The inauguration was attended by Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support of the UN Secretary General, Mr. Atul Khare; Director UNGSC, Ms. Giovanna Ceglie, President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Mr. Ximo Puig, the Minister of Defense, Ms. Margarita Robles and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs, Ms. Ángeles Moreno.
“What we are celebrating today is a success story of cooperation and collaboration effort between the ministry of foreign Affairs of (of Spain), the Ministry of Defense (of Spain), the Generalitat Valenciana, and the United Nations” Mr. Khare said expressing his gratitude and appreciation of the continued partnership between the host country, Spain, and the UNGSC, which has been instrumental in the UNICT becoming the telecommunications hub of the UN in Valencia.
The Valencia Facility started as a critical support to peacekeeping operations, providing robust and uninterrupted IT services, but has since developed into a global ICT facility. Today, together with its sister facility in Brindisi, the UNICT has become a hub to support the digital transformation of the Secretariat - bringing us one step closer to the UN 2.0.
The UNICT facility already works with the United Nations International Computing Center (UNICC), the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the plans to expand its facilities to accommodate these and other UN family agencies, funds, and programs, will reinforce the One UN vision of the Secretary-General. Mr. Khare highlighted that “The expansion of the facility that we are about to initiate will further enhance the UN technology hub by creating permanent buildings to accommodate UNICEF and IOM.”
During his visit to Valencia, Mr. Khare met with the Junior Ambassadors representing 18 local schools. This programme supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and advocates for legal action. The students carry out activities to promote the work and values of the Organization and raise awareness on the Agenda 2030.
“We need to work with younger people, to enable smart, bold ideas and choose the brightest and boldest projects. This means that you (Junior Ambassadors) are stepping in, to serve as role models and voices for issues that are important to you.” Mr. Khare told to the group of Junior Ambassadors during the round Table: Young People - from local to global.
The visit of Mr. Khare concluded with an all-staff lunch where Mr. Khare learned more about the work, professional aspirations and concerns that affect staff well-being.