Nairobi — The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) is set to undergo a significant expansion, with plans unveiled for a Sh 38.9 billion (USD 267.5 million) investment in conference facilities.
During her address at the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in Nairobi on Monday, UNON Director General Zainab Bangura revealed that the project, slated to begin in 2025, aims for completion by 2030.
The decision to proceed with the project came after the General Assembly's approval of financing during its 98th session in December 2023. The initiative seeks to bolster the facility's capacity to accommodate 9,000 delegates for formal meetings, a substantial increase from the current 2,000-person capacity.
Bangura emphasized that the existing conference facilities, now over 30 years old, no longer meet the demands posed by UNEP and UN Habitat's global headquarters for the scale and complexity of their meetings.
"The proposed conference facility upgrade will prioritize multilateral meeting spaces, ensuring accessibility, and interpretation services in all UN languages," stated Bangura on Monday.
The contract for design services has been awarded to an international consortium led by South Africa's Boogertman + Partners (PTY) Ltd, with Kenyan and Swiss design consultancy partners.
This endeavor stands as the largest capital infrastructure initiative undertaken by UNON and represents the United Nations secretariat's most significant infrastructure project in Africa since its inception.
The upgraded facilities will include twenty-four conference and meeting rooms of varying sizes, a new visitors center and delegates registration building, a modern media center, as well as dining and multi-purpose exhibition buildings.
Bangura expressed plans to explore potential donor opportunities in the coming months as the design phase progresses, extending gratitude to all member states whose contributions played a vital role in securing approval for the expansion project.
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