UNU Update: Kofi Annan opens UNU building as UN House in Japan

Kofi Annan
opens UNU
building as
"UN House"
in Japan

UN Secretary-General Kofi and Mrs. Annan address
UN House staff during Tokyo visit in January.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan opened the United Nations University (UNU) Building as the "UN House" in Japan during a ceremony in Tokyo January 24, part of a continuing effort to make the UNU Building more accessible to the Japanese public.

"The idea of a house of all nations, held together by a common bond and structure, helps us to visualize the very concept upon which the United Nations was built" Annan said.

Along with UNU, the building now houses the Japan offices of six other UN agencies: United Nations Information Centre, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Children’s Fund, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, International Labour Office and United Nations Office for Project Services

Mr. Annan joins Poul Nielson, EU Commissioner for
Development and Humanitarian Aid, to open a special
UN House exhibition on Humanitarian Emergencies.

There are also plans to reconfigure the first and second floors to host permanent and special exhibitions showcasing the work and values of the United Nations.

As an first step, the UN Secretary-General joined Poul Nielson, European Union Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, to officially open a special exhibition on Humanitarian Emergencies organized by the European Union, the UN agencies in UN House and the UNU. The exhibition features panels of information on humanitarian emergencies and partnerships in responding to humanitarian crises.