Senegal and UN celebrate first UN Day in Diamniadio
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Senego
Senegal and the United Nations celebrated UN Day on 23 October at the United Nations House in Diamniadio, four months after agreeing on the occupation of the complex. Resident coordinator Aminata Maiga described the centre as a tool for coordination and closer links with communities, reports PressAfrik.
Senegal and the United Nations celebrated UN Day for the first time at the United Nations House in Diamniadio on 23 October 2026, marking the organisation’s 81st anniversary. The ceremony brought together government representatives, diplomats, UN staff and partners, reports PressAfrik.
The UN resident coordinator in Senegal, Aminata Maiga, presented the complex as a means of strengthening coordination between UN entities and bringing them closer to the population. It houses agencies, funds and programmes of the country team, regional offices, specialised agencies and the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel.
The theme of the celebration linked digital technology, employment and youth empowerment in the age of artificial intelligence. Senegalese Foreign Minister Cheikh Niang referred to the New Deal Technologique, a digital strategy launched by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye in February 2025. The programme aims to raise the digital sector’s share of gross domestic product to 15% and generate 350,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2034. The minister said that the uses of artificial intelligence, rather than the tool itself, should be at the centre of the debate.
The celebration came after Senegal and the UN signed an agreement on 12 June concerning the occupation of the complex. On 4 September, Cheikh Niang visited the site to speed up preparations for the transfer of UN entities and assured that the government would support the relocation of their staff.
