Director General/Executive Director
25 October 2016
Dear colleagues,
Thank you for joining us on UN Staff Day 2016.
The Secretary-General dedicated this day to UN staff members, in appreciation for your tireless work, efforts and contributions.
I join him in offering my deepest gratitude and admiration.
On any given workday, more than six thousand, eight hundred people from more than one hundred and thirty countries come through the doors here at the VIC.
We are joined in our endeavours by our colleagues in the field, all around the world, many of whom work in difficult and even dangerous conditions.
We are many, and we are diverse, and we have different tasks and responsibilities.
But we share a common dedication to the values of our United Nations, and we share a common purpose.
2016 has been an exciting year with the launch of the landmark 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which further unites the work of our different offices, with so many high-level events addressing critical challenges to peace, security, development, the rule of law and justice, human rights and the welfare of humankind.
All of us must be proud that we have been able to live up to the expectations of women, men and children in need, and successfully fulfil our respective mandates.
I would like to thank you once again for your efforts. These successes so far are due to your hard work, your dedication and good will, which allow us to overcome all difficulties and ensure the smooth delivery of our programmes.
We are soon coming to the end of an era, when we will say a fond goodbye to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and formally welcome Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Change is a constant for us at the UN as we seek to support people and governments to work together to respond to new challenges and solve problems.
But whatever the next months will bring, I can assure you that supporting our staff members remains one of our highest priorities here in Vienna.
We remain committed to ensuring conditions that enable you to work as efficiently and effectively as possible, in as safe and comfortable an environment as possible, with an eye to maintaining work-life balance.
We also remain committed to promoting the career development of all staff, and achieving gender parity at all levels.
Dear colleagues,
This day is for you.
We have an exciting afternoon planned.
It is an opportunity to showcase the talents and diversity of our staff, with the VIC Choir and cultural clubs performing.
Our colleagues from the canine unit are also here to celebrate with us, and to show off their skills in keeping us safe here at the VIC.
It took a lot of effort to make all of this happen.
I would like to thank our Staff Day working group, who brought together volunteers from the different Vienna-based organizations to organize these festivities.
I would also like to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to our hardworking colleagues in the field who are celebrating with us by VTC today.
And I would like to thank Austria and the city of Vienna for their continuing generosity and support in hosting us here in this beautiful capital in the heart of Europe.
We will be joining the Secretary-General via VTC at a global Town Hall meeting at 3pm today.
I hope you will be with me here in the Rotunda for this, and show that we in Vienna are proud members of the UN family.
Thank you, and enjoy the afternoon!