UN Names Addis the Third Capital for UN Operations

By Berhanu Fekade

Established 56 years ago, the United Nations Economic Commission of Africa (UNECA) was granted five million birr from Emperor Haile Selassie I, which then was able to host African leaders to discuss freedom from Western colonizers.

Later on at the turn of the week, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn was joined by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon to open the 20th new building in the compound of the UNECA.

Being one of the five regional commissions that reports to the UN economic and social council via African ministers of economic and social developments and planning; Both David H. Shinn and Thomas P. Ofcansky recorded in their book entitled Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia that ECA was able to host African leaders at its existing headquarters in the capital following the completion of its first building called Africa Hall, decorated by the late legendary Maître Artist Afework Tekle whose painting entitled Africa: Past, Present and Future on the stained glass still glares in 150 sqm size.

Prime Minister Hailemariam, while inaugurating the building, reckoned that the generous donation of Ethiopian leaders helped to erect ECA at its best elegance. "When ECA was established in 1958, both the continental and the global situations were very pressing for Africa. The people of Africa were struggling to liberate themselves from the sharp teeth of colonialism," Hailemariam recalled.

In his two days official visit to the capital Ban Ki Moon inaugurated the new building that cost some USD ten million. The new edifice which was built using green building technology and is solar-powered is said to host UN agencies, offices, funds and the likes which are operating on the ground. Carlos Lopez, executive secretary general of the UNECA, said during the event that the growing number of staff and rental expenses forced the organization to look for alternatives. Hence, the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi laid the cornerstone in 2010 for the new building, which was expected to be completed in 2012. However, it was delayed for a year for some reasons said Ferew Tedla, managing director of RAMA Construction Private Limited Company, which undertook the construction of the seven-storey building. According to Ferew, the delay was allied to handover procedures, customs clearances and hard currency accessing challenges.

The secretary general in his remark said that Addis have become the third city next to New York and Geneva where the UN operates the most. The new office building according to Lopez will home UNICEF, WHO, UNHCR and the likes which represent the UN to the African Union Commission and the ECA. The building is said to consolidate common services, economies of scale and harmonized operations of the UN. He cheered up the gathering by reiterating that Addis stands at the top of all the cities the secretary general so far visited.

In a related news, Ban Ki Moon was joined by Jim Young Kim, president of the World Bank Group and officials from the European Union (EU), the Islamic Development Bank, and the African Development Bank to initiate a new partnership that will grant USD eight billion to eight nations including Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa. The new initiative that availed the fund will seek to heighten the peace and development activities at the borders. The WB alone pledged to provide USD 1.8 billion, which will be committed in two years' time. The EU on its part pledged USD 3.7 billion to be disbursed within six years.

The secretary general and the president discussed efforts to curb the devastating outcomes of Ebola on the continent. Ban Ki Moon criticized the recent statements of countries such as the US, which announced to quarantine volunteer health workers deployed in the affected nations when they return home. He went on denouncing the stigmatization and discrimination against the Ebola hit states. WB announced additional funding during the visits of the Horn which includes Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. Previously both leaders visited the Sahel region and the Great Lakes.

Source: AllAfrica