In her capacity as UN Designated Official for Security in France, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, underlined the need to continuously adapt security measures to the changing environment. She encouraged the SMG members to engage in stronger Inter-Agency cooperation and information sharing. “Our collective efforts are required to constantly improve security postures and to raise awareness among staff”, she said.

Building on the lessons learnt over the last two years, the SMG agreed on the need for streamlined communications in the event of security incidents. The group went on to discuss the Minimum Operating Security Standards that are mandatory for all UN office facilities worldwide.

In future, SMG meetings will be held twice a year rather than once, in order to effectively strengthen contacts between all UN entities in France.