contributions to the United Nations system, especially voluntary contributions to provide humanitarian support. There were no significant cuts for offices dealing, for example, with least developed countries.  Overall, cuts to around 18 percent of posts had been included in the revised budget proposal for 2026, including a reduction of 59 posts in administration and archives at UNOG.  These were proposals made by the Secretary-General, and they were currently in the hands of the Member States.  The early separation programme had been launched to allow those who would like to leave to do so.  This would be a difficult time, but UNOG would do its best in response.

Jean-Martin Bauer, World Food Programme (WFP) Director of Food Security and Nutrition Analysis, said the most recent Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report for Afghanistan confirmed fears that the food insecurity situation in the country was getting worse.  He said the international community needed to act now, as Afghanistan was entering the winter period when needs were the highest.  The report showed that over 17 million Afghans were facing acute food insecurity this winter - three million more than last year. There were 3.7 million children in a situation of acute malnutrition, making them particularly vulnerable with the onset of winter.

A confluence of factors had led to this situation.  There had been a drought in many parts of Afghanistan, which impacted crops and livestock.  There had also been many returnees to Afghanistan this year; more than 2.5 million people had been forcibly returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran this year.  This was putting stress on very limited resources and infrastructure in the country. Recent earthquakes and funding cuts had further served to limit the amount of assistance that WFP could provide to the population.

WFP was not able to implement its usual winterisation programme in Afghanistan, which involved pre-positioning food resources in vulnerable communities, due to a lack of funding.  It had the people, trucks, contracts and access to provide assistance to the population. However, funding needed to step up now to avert the most extreme impacts on the country.

WFP needed 468 million USD over the next six months to provide essential assistance to around six million people in Afghanistan.  The country needed to remain in the headlines because of its very high level of vulnerability, confirmed by the IPC report.

Read the press release here.

In response to questions, Mr. Bauer said funding of WFP’s activities in Afghanistan was currently at 12 percent of its target.  WFP was supporting fewer than one million people per month in Afghanistan right now; this needed to increase to six million.

Women in Afghanistan had largely been excluded from daily life and were one of the most vulnerable groups in the country.  Many women and children were being turned away at health centres because resources were no longer available.  Blanket supplementary feeding needed to be provided to prevent children from falling into severe acute malnutrition.

WFP had good access in Afghanistan and, in the past, had been able to implement its programmes and even scale up when needs were high.  The real problem for WFP now was funding, which it needed to do its job. WFP was talking to donors, sensitising them about the importance of supporting countries in a situation of vulnerability.  It was also prioritising its use of funding, targeting the most vulnerable areas, but it was unable to help all persons who were extremely vulnerable in Afghanistan. 

The IPC reported phase four-level acute malnutrition in some parts of the country, particularly places in the north at higher elevations.  Children were currently dying, and assistance was needed urgently during the harsh winter.  This was a worsening crisis that deserved all our attention.  The crisis was on par with that of other countries with phase four-level malnutrition, however one distinguishing factor for Afghanistan was the low level of funding for aid efforts.

The IPC had been able to continue collecting data independently of FuseNet.  FuseNet remained active and WFP was in contact with it on a regular basis.

The crisis in Afghanistan was protracted and long-running.  There was very little infrastructure, few jobs and a very high level of poverty and inequality.  These conditions, in addition to natural disasters and forcible returns, were worsening the situation on the ground.

Global Seasonal Influenza Situation

Dr Wenqing Zhang, Unit Head for Global Respiratory Threats, Department of Epidemic and Pandemic Threats Management, World Health Organization (WHO), said that, with the Northern Hemisphere winter season, flu - influenza – and other respiratory viruses were surging.  Although global influenza levels had been within the expected range so far this season, since October, some countries had reported early starts to their flu seasons, which had quickly reached epidemic levels, and some countries in the Southern Hemisphere have seen unusually prolonged flu seasons.

WHO had seen the emergence and rapid expansion of a new A(H3N2) virus subclade, called J.2.4.1, alias “K”.  The “subclade K” virus was first noted in August in Australia and New Zealand and had since detected in over 30 countries in all regions globally except, to date, South America.  Current epidemiological data did not indicate an increase in disease severity, although this genetic shift marked a notable evolution in the virus.

Influenza viruses changed quickly and that was why the influenza vaccine’s composition needed to be regularly updated.  WHO tracked these changes, assessed associated risks to public health and made vaccine composition recommendations twice a year, through a longstanding global system – the Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS), in collaboration with other global experts.

Although this new variant was not part of the composition of current vaccines for the Northern Hemisphere season, early evidence suggested that current seasonal vaccines continued to offer protection against severe disease and reduce the risk for hospitalisation.  Vaccination remained our most effective defence, including against drifted strains, particularly for high-risk populations and those taking care of them.

Along with the flu, there was also circulation of other respiratory viruses, including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), SARS-CoV-2 and rhinovirus.  In some countries, in addition to the burden of respiratory-related hospitalisations, healthcare systems had been further strained by the seasonal rise of other viruses, such as norovirus. 

With the upcoming holiday season, there was a potential risk of a surge in respiratory illnesses.  Therefore, advanced planning and preparedness efforts, including encouraging vaccination uptake and strengthening health system readiness, were strongly recommended. WHO was continuing monitoring of the situation, not only for seasonal influenza, but also the pandemic risk of avian and swine influenza, jointly with partners in supporting countries. 

Countries were urged to strengthen lab diagnostics and year‑round disease surveillance, participating in the WHO GISRS if they were not yet a member of the network; conduct integrated surveillance of other respiratory viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 and RSV, in addition to influenza. Whenever feasible, sequence a subset of these viruses per WHO guidance, and share the genetic sequence data in a timely manner via publicly accessible databases; encourage high vaccination coverage, especially among high-risk groups; reinforce infection control in health-care settings; and promote rapid antiviral treatment according to WHO’s clinical management guidelines and relevant national guidance. 

While flu activity remained within expected seasonal bounds, the widespread presence of a new virus subclade, the early rise and subsequent heightened activity in some countries, signalled the importance of vigilance and preparedness.  Vaccination, disease and lab surveillance, and robust public health interventions were crucial to protecting communities during this flu season.

In response to questions, Dr. Zhang said WHO provided guidance on protecting oneself from influenza.  Vaccination was extremely important, as was avoiding going to crowded places, particularly for elderly persons.  Persons with respiratory symptoms needed to go to their doctor and get diagnosed and try to stay at home and not mix with crowds.

The current flu season had just begun.  It was too early to judge whether it was a more severe season than in previous years. Early estimates in some countries had shown promising results in terms of the effectiveness of the vaccine against severe symptoms and hospitalisation.

The United States was a member of the GISRS and had been participating in it.  WHO needed all countries to participate in surveillance, preparedness and response for influenza and other respiratory viruses. This would make a big difference with regards to the number of lives that could be saved.

The new variant, “subclade K”, had not yet been detected in South America.  It would not be surprising if it were detected in South America in its winter season in 2026.  Currently, in the Caribbean and North Africa, the H3N2 and the H1N1 viruses were circulating equally.  The flu vaccine provided protection against these strains, and well as subclade B.

Influenza was always evolving, which was why the global system for sharing information on the virus and assessing the risk of a pandemic, GISRS, needed to be maintained. The outbreaks detected in poultry in North America were of the H5N1 strain, a different genotype to the strain detected in cattle.  The virus had been spread to poultry from migratory birds.  Currently, WHO assessed the risk of H5N1 to public health as being quite low.  However, the virus could quickly turn into a more dangerous one, so it needed to continue to be closely monitored.

Tarik Jašarević for the World Health Organization (WHO) said WHO had started reforming its budget since 2017, trying to diversify its donor base.  Recent financial cuts had forced the Organization to do some prioritisation in terms of reducing staff and operational costs.  WHO was assessing its mandated functions to determine which were essential and which were also being carried out by other organisations and could be scaled down.

WHO was promoting universal health coverage.  Everyone needed to be able to access immunisation, prenatal and postnatal care and emergency care, regardless of their financial situation.  WHO hoped that all countries would follow this concept.

Announcements

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, said the last UNIS briefing of 2025 would be held on 19 December.  Briefings would start again on 6 January.

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