Groundbreaking Ceremony
Speech by Acting President of the General Assembly, Ambassador Hjálmar W. Hannessonat, on behalf of the President of the General Assembly, Dr. Srgjan Kerim at the Groundbreaking Ceremony, UN northern
The President of the General Assembly, Mr. Kerim, regrets that he cannot be with us today, and has asked me, as one of his Vice Presidents, to deliver the following remarks on his behalf.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
One of the first acts, the United Nations General Assembly, as it met in London in January of 1946, was to decide that the Organization should be headquartered in the United States. It was temporarily headquartered at Flushing Meadows, Queens, a short distance from here [gesture to the East].
However, the following year the vision and generosity of John D. Rockefeller Jr. enabled the General Assembly to build its permanent headquarters where we stand today overlooking the East River.
The construction of the building was borne of multilateral cooperation and inspiration. Led by Wallace Harrison, distinguished architects from ten different countries worked together to build on the original and creative design proposed by Le Corbusier and Oscar Niemeyer.
Within four years, that design was transformed into steel, concrete and glass, and has been our home now for six decades. It was revolutionary, and has become an icon for the entire world.
This ensemble of buildings is a symbol of peace and cooperation.
Over the next five years, these buildings will undergo a transformation; a modernization.
I would like to express my appreciation to the Secretary-General who last year proposed a plan to accelerate the refurbishing of the building.
I strongly supported his initiative, which will not only reduce the time spent on renovations, but also increase the safety and security of staff, our most precious asset.
I also would like to encourage further efforts to "green" the United Nations building, so that as an organization we become more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly, setting the lead for others in the world to follow.
As I mentioned in the thematic debate on management reform, I hope that the Capital Master Plan, will not only renovate and transform the windows, offices and conference rooms – the UN’s hardware – but will also serve as an inspiration to reboot our minds and human processes – the software of the United Nations.
May the renovation of these buildings renew and invigorate our pursuit of peace and cooperation as well.
I thank you.
