12 September 2013, Bonn, Germany

On 12 September 2013, the UN Heads of Agencies and staff based in Germany were honoured to welcome the German Federal President, Joachim Gauck, to the UN Campus in Bonn, Germany.

During this unique visit, the Federal President expressed his appreciation for the work of the United Nations and stated that "Bonn has become a real hub of the UN and I am glad to see that you, staff from all over the world, are here, in Bonn and work on these significant issues," During a round table discussion with the Heads of UN organizations, the Federal President was briefed on the important contribution that the UN in Germany is making to sustainable development - tackling climate change, working towards social inclusion and striving for poverty eradication. Mr Shyamal Majumdar, Head of UNESCO-UNEVOC, highlighted the importance of education and building capacity in the context of human rights and sustainable development, particularly the role of Technical Vocational Education and Training in meeting these challenges.

Afterwards, a special reception was held where UN staff had the opportunity to meet the Federal President. In this setting, Federal President Gauck addressed the audience by stating the historical significance of their work in the UN in Bonn within the context of Germany´s 40 years of contribution and Member State status within the UN system.

Background:

The United Nations have been having offices in Bonn since 1951. In the summer of 2006, the UN Campus was officially inaugurated by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel, with the "Tall Eugene" as the main building. From a hand full of staff in the early days, the UN presence in Bonn has grown steadily since 1996 and has become a UN family with an international staff of almost 1,000 colleagues.

Currently, the UN is represented by 18 agencies in Bonn. Furthermore, the United Nations are represented in Germany with other institutions and liaison offices in Dresden, Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and Nuremberg. All the organizations based in Bonn support the targeted efforts of governments for a sustainable future in the fields of climate change, land degradation, biodiversity, volunteer services, disaster preparedness, education, health, human security and wildlife conservation. This not only includes the sustainable use of natural resources and their precautionary preservation for future generations, but also the global fight against poverty.