The United Nations (UN) in Germany
The then UN Secretary-General Annan and Chancellor Merkel opened the UN Campus in Bonn on 11July 2006. Since the “laying of the foundation stone” in 1996, 19 of the total of 26 United Nations agencies based in Germany have set up their headquarters in the UN City of Bonn.
With altogether 26 UN bodies situated in Berlin, Bonn, Frankfurt and Hamburg, Germany has become a major UN location. The decision by various UN bodies to base their secretariats in Germany or to open an office here is a demonstration of how greatly our strong and many-faceted commitment to the world organization is appreciated.
Berlin has a Branch Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as well as liaison offices of the International Labour Organization (ILO), since November 2004 of the World Food Programme (WFP) and since 2007 of the World Bank.
In Frankfurt am Main there is an office of the World Bank Group.Hamburg has hosted the UNESCO Institute for Education (now UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning, UIL) since 1951 and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea since October 1996.
The development of Bonn as a UN location
Bonn has gained special prominence as a UN site with currently 19 UN bodies based in the city. Its emergence as the key German location for UN organizations concerned with sustainable development also owes much to the Berlin-Bonn Act of 26 April 1994, which reaffirmed the legislator’s intention to develop what was formerly the seat of the Federal Government into a centre for international and supranational organizations. Some UN bodies have been based in Bonn for quite some time: the Secretariat of the Bonn Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals UNEP/CMS was the first to arrive. But it was the move to Bonn by United Nations Volunteers (UNV) in 1996 which gave the city’s development as a UN location a real boost. In view of the need for more space, the Federal Government handed over to the United Nations Haus Carstanjen in the Bad Godesberg district of Bonn. After the inauguration by the then UN Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali, other UN secretariats followed.
The fact that the Bonn-based UN bodies are so closely concerned with sustainable development issues highlights one of Germany’s major policy priorities, for in our view development, the environment and health are key challenges of crucial importance for the future of the whole world.
The United Nations on the UN Campus in Bonn
The number of UN staff in Bonn has increased from a few dozen in the mid-nineties to more than 750 today. In response to this rise in numbers, the Federal Government decided in 2003 to place a large part of the former German Bundestag area (including the Langer Eugen and Altes Abgeordnetenhochhaus buildings) at the disposal of the UN Campus in Bonn. As a result the UN has acquired more spacious premises equipped to international standards and Germany has found a worthy successor for a venue that played an important part in shaping its new post-war democracy. 18 of the 19 UN secretariats based in Bonn are now housed in the Langer Eugen on the UN Campus. The Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which – with around 400 members – has by far the largest staff among the UN bodies in Germany and is set to grow further, will move in 2011 from Haus Carstanjen to the Altes Abgeordnetenhochhaus, which is to be altered and completely refurbished by then. A new building on the UN Campus is also planned for the rapidly growing Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
In the light of the growth in the UN presence in Bonn, steps have likewise been taken to meet the increased need for modern and well-appointed conference facilities. Alongside the former plenary chamber of the Bundestag and the Altes Wasserwerk, the World Conference Centre Bonn (WCCB) is to be expanded in 2010, with a new complex being erected that will include a 3500-seat conference hall as well as other facilities.
19 UN organizations – a snapshot
United Nations Volunteers Programme (UNV):
UNV aims to promote development by mobilizing experienced and committed people who – either in the field or online – volunteer their time and expertise to support development efforts of the countries around the world. UNV was established in 1970 by the UN General Assembly and is run by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded in 1992 helps countries address the challenges associated with climate change. The aim is to achieve sustainable levels of greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere. With some 189 states parties to it as well as the European Economic Community (EEC), the Convention has achieved near-universal membership. The Kyoto Protocol adopted in 1997 spells out a number of its commitments in more concrete terms.
Secretariat of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which entered into force in 1996, helps promote sustainable development in arid ecosystems. Its aim is to prevent increasing areas of land turning into desert and to alleviate the effects of drought in Africa in particular.
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS):
The Convention, which is also known as the Bonn Convention and was concluded in 1979, lays down binding norms for the global protection of species at threat. Under its auspices a number of international agreements relating to particular species have also been concluded.
Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (UNEP/AEWA):
This is an international agreement concluded in 1995 under the auspices of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS). The Agreement protects 235 species of migratory waterbirds in an area that covers 40% of the earth’s surface.
Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of Small Cetaceans of the Baltic and North Seas (UNEP/ASCOBANS):
This Agreement protects all species of small cetaceans in its area of application with the exception of sperm whales. The Secretariat is responsible for coordinating the implementation of the Agreement and providing the necessary administrative support in this connection, including collecting and disseminating relevant information, organizing the meetings of the Agreement’s decision-making bodies and Advisory Committees as well as assisting with their work.
Secretariat of the Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats (UNEP/EUROBATS):
The Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats (EUROBATS) was concluded in 1991 under UNEP/CMS auspices. Its strategic goals are to identify important bat conservation sites and habitats, monitor bat populations and study their migratory behaviour.
The United Nations Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction – Platform for the Promotion of Early Warning (UN/ISDR-PPEW):
The Platform of the United Nations Secretariat for the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction is based on a recommendation made by the Second International Conference on Early Warning held in Bonn in 2003. It promotes the integration of early warning into development plans and disaster reduction measures.
United Nations University – Vice Rectorate in Europe (UNU-ViE):
UNU-ViE was established in June 2007 as the first UNU Vice Rectorate outside the UNU main headquarters in Tokyo. The aim of the Vice Rectorate is to strengthen the presence of the UNU in Europe and to develop close ties among bodies in the UN system, governments, universities and research institutes, as well as other agencies. In doing so, it acts as a forum for dialogue and an exchange of ideas, particularly on the development of capacities in developing countries. The Vice Rectorate in Europe focuses on questions relating to science and technology in the service of human safety.
United Nations University – Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS):
The United Nations University established the Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS) to assess the vulnerability and capacity to cope of societies facing natural and human-induced hazards in a changing environment.
United Nations University – International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (UNU-IHDP):
The aim of the secretariat of the international interdisciplinary programme IHDP established in Bonn in 2007 is to interlink and further develop research into the causes and impact of human intervention on the global environment.
World Health Organization – European Centre for Environment and Health (WHO-ECEH):
The aim of the Centre, which has been operating in Bonn since 2001, is to provide sound information and advice on environment and health issues and help WHO member states formulate evidence-based policies to protect and promote public health and the quality of the urban environment, with a particular focus on air and noise pollution, housing and working conditions.
UNESCO International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (UNESCO-UNEVOC):
The Centre is dedicated to helping UNESCO member states all over the world to develop and improve their vocational training systems as well as further training in the workplace.
United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) – German liaison office:
The United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) in Brussels and its German liaison office in Bonn serve as the UN’s contact point in Germany. The Centre’s activities include notably the official representation of the UN in Western Europe, as well as information outreach about the world organization’s work.
World Tourism Organization Consulting Unit on Biodiversity and Tourism for Tsunami Affected Countries (UNWTO):
The World Tourism Organization Consulting Unit set up in October2006 supports the development of sustainable tourism based on the guidelines of the Convention on Biological Diversity and offers advisory services for the reconstruction of the tourist infrastructure destroyed by the tsunami.
UN-Water Decade Programme on Capacity Development (UNW-DPC):
The Programme office opened in August 2007 is under the auspices of the UN University. Its aim is to coordinate and enhance the activities of the UN organizations working together within the framework of UN-Water in the fields of vocational training and institutional capacity development.
Space-Based Information for Disaster Management and Emergency Response (UN-SPIDER):
SPIDER, a programme operated by the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, is intended to function as an interface between space agencies and users, thus improving access to space data for disaster prevention and management. The SPIDER office in Bonn was opened on 29October 2007.
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (UNEP-TEEB):
The new secretariat established in Bonn in December 2009 under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating work around the world on the study to evaluate the economic value of ecosystems and biological diversity.
UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission – Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas (UNESCO/IOC/ICG/NEAMTWS):
The newest UN secretariat in Bonn was established in February 2009 to coordinate tsunami-related activities around Europe.
Support from other institutions concerned with development and environment issues
The Federal Government, Land NorthRhine-Westphalia and the city of Bonn strive constantly to ensure that the city’s UN organizations benefit from the highly competent and supportive environment provided by the around 150 institutions concerned with development and environment issues that are based in Bonn or have an office there. (These include the Center for Development Research, the German Development Service, the German Development Institute and InWEnt – Internationale Weiterbildung und Entwicklung GmbH (Capacity Building International, Germany) as well as a host of semi-public, church and private organizations active in this field.)
Last updated 17.09.2009
