By SHARON NAKOLA in Nairobi, Kenya |
chinadaily.com.cn |
The United Nations launched on Monday construction of a new state-of-the-art conference complex at its Nairobi headquarters, a landmark $340 million investment expected to transform the Kenyan capital into one of the organization's largest diplomatic hubs and deepen Africa's role in global decision-making.
The redevelopment, which includes a new 1,600-seat assembly hall and climate-resilient office buildings, comes as the United Nations seeks to bring multilateral engagement closer to regions increasingly shaping global conversations on climate action, sustainable development and peacebuilding.
The project, unveiled by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Kenyan President William Ruto at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, will expand conference capacity from 2,000 to 9,000 delegates and increase meeting rooms from 14 to 30, positioning Nairobi among the UN's largest global conference centers.
