Renovation of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Executive Board Meeting Room and the Delegates’ Lounge
In 2014, after having assumed his position as Chairperson of the Executive Board of UNESCO, His Excellency Mohamed Sameh Amr, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of the Arab Republic of Egypt to UNESCO, put forward an exciting proposal to renovate the Executive Board Room and its Delegates’ Lounge, located within the Headquarters buildings.
This proposal was presented to, and agreed upon by, the Organization’s Headquarters Committee in April 2014, 185 COM/SIEGE/Decision 6, and then June 2014, 186 COM.SIEGE/Decision 3.
The Headquarters Building, situated opposite France’s historical Military Academy, and which looks upon the Eiffel Tower, the Palais de Chaillot and the Esplanade des Doits de l’Homme, was inaugurated in November 1958. Renowned the world over for its architectural ingenuity and use of advanced building technology at the time, the structure was the genius of several internationally-recognized architects and engineers.
Notably, the meeting room of the Executive Board, where the delegates sit in a circle, symbolizes the equal dignity of all the Members of the Board, while the ceiling design represents the convergence of minds in a single keystone. The ceiling consists of 20 radial prefabricated beams. The wooden cladding of walls and ceilings offer high quality both architecturally and acoustically.
This room has not been substantively renovated since the building was opened.
As UNESCO will be celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2015, it was deemed timely to renovate this room, bringing it into the 21st century, while maintaining its historical character and special symbolism.
The total estimated budget for the renovation project amount to €1.5 million (approx. $ 1 635 000.00 USD).
While a substantial amount of funding has already been secured, thus permitting the renovation project to be underway, more funds to a total of approximately $400 000 USD are still required. These additional funds will ensure modernization of the audio and visual equipment in the room. Members States are encouraged to favourably consider donating to this project either as a gift-in-kind or through a financial contribution to through the Special Account.
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