What does the UN do in its NYC office?

This post is a bit of a UN history lesson and also provides some background to all the main buildings of the UN in New York. It is worthwhile noting that the UN is headquartered on international territory in New York City; other main offices are in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna and The Hague. While Headquarters in New York serves as the principal nerve centre of the organization, several important activities are directed from offices located in centres around the world. Meetings and various UN bodies are often held away from Headquarters. Conferences on topics such as population, food, the environment and human rights have been held in different parts of the world.

Where is the UN in New York?

The headquarters of the United Nations is located at 750 United Nations Plaza, in Manhattan, New York City. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River. Standing on the eastern shore of Manhattan Island the 18-acre United Nations Headquarters remains both a symbol of peace and a beacon of hope. 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 Rockefeller family purchased the land and donated to the United Nations.

Who designed the UN NYC architecture?

The United Nations headquarters in New York was designed by an international committee of architects. The UN board chose to go with the iso called “international style” as it represented a new beginning after the devastating World War II and adopted a plan by Oscar Niemeyer. The architectural firm of Harrison & Abramovitz completed the building of the headquarters of the United Nations in October 1952. Since then, the site has been the official headquarters of the United Nations.

How many UN buildings are there in NYC?

The UN headquarters consists of four main buildings: the Secretariat, the General Assembly, Conference Area (including Council Chambers) and the Library.

The most noted is 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; this library was dedicated and named in honor of Dag Hammarskjöld. The UN headquarters complex has 193 flagpoles that carry the flags of all the UN member states and the UN flag in alphabetical order.

The buildings as originally planned were estimated to cost nearly $85 million. Under the direction of Secretary-General Trygve Lie, however, the designers cut the cost by $20 million, largely by reducing the height of the Secretariat Building from 45 to 39 stories. They did this by reducing the size of the conference areas and by utilizing an existing building on the site for the United Nations Library. The $65 million plan was approved by the General Assembly on 20 November 1947.

To finance construction, the United States Government made an interest-free loan of $65 million to the United Nations. Of this amount, the last installment of $1 million was paid in 1982. Built for an important international organization, this modern complex helped revitalize New York City at the end of the second world war. Centerpiece of the UN complex is the Secretariat, a skyscraper based on plans by Le Corbusier, one of the most well-known modern architects. This skyscraper was the first major International Style building to be constructed in New York.

Top tips on living and working at the UN in New York City.

Have you secured your UN role in NYC and are moving to the Big Apple? New York is with no doubt one of the greatest cultural hub in the world but surely also the busiest one and quite an expensive one. Top tip is to see if anyone at your new location can help, insider guides are always the best, so see if there are local forums setup in the UN or facebook pages for flats, apartments and also don’t forget your network of people you may know that can help.

Mastering the subway is essential as commuting by car can take ages. Getting used to the subway system might take you some time but once you crack it it’s the most efficient (and surprisingly affordable) way to get around; get a decent pair of shoes to pop on when you walk to the office or leave is my main tip.

My advice to anyone planning to moving to NYC is to take the time to get accustomed with the city and everything it has to offer. There is a good reason why New York has the reputation of being the city that never sleeps.

Apply to join our next UCC Future Leader Challenge to learn what it takes to work for the UN.