The United Nations (UN) is the largest internationally represented organization in the world. It is the most powerful intergovernmental organization worldwide.

The UN’s main aim is to maintain friendly relations among nations and achieve international cooperation. This makes the UN a center of harmony to maintain international peace and security.

History of UN and UNHQ

UN is a League of Nations, which was created in 1919 by the Treaty of Versailles.

The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945, after World War – II to prevent wars in the future. It was disbanded in 1946.

United Nations Headquarters (UNHQ) was designed by a board that was led by Wallace Harrison. The construction of designing was completed in 1952 and was officially inaugurated as the headquarter of the UN.

On August 22, 1950, 450 employees started working in the Secretariat Building. Although, on January 8, 1951, the Secretariat Building officially gained its existence and by that time 3,300 employees were working there.

UN officials declared for the renovation of the headquarters on July 28, 2007. With some disruption on the way, the renovation was completed by the year 2012.

Working at UNHQ

The headquarters of the UN is situated in New York City. UN’s main offices are situated in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and The Hague.

Arabic, Chinese, Spanish, English, French, and Russian are recognized as the official language at the UN. Although statements can be made in any non-official language by the delegate he or she should provide a written statement in the official language.

The Six Organs of the United Nations are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat.

United Nations headquarters is technically termed as extraterritorial and has a treaty with the US government. UN rules override New York City’s laws.

UNHQ is situated in New York City and is not under the US government but under the UN administration. They follow the local rules in exchange for local police, fire protection, and other services. The security within the UNHQ is generally the responsibility of United Nations Security Officials.

U.S dollar is the currency used for the businesses of UNHQ. Mail sent to the UNHQ address is sterilized for security reasons. Every mail sent from UNHQ has a stamp issued by the United Nations Postal Administration.

Infrastructure of UNHQ

United Nations headquarters is situated in Turtle Bay, overlooking the East River. It is built on 17 to 18 acres of land. The headquarters complex includes several major buildings, in which the Secretariat Building is the predominant depiction of the headquarters.

United Nations Headquarters has a public garden, which was initially private. The garden was made publicly accessible in the year 1958.

The list of buildings inside the UNHQ are:

• General Assembly Building

The General Assembly is one of the six organs of the United Nations. It serves as a policy-making and representative organ. The general assembly meeting is held under the UN secretary in the General Assembly Building.

The General Assembly Building has the largest Assembly Hall which is 75ft in height, 165ft long, and 115ft wide. The hall has a capacity of 1,800 seats.

The ceiling of the Assembly hall is surmounted by a shallow dome ringed by recessed light fixtures. An inscription of an Iranian poet can be seen on the entrance door.

•  Conference Building

The Conference Building is in between General Assembly Building and Secretariat Building. The building has a Chamber for Security Council, which was gifted by Norway to the United Nations.

• Secretariat Building

Secretariat Building is 505-foot-tall, thirty-nine storied skyscraper. The building was ready for use in 1950.

The Secretariat Building has offices for the Secretary-General, the Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Office of Disarmament Affairs, and the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management (DGACM).

 

• Dam Hammarskjold Library

The building is situated next to the Secretariat Building. This building was a gift from the Ford Foundation to the United Nations. Dam Hammarskjold Library holds 400,000 books, 9,800 newspapers and periodical titles, 80,000 maps.

The library also has the Woodrow Wilson Collection containing 8,600 volumes of League of Nations documents and 6,500 related books and pamphlets.

 

• Other Buildings

Outside the UNHQ, there are two large office buildings. These buildings are the offices for agencies and programs of the organization.

 

 

Conclusion

UN day is celebrated every year on October 24. This year, the United Nations is turning 75 years. UN day is celebrated by conducting meetings, discussions, and cultural celebrations. It is celebrated and observed worldwide.

The United Nations have to maintain administrative peace, surveying economic and social trends. The United Nations is the most familiar intergovernmental organization. There are 193 Member States in the UN.