UN Building
Address:
Street of 760 United Nations Plaza, New York
UN´s Headquarters is located between: 1 Avenue West, East 42nd Street south, East 48th Street north and
the East River east in the neighborhood Turtle Bay on the east side of Manhattan.
 History
In December 1945 , the US Senate and the US House of Representatives , by unanimous votes, requested that the UN make its headquarters in
the United States.
1947 - Construction began , following the design of an international architectural committee, led by Wallace K Harrison, Oscar Niemeyer and Switzerland's Le Corbusier probably the most famous and influential member.
The land were the building are located was purchased and donated by John D Rockefeller, Jr. (8,5 million).
The UN headquarters officially opened on Janary 9, 1951
Picture: The Secreteriat
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Outside
The big complex is also notable for its gardens and outdoor sculptures.
In front of the U.N. entrance is
Arnoldo Pomodoro's Sphere Within a Sphere , a reflective sculpture.
The gun tied in a knot is Non Violence, designed by the Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd. The gun has been here since 1988.
Location: just past the visitors entrance on the east side of First Ave. between 45th and 46th streets. (in the north garden area).
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The Complex (the Buildings)
The complex includes several major buildings:
- The Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
It was a gift from the Ford Foundation and is mainly intended for the use of U.N. officials.
- The Secretariat (the 39-floor office tower)
Built in 1952, 544 feet high and only 72 feet thick, this was the first major example of the International Style built in New York.
 - Japanese Peace Bell
Northwest of the Secretariat Building is the Japanese Peace Bell , cast out of coins collected by children in 60 countries. It was presented 22 August 1958 by the United Nations Associations of Japan.
It is rung twice a year, on the first day of spring
and on International Peace Day (September 21).
It is made of cypress wood."Long live absolute world peace" is inscribed in Japanese on one side.
The bell weighs
255
pounds, is 3 feet high.
 - General Assembly building.
The General Assembly Hall is the largest room in the United Nations, with seating capacity for over 1,800 people.
This is where all member States can gather to discuss problems and decide in different topics.
- The Conference Building
Hidden away behind more prominent buildings, this is where the real power at the U.N., the Security Council, meets, in a chamber donated by Norway.
It is situated between the General Assembly and Sectretariat buildings.(
It can only be viewed from FDR Drive or the East River).
UN - United Nation
The United Nation as an international organization has its origins in World War II .
Since then its aims and activities have expanded to make it the archetypal international body in the early 21st century.
The UN came into existence on October 24 , 1945 .
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 The name "UN". Were does it come from ?
Franklin D. Roosevelt first suggested using the name " United Nations " to refer to the wartime Allies.
Roosevelt suggested the term to Winston Churchill who cited Byron 's use of the phrase "united nations" in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage , which referred to the Allies at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
United States president Franklin Delano Roosevelt adopted the name and the first official use of the term occurred on January 1 , 1942 with the Declaration by the United Nations.
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 In movies and films
The UN buildings can among others be seen in the following movies:
- The Pink Panter strikes again
- James Bond, Live and Let Die
(in the opening scene)
- The Art of War
- The Interpreter
- The Peacemaker |
| Some facts: |
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FN territorium
The United Nations headquarters has so called "extraterritoriality status", typical of embassies. This affects some law enforcement where UN rules override the laws of New York City. The land underneath the buildings remains the territory of the United States |
Diplomatic immunity
A few members of the UN staff have have diplomatic immunity and can´tt be prosecuted by local courts unless the diplomatic immunity is waived by the Secretary-General. |
Journalist etic
Journalists, when reporting from the complex, will not use "New York" as the identification of their location in recognition of the extraterritoriality status. |
Mail
For security reasons, all mail sent to this address is sterilized, so items that may be degraded should be sent by courier. |
Fire department
UN has it's own fire dept, security force and postal service. |
All flags
The flags of the U.N. members fly along U.N. Plaza in alphabetical order. |
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