United Nations headquarters
The United Nations headquarters is a distinctive complex in New York City that has served as the United Nations's headquarters since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood, on the east side of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River.
The complex includes three major buildings: the Secretariat (the 39-floor office tower), the General Assembly building (where all member nations of the United Nations meet in the UN General Assembly), and the Dag Hammarskjöld Library. It is also notable for its gardens and outdoor sculpture.
The site of the United Nations Headquarters is considered international territory, which means local laws do not apply. In addition, many of the diplomats working there have diplomatic immunity and so cannot be prosecuted by local courts. In the 1990s, however, the New York City government took steps to force diplomats to abide by local laws when living and traveling outside the UN headquarters, especially those concerning parking tickets and drunk driving.
The land for the headquarters was donated by John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The United Nations Headquarters was designed by a team of 11 architects headed by Wallace K. Harrison and Le Corbusier. Work on the complex was begun in 1947 and completed in 1952, although the Dag Hammarskjöld Building was added in 1961.
External links
- Information on public tours (http://www.un.org/tours)
fr:Siège de l'ONU