Where Is The Headquarters Of The The United Nations Located?
The United Nations (UN) is a global organization which aims to bring together governments of the world to promote international cooperation and maintain worldwide peace and order. The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945 after the Second World War, when the initial intergovernmental organization, the League of Nations, became ineffective.
Location
The headquarters of the United Nations is located at 750 United Nations Plaza, in Manhattan, New York City. The land occupied by this headquarters is not under the administration of the US government, but the UN’s, since the area was converted into international territory through an agreement treaty with the government of the US. The UN headquarters sits on land that was initially planned for a project called X-City that would comprise a hotel building, an entertainment complex, and apartments. The Rockefeller family purchased the land and donated to the United Nations.
Design
The United Nations headquarters in New York City has an international architectural style. The design was drawn up by the United Nations Board of Design which was an international committee of architects. The UN board chose to go with the international style as it represented a new beginning after the devastating World War II. The board members adopted a plan by Oscar Niemeyer, plan 23W, and construction started on September 14, 1948. The architectural firm of Harrison & Abramovitz built the headquarters of the United Nations, completing the building on October 9, 1952. Since then, the site has been the official headquarters of the United Nations.
Structures At The UN Headquarters
The complex that holds the UN headquarters has several buildings with the most noted being the Secretariat building. The Secretariat building is a 39-story building that is known to house the office of the Secretary-General among other offices. The complex also has the General Assembly building, with a sitting capacity of 1,800 and houses the United Nations General Assembly. The Conference Building sits between the General Assembly Building and the Secretariat and holds the Security Council Chamber. The complex also has a library founded in 1946 by the United Nations and was later dedicated and renamed in honor of Dag Hammarskjöld for the role he played in securing the funding for the library building. In 1961, the United Nations International Library became the Dag Hammarskjöld Library and was located next to the Secretariat. The UN headquarters complex has 193 flagpoles that carry the flags of all the UN member states and the UN flag in alphabetical order.
Functions Of The United Nations
The primary function of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security. The organization helps to settle disputes through peaceful means. Other functions include promotion of human rights and humanitarian assistance coupled with economic development. The organization declares international observances like Earth Day and helps in their coordination.
