This week IOM joined the “Green One UN House” (GOUNH) in Hanoi Viet Nam. The enterprise is one of the six pillars of the ‘Delivering as One’ reform initiative of the UN in Viet Nam, and brings together staff from 12 agencies, improving the effectiveness and efficiency of the UN and IOM’s development work. It will also allow substantial savings to be made by integrating various administrative services.

All aspects of the innovative building have been designed and constructed to help limit impact on the environment. By fully insulating the building, maximizing the efficiency of heating and cooling systems, making the most of natural daylight and using energy efficient lighting energy, consumption is expected to be reduced by at least 25 percent compared to a baseline model.

Using water more effectively is also expected to reduce consumption by 36 percent. Photovoltaic panels on the roof will harness solar energy and are expected to generate 10 percent of the building’s annual electricity requirements.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon inaugurated the GOUNH last month. “The UN House in Viet Nam is the best possible eco-friendly and energy efficient office building in the region and is a testimony to UN coherence, inter-agency cooperation and teamwork,” he said.

The GOUNH is a joint endeavour between the Government of Viet Nam, donors and the UN Country Team, of which IOM is an active member. The Government of Viet Nam has contributed a high-value plot of land, showing Viet Nam’s strong commitment to the work of the UN. Bilateral donors, including Australia, Finland, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and the UK, financed the construction, alongside the participating agencies.

“IOM’s participation in the ‘Delivery as One’ reform process, and now in the “Green One UN House” is a clear measure of its commitment to cooperate as closely as possible with UN agencies in order to enhance the impact of our work for the benefit of migrants and governments,” said IOM Vietnam Chief of Mission David Knight.

The global “Delivering as One” reform initiative was launched in 2006, when the governments of eight countries – Albania, Cape Verde, Mozambique, Pakistan, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uruguay, and Viet Nam – volunteered to become  pilot countries. They agreed to capitalize on the strengths and comparative advantages of the different members of the UN family and look at ways to increase the UN system’s impact in the development field.

In Viet Nam, the initiative brings together the expertise, experience and capacities of all UN agencies and IOM to provide more coordinated and effective assistance. The six pillars of reform in Viet Nam include One Plan, One Budget, One Leader, One Set of Management Practices, One Voice and the Green One UN House.

IOM has a longstanding and extensive working relationship with the UN at several levels, ranging from close collaboration at the Headquarters level to active participation in UN Country Teams around the world.  

For more information, please contact David Knight at IOM Viet Nam, Email: dkinght@iom.int Tel. +84 4 3850 1810