Dear NGO Representatives,
Ms. Tatiana Valovaya, UNOG Director-General, is pleased to invite you to take part in the annual observance of World Humanitarian Day at the Palais des Nations, which will take place on Friday, 19 August 2022 at 3.00 p.m., outside the Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room (Room XX).
Designated by the General Assembly to be observed on 19 August - the day when 22 colleagues were killed at the United Nations Office in Baghdad, World Humanitarian Day is an opportunity to pay tribute to colleagues who have lost their lives in humanitarian service and to honour the thousands of aid workers who continue to provide much needed support to people suffering from conflicts or disasters across the world. As the world’s humanitarian capital, Geneva plays a central role in bringing together the partners to ensure an effective humanitarian response.
The Geneva World Humanitarian Day commemoration is organized in collaboration with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The solemn ceremony will be organized outside Room XX. If you and your colleagues wish to attend in person, please register your participation on Indico by following this link:
The commemoration ceremony will be webcast live at http://webtv.un.org/. Due to the setup, no interpretation will be provided, however the speakers will address the event in either English or French. You will find attached to this invitation the programme of the ceremony. Due to COVID-19, the wearing of masks is strongly recommended in all public areas of UNOG. For any queries, please contact unog
We also take this opportunity to encourage you to participate in the 2022 World Humanitarian Day global campaign #ItTakesAVillage, which aims to go back to the day’s original intent to show the importance, effectiveness, and positive impact of humanitarian work. There is an African saying: “it takes a village to raise a child”. Similarly, it takes solidarity to support a person in a humanitarian crisis. World Humanitarian Day 2022 builds on this metaphor of collective action to increase global appreciation of humanitarian work.
The commemoration of World Humanitarian Day is a highlight in the agenda of International Geneva. Ms. Tatiana Valovaya looks forward to your participation which will send a strong signal of support, demonstrating our collective commitment to the humanitarian cause.
With best regards,
NGO Liaison Unit