González Laya receives Guterres in Valencia to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of the United Nations Centre for Information and Communications Technology

During his stay in Valencia, Guterres will visit the United Nations Centre for Information and Communications Technology to commemorate - together with Minister González Laya and the President of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig, - the tenth anniversary of the inauguration of the United Nations Centre for Information and Communications Technology-Valencia (UNCICT-V).

The Centre was inaugurated on 6 July 2011 by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the then Prince of Asturias, Don Felipe. Initially created to provide support to Peacekeeping Operations (PMOs) in the area of information and communications technology, the Quart de Poblet base is now a world reference in the field of information and communications technology, and aims to gradually become a centre for the digital transformation of the entire United Nations, its "digital campus".

It has been a magnet for attracting talent, generating qualified jobs and a network of contacts with Spanish universities and companies in the technology sector, in addition to the indirect employment associated with the presence of numerous expatriate staff. The base now has about 480 UN and external staff, all of whom are of a high technical standard. Around 60% of them are Spanish. It is expected to double the number of workers in ten years and to have around 1,300 by the time it is completed.

In line with the reform project led by UNSG Guterres focused on promoting the efficiency of the UN system, the UN plans to create its own "cloud" system to avoid reliance on international companies, lowering costs and gaining independence. One of the two cloud nodes will be installed at the base and the other in Geneva. This is one of the many projects being developed and which establishes the base as a digital campus and favours its expansion.

As a sign of its commitment to this project, in 2019 Spain ceded an additional 24,000m2 of land, which will double the size of the base. In September 2020, the construction of a third office building with about 110 jobs started costing six million euros and financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It will open in April 2022.

In the afternoon, UNSG Guterres will travel to the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia to meet with young Spaniards and engage in dialogue on the challenges and opportunities in today's world and the work of the United Nations in the field of youth. The exchange will focus on current issues such as the role of young people in the multilateral response to the pandemic, the promotion of environmental protection, the fight against inequality, human rights and gender equality, training, decent employment and the impact of the digital revolution. This meeting is organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, in collaboration with the Generalitat Valenciana and the Instituto de la Juventud INJUVE.

On Friday 2 July, in Madrid, the UNSG will hold meetings with HM the King, President Pedro Sánchez and the Fourth Vice-President and Minister for Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera.

Non official translation