The foundation stone for the Palais des Nations was laid in 1929
Keystone
On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly in New York approved the renovation project for the Palais des Nations complex in Geneva. Work will commence in 2017 and is estimated to cost CHF836.5 million ($846.6 million).
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Built in the 1930s the Geneva headquarters of the UN was never fully renovated. The UN has been seeking funds to make improvements such as fixing leaky roofs, removing asbestos and improving safety standards. A proposal entitled Strategic Heritage Plan was presented to UN member countries requesting approval for a complete renovation of the complex, as well as the construction of a new building. This would allow the complex to host an additional 700 staff and improve disability access. Construction and renovation work is expected to be finished by 2023.
International Geneva
The Palais des Nations hosts around 10,000 UN employees, more than the official headquarters in New York. It is the jewel in the crown of what is known as “International Geneva” and is the reason why Switzerland is a global hub for international diplomacy and human rights. In September, the Swiss government and the canton and city of Geneva offered an interest-free loan of CHF400 million for renovation work pending approval of their respective parliaments.
“Ensuring that the UN has modern, functional headquarters is essential to strengthen Geneva’s position as a city in which solutions to the global challenges of our time are sought,” said a Swiss government statement on Thursday.
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UN votes initial funding for Geneva HQ repair
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The renovation project, known as the Strategic Heritage Plan, includes the demolition and replacement of one of its extensions. Swiss UN ambassador Paul Seger told the Swiss News Agency that the decision to allocate the money means that the detailed planning phase, scheduled for the next two years, can now go ahead. The UN Secretary…
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Former Swiss ambassador François Nordmann tells swissinfo.ch the federal and cantonal authorities need a much more proactive strategy to address these and other issues. swissinfo.ch: Before Didier Burkhalter took over from Micheline Calmy-Rey as Swiss foreign minister at the start of 2012, you wrote an editorial in Le Temps newspaper warning of “clouds darkening the…
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The financing is not yet guaranteed, and before any work can start, Geneva must wait for the on-going $2 billion restoration of the UN’s New York headquarters to be completed. (RTS/swissinfo.ch)
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Over the past two years photographers Christian Lutz and Mark Henley have become well-known figures in the corridors and meeting rooms of the Palais des Nations complex. Together they take a behind the scenes look at some of the 2,700 international conferences and other gatherings held every year in Geneva. This work is being carried…
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