Director-General's remarks at the Inaugural visit to the renovated Delegates’ Restaurant

  
Inaugural visit to the renovated Delegates’ Restaurant 
Wednesday, 14 January 2026, at 5.30 p.m.
Delegates’ Restaurant, Building A, 8th Floor,
Palais des Nations

Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you this evening, ahead of the reopening of the Delegates’ Restaurant.

For decades, this space has been an integral part of the diplomatic life of the Palais des Nations.

Under the Strategic Heritage Plan, this building was closed in 2021, leaving the Palais des Nations without a diplomatic-level restaurant for nearly five years.  

UNOG used this extended closure to fully renovate this space with the goal to modernize the facility while preserving its original character and historical identity.

Throughout the renovation, particular attention was paid to maintaining elements of continuity that many will recognize (including the dishware, cutlery, and decorative features) while upgrading infrastructure and services to meet today’s operational and accessibility standards.

In this context, the reopening also reflects evolving ways of working at the Palais.

Among the many changes you will discover during your visit today, one of the most important is the introduction of a new online booking system, designed to simplify access. You will find practical information on the flyers this evening and on the screens throughout, and I am pleased to say that reservations can already be made today.

The space itself has also been designed with greater flexibility in mind. In addition to its traditional function, the restaurant now supports expanded uses, including team-building activities, workshops, and smaller working events.

We are also strengthening the cultural dimension of this space. Historic images from the archives are currently being selected to reflect the restaurant’s history, and new artworks will be chosen by the Cultural Committee to decorate the Geneva and Lausanne salons.

In this context, we continue to encourage donations of artworks. Delegations interested in contributing are invited to contact the Director of Administration for further information on the procedure.

Accessibility has also been an important consideration throughout the renovation. For instance, the restaurant now also includes accessible bathrooms, which ensures that this space is inclusive, like the rest of the renovated facilities.

We are aware that given the length of the closure, many diplomats may not yet have had the opportunity to use this space. Staff are at your disposal this evening to guide you and answer any questions you may have.

I very much look forward to having this space fully operational, and I encourage you to make good use of it.

We are privileged to work and meet in such a beautiful and historic setting, and I hope the Delegates’ Restaurant will once again serve as a place for exchange, dialogue, and informal diplomacy.

Thank you, and I wish you a very pleasant evening.