Cassis inaugurates new UN building in Geneva
Five years after the start of construction, the new H building of the Palais des Nations in Geneva is in operation. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis described the building on Monday as a “new milestone in relations” between Switzerland and the UN.
The federal government and the canton of Geneva jointly approved an interest-free loan of CHF 400 million for the renovation of the Palais des Nations. This covers half of the estimated costs of more than CHF 830 million. While the H building is already in operation, work on the historic part of the palace will continue until 2024.
In his opening speech, Cassis welcomed the sustainable approach to building the new complex – with the use of Swiss wood and the inclusion of a lot of green space. “A sustainable future is an undertaking that we can only tackle together,” said the Foreign Minister.
Opening of the Geneva Peace Week
In addition to Cassis, the Director General of the UN in Geneva, Tatiana Valovaya, the President of the Geneva Government Serge Dal Busco and the State Councilor for International Geneva, Nathalie Fontanet, were also present.
In the afternoon, Cassis opened the Geneva Peace Week. The pandemic has both the possibilities and the limits of the new technologies, he said in his speech. He called for a balance between digital and personal encounters: “Physical meeting points will remain important”. That is why Geneva must remain the city of dialogue.
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