Division of Conference Services (Nairobi)
About us
The Division of Conference Services has the following sections:
- Office of the Chief
- Interpretation
- Planning and Coordination
- Publishing and Translation and Editorial Services
- Conference Support Section
It also comprises an information technology unit and the Pan-African Masters Consortium in Interpretation and Translation. It provides a full range of conference services to the United Nations programmes located in Nairobi, in particular the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and their subsidiary organs, as well as to meetings and conferences held at and away from Nairobi of other United Nations, agencies, funds and programmes and for intergovernmental organizations.
Our work
The Division of Conference Services was established as a separate financial entity of the United Nations Office at Nairobi in September 2000, through the consolidation of the regular budget conference-servicing activities and resources previously allocated to the budget sections of the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme and the United Nations Office at Nairobi. A substantial number of the Division's programmes are financed on a reimbursable basis.
Since its inception, the Division has been providing conference and meeting facilities within Nairobi as well as servicing meetings abroad. With 13 conference rooms, supported by dedicated personnel, the Division is geared towards catering to the needs of every kind of client and providing services for a broad range of conference events. It services approximately 4,000 meetings a year, and its documentation output is currently within the range of 8 million words per year.
In addition to providing conference facilities, the Division offers a wide array of other conference services which include publishing services, editing, translation, and interpretation. In addition to providing conference rooms, upon request, it accommodates exhibitions. It also coordinates all event related requirements that are provided by other United Nations Office at Nairobi entities such as facilities management, medical services and security. Whether events are planned in Nairobi or at another location where the United Nations does not have conference facilities, the Division can and will help with all the requirements that a client may have.
Besides servicing the calendar bodies hosted in Nairobi, it provides services on a reimbursable basis in Nairobi and elsewhere. Cost estimates are prepared on the basis of the event requirements and detailed service delivery plans are prepared to meet clients’ expectations.
Owing to the extrabudgetary nature of services, without financial guarantees, as clients request services as and when they need them, the Division of Conference Services continues to manage its resources in a way that ensures that it can sustain its operations in the long run. The core aim is to reduce the cost of its services so that the Division can continue to remain competitive, break even and hopefully record modest reserves that will contribute to financial sustainability. The income earned through cost recovery funds 54 per cent of the posts in the Division.
Conference management at the United Nations Office at Nairobi