The UN launched a major expansion in Nairobi as Guterres highlighted Africa’s growing global role

The ceremony included the inauguration of a new office building and the laying of the foundation stone for a new conference facility at the United Nations Office in Nairobi (NO), which will substantially expand the Organization’s footprint in Africa.

Approved by the UN General Assembly, the $340 million project is the largest investment made by the UN Secretariat in Africa in its 80-year history, strengthening Nairobi’s role as a center for global multilateral diplomacy and cooperation.

“It’s more than just a building,said the Secretary General in a press conference. “This is a form of confidence in Africa’s position at the heart of international cooperation.”

The UN is closer to the communities it serves

This project will increase conference capacity at UNON from 2,000 to 9,000 participants, including through the construction of a new meeting hall and expansion of meeting facilities.

Guterres said the expansion reflected the UN’s broader efforts to bring its work closer to the regions most affected by global challenges.

“The UN must be closer to the communities it serves – connected to their realities and equipped to support the solutions they build,he said.

A pillar in the Global South

In his official remarks, the Secretary General explained Nairobi “is not a satellite or an outpost,” but “a pillar – the only UN headquarters in Africa – and in the countries of the South.”

Since its inception in the 1970s as home to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the UN Human Settlements Program (PBB-Habitat), the Gigiri complex has grown into one of the United Nations’ largest operational centers, supporting activities across Africa and beyond. Campus now houses more than 70 UN offices and programs and thousands of staff.

Mr. Guterres praised Kenya’s long-term support for the Organization, and noted that the Gigiri campus stands on land donated by the Government of Kenya.

“This complex would not have been possible without the extraordinary generosity and hospitality of the Kenyan government and people,” he said.

Sustainability and accessibility

The newly opened office building is UNON’s first net-zero facility, powered by year-round on-site solar energy. Additional solar power installations associated with the conference expansion are expected to bring the complex closer to energy neutrality by 2030.

The project also includes the planting of nearly 6,000 native trees and universal accessibility features integrated throughout the campus.

Calls for global reform

In addition to infrastructure projects, the Secretary-General used this opportunity to renew calls for reform of international governance and financial systems, arguing that Africa continues to face structural inequalities that are rooted in history.

“We live in a very unfair situation,he said, pointing to the high borrowing costs faced by many African countries despite their strong economic potential.

Guterres also repeated his long-standing call for permanent African representation at the UN Security Council and greater influence for African countries in international financial institutions.

“There will be no justice until there are permanent African members on the Security Council,he said.

Africa is a solution driver

He argues that many global institutions were created in 1945 without African participation and continue to reflect outdated power structures.

“Africa is a driver of solutions, a source of innovation, and a voice of moral clarity,he said, adding that the continent’s potential was limited by “a deeply unequal international system that reflects the power relations of the last century.”