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The Director-General of UN Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya, holding a speech for World Humantarian Day. She stands at a speakers desk with a UN flag and the UN logo behind.

“Today, our world is facing numerous global challenges, and it is clear that multilateralism is more needed than ever. As we continue our efforts to recover from the pandemic and build a better future for all based on our common roadmap, the 2030 Agenda, we must ensure all stakeholders have a seat at the table. Our solutions must be innovative, inclusive and sustainable.”

Priorities

It takes global action to find global solutions to our common challenges. For over a century, UN Geneva – and the League of Nations before it – has been a centre for multilateralism, connecting global actors and allowing them to collectively develop effective and durable solutions to today’s challenges.  

Housed in the Palais des Nations - the original headquarters of the League of Nations - UN Geneva plays a vital role in facilitating international cooperation across a range of topics, from health, security, and humanitarian affairs to migration, human rights, and intellectual property. With the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as its blueprint, UN Geneva works together with partners in Geneva and beyond, embracing innovation and change, to ensure that peace, rights, and well-being remain our priorities in a fast-evolving world. 

Office of the Director-General

The Office of the Director-General provides support and advice to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. This includes assisting her in her functions as representative of the Secretary-General in Switzerland, as executive head of the United Nations Office at Geneva, as Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament, and as Personal Representative of the UN Secretary-General to the Conference on Disarmament.

In addition, on a day-to-day basis, the Office undertakes a number of other activities ranging from political outreach and partnerships; legal advice; protocol and diplomatic liaison; and NGO liaison. It also liaises with the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, maintains channels of cooperation with Permanent Missions, intergovernmental organizations, United Nations entities, and NGOs in Geneva and beyond. 

The unique and diverse ecosystem of present in Geneva allows the Office to maintain and develop partnerships and collaborations with many of these stakeholders – civil society, the academic and research communities, and the private sector. In doing so, the Office further contributes to enhance and support the UN, in Geneva and around the world, in delivering its mandate and building a more sustainable future for all.

UN Geneva Annual Report