United Nations signs host agreement with Egypt for OCHA regional office in Cairo

(Cairo, 10 April 2011): Ms. Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, and H.E. Maged A. Abdelaziz, the Arab Republic of Egypt’s Ambassador to the UN, have signed a Host Agreement between the Government of Egypt and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Agreement formalises the presence in Cairo of OCHA’s Regional Office for the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia (ROMENACA) and the status of its staff.

“I am pleased to conclude this agreement with Egypt at a time when the presence of OCHA in the Middle East and Arab region and beyond is of crucial importance, and our humanitarian services are in high demand,” Ms. Amos said. “In some places, the changes happening in the region have humanitarian consequences, and Cairo is an ideal hub for OCHA’s activities.”

The Host Agreement delineates the activities that ROMENACA will conduct in the region such as humanitarian preparedness, including early warning and contingency planning; support to emergency response in the region; and the development of regional coordination networks.

The Agreement also regulates the status of the premises of the office in Cairo as well as the diplomatic status of its employees, experts on mission and persons performing services for OCHA in Egypt.

In addition, the Agreement grants OCHA the right to display the emblem of the United Nations, the UN flag and the logo of the United Nations on its premises and vehicles.

The Agreement will enter into force once ratified by the Egyptian Parliament.

For further information, please call: Jens Laerke, OCHA-Cairo +20 19 555 8662, laerke@un.org;

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 347 244 2106, bunker@un.org;

Nicholas Reader +1 212 963 4961, mobile +1 646 752 3117, reader@un.org;

Elisabeth Byrs OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570, byrs@un.org.

OCHA press releases are available at www.unocha.org or www.reliefweb.int.