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UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA SIGNS CONTRACT FOR THE RENOVATION OF THE HISTORIC PALAIS DES NATIONS

Press Release

The United Nations Office at Geneva and a consortium of Italian and Swiss firms, called the Renovation Palais des Nations SA, have signed a contract for the largest and most complex part of the Strategic Heritage Plan renovation project at the Palais des Nations in Geneva. The works are expected to begin in spring 2020 and to be completed in 2024.

The Renovation Palais des Nations SA comprises three construction firms with extensive experience in major construction and historical building renovation works. They include: CMB Società Cooperativa Muratori e Braccianti, originally founded in 1904, which has its headquarters in Carpi, Italy, and offices in Rome and Milan; Italiana Costruzioni S.p.A, which was founded in 1975 and has offices in Rome and Milan; and CSC Im­presa Cos­tru­zioni SA, which was founded in 1960 in Lu­gano, Switzerland, where it has its headquarters. It also has an office in Lausanne.

The firms were selected to renovate the historical buildings at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, built in the 1930s, following an international competitive tender process. The cost of renovating these buildings is estimated at 270 million CHF.

A separate tender process will later take place for the renovation of Building E, which was constructed in the 1970s.

“I am delighted that we have now selected the right partners for the next phase of the Strategic Heritage Plan,” said Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. “Upgrading the mobility and safety standards of the Palais des Nations and improving our conferencing facilities will enable us to face the challenges of the 21st century with confidence and be a world-class conference centre.”

The Strategic Heritage Plan (SHP) was approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The project, which includes the construction of a new permanent office building, will extensively renovate the main Palais des Nations complex of buildings, much of which dates back to the 1930s. The historic buildings will be fully renovated, with priority given to protecting the heritage of the Palais des Nations, while modernizing the core building and conference support systems, improving working conditions and safety, and accessibility for persons with disabilities. The total cost of the project, scheduled to be completed in 2024, is estimated at 836.5 million CHF.

The Palais des Nations is home to the United Nations Office at Geneva, which serves as the representative office of the Secretary-General in Geneva. It is a focal point for multilateral diplomacy and services more than 10,000 meetings and conferences every year, making it one of the busiest conference centres in the world. With more than 3,100 staff from the United Nations Secretariat, it is the biggest duty station outside of United Nations headquarters in New York. Once the Strategic Heritage Plan is completed in 2024, an additional 700 UN staff members will relocate to the Palais des Nations.

For further information, please contact Andrew Martin, SHP Project Officer. Telephone: +41796698096. Email address: andrew.martin@un.org


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