UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon wrapped up his visit to Spain on Wednesday, where he signed an agreement with the Spanish government on the establishment of a new global telecommunications facility for UN peacekeeping operations, to be built in Valencia, a UN spokesperson said here.
Marie Okabe, the UN spokesperson, told reporters here that Ban said the proposed facility will complement the existing UN communications infrastructure in Brindisi, Italy, and will reduce the very real risks associated with depending on a single hub.
At the signing ceremony, the secretary-general said that for a global organization such as the United Nations, the ability to communicate clearly, quickly and around the clock is crucial.
"For our peacekeeping operations, communications can be the difference between life and death," he said.
The UN chief on Wednesday left Spain for Switzerland, where he will attend this year's World Economic Forum in Davos. He will speak at a number of events at the Davos Forum on Thursday, Okabe said.