Annan welcomes opening of new 'UN House' in Turkey

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today welcomed the opening of a new office building in Turkey to house the various United Nations development agencies and humanitarian programmes located in the country.

In a message delivered on his behalf by UN Population Fund Executive Director Thoraya Obaid, the Secretary-General called the UN House a symbol of the agencies' commitment to work better together. The new office is "a house of all nations, held together by common values, bonds and aspirations," he said.

The UN House is also an important component of the ongoing effort "to strengthen the Organization, make it more dynamic and effective, and improve our performance, particularly at the country level," he added.

"Such cooperation is crucial for the success of your mission," Mr. Annan said in his message to the assembled staff. "Whether you are working to promote human rights and gender equity, to improve governance or to eradicate poverty, it is of utmost importance that your efforts reinforce each other, that you avoid turf disputes, rivalry or duplication, and that you pool your resources to achieve the greatest possible impact."

Among the UN agencies to be located in the UN House in Ankara are the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Drug Control Programme (UNDCP), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and UN Population Fund (UNFPA).

The UN Information Centre (UNIC), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) will also be headquartered in the building.