Annan hails approval of 1.8 billion-dollar refurbishment of Headquarters

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan hailed on Saturday the approval by the UN General Assembly of 1.8 billion U.S. dollars renovation of the UN headquarters in New York.

In a statement released by his spokesman, Annan welcomed the adoption of the resolution on the Capital Master Plan by the General Assembly, pointing out that the 1,876.7 million-dollar allocation over the period from 2007 and 2014 will allow for repairs on buildings that have lacked essential upkeep since most of them were completed in the early 1950s.

"Through the Capital Master Plan, UN Headquarters will become a safer, healthier and more secure environment for staff, delegates, and visitors," he said in his statement, one of the last during his decade-long tenure at the helm of the world body before retiring at the end of next week.

"It will become better equipped for adapting to change, and for using resources in sustainable and responsible ways," the UN chief added.

He "extends his sincere thanks to member states for funding the Capital Master Plan, and for ensuring that UN Headquarters can remain a workshop for peace for generations to come."

In adopting the resolution late Friday night, the Assembly cited "the hazards, risks and deficiencies of the current conditions of the building."

The main UN Headquarters buildings were constructed in 1949 and 1950 and have not been significantly improved or maintained since then. They are extremely energy inefficient, costing the UN more than 30 million dollars a year in energy costs alone.

The New York Fire Department has long expressed its concerns that the UN Headquarters buildings do not meet current local fire, safety and building code standards. The Capital Master Plan seeks to redress these shortcomings while tightening security.

Source: Xinhua