Presentation put together by the UN, I didn't do it myself!

1. We the peoples of the
United Nations
determined...
to save succeeding generations from the
scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime
has brought untold sorrow to mankind,
and
to reaffirm faith in fundamental human
rights, in the dignity and worth of the
human person, in the equal rights of men
and women and of nations large and
small, and
to establish conditions under which justice
and respect for the obligations arising from
treaties and other sources of international
law can be maintained, and
Single Form, a free-form abstraction building be adorned with an appropriate
to promote social progress and better in bronze, was created by Barbara sculpture. The sculpture was unveiled
standards of life in larger freedom, Hepworth (UK) after a request from Dag in June 1964, three years after Mr.
Hammarskjöld. Mr. Hammarskjöld, who Hammarskjöld was killed in a plane
was the second UN Secretary-General accident in Northern Rhodesia (now
(1953-1961), had expressed the wish Zambia) while attempting to negotiate
that the circle in front of the Secretariat peace in the Congo.

2. 2
...and for these ends
to practice tolerance and live together in
peace with one another as good neigh-
bours, and
to unite our strength to maintain interna-
tional peace and security, and
to ensure, by the acceptance of principles
and the institution of methods, that armed
force shall not be used, save in the com-
mon interest, and
to employ international machinery for the
promotion of the economic and social
advancement of all peoples,

3. ...have resolved to combine
our efforts to accomplish these aims.
Accordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city
of San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form,
have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an inter-
national organization to be known as the United Nations.
The Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations
(signed on 26 June 1945 by 51 countries)
Dove of Peace, presented by Pope John Paul II
to the UN in 1979, is a reproduction of a mosaic
executed in the Constantinian Basilica of St.
Peter in the Pontificate of Innocent III (1198-
1216). The enamels used were made in 1727;
the frame, made in 1796, is of gilt bronze. The
work is located in the General Assembly lobby.

4. The United Nations is an organization of Members. As of March 2007, 192 coun-
4 sovereign States. These States volunta- tries were UN members.
rily join the UN to work for world peace, The UN is a forum, a meeting-place, for
promote friendship among all nations and virtually all nations of the world. It pro-
support economic and social progress. It vides them with the mechanism to help
formally came into being on 24 October find solutions to disputes or problems,
1945. At that time, it had 51 countries as
The UN is an international organization, not a world government
This Peace Bell, cast from and to act on virtually any matter of con-
coins from over 60 coun- cern to humanity.
tries, was a gift of the United
Though sometimes described as a “parlia-
Nations Association of Japan.
Inscribed on one side of the
ment of nations”, the UN is neither a supra-
bell, in Japanese, are the State nor a government of governments. It
words, “Long live absolute does not have an army and it imposes no
world peace”. It is now located taxes. It depends on the political will of
in the west court garden of the its Members to have its decisions imple-
Secretariat building. mented and relies on the contributions of
its Members to carry out its activities.
The United Nations plays a central role in
reducing international tensions, prevent-
ing conflicts and putting an end to fighting
already under way. It deals with our envi-
ronment, outer space and the sea-bed. It
has helped wipe out many diseases and
expand food production. It cares for and

5. protects refugees, expands literacy and
responds quickly to natural disasters.
It also protects and promotes rights of
individuals by setting a global standard for
human rights.
Article 28 of the
Universal Declaration
of Human Rights
Let us beat swords into ploughshares.
This statue, created by Evgeniy Vuchetich
and presented to the UN as a gift by the
Russian Federation, is placed in the north
garden area at UN Headquarters.

6. Non-violence, a sculpture of a large replica in bronze of a .45-calibre revolver with its barrel tied into a knot, was
created by Swedish artist Karl Fredrik Reutersward. A gift from Luxembourg, it is located on the apron of the
General Assembly Building facing First Avenue at 45th Street.

7. The six main UN organs
There are six main organs of the United Council, for example, holds one of its
Nations — the General Assembly, the two regular annual sessions in Geneva,
Security Council, the Economic and Social and special committees of the General
Council, the Trusteeship Council, the Assembly have frequently held meetings
International Court of Justice and the in countries around the world. Conferences
Secretariat. The Court has its seat at The on topics such as population, food, the
Hague, Netherlands. All other organs are environment and human rights have been
based at United Nations Headquarters in held in different parts of the world.
New York.
While Headquarters in New York serves
as the principal nerve centre of the “The United Nations is no stronger than the col-
Organization, several important activities lective will of the nations that support it. Of itself
are directed from offices located in cen- it can do nothing. It is a machinery through which
tres around the world. Meetings of vari- nations can cooperate. It can be used and devel-
ous UN bodies are often held away from oped in the light of its activities and experience.
Headquarters. The Economic and Social Or it can be destroyed”.
— Trygve Lie (Norway)
First UN Secretary-General, 1946-1952

8. The General Assembly is the main delib- being considered by the Security Council).
8 erative organ of the United Nations and In the Assembly, each nation, large or
includes all its Members. It may discuss any small, has one vote and important deci-
matter arising under the UN Charter and sions are taken by a two-thirds majority
make recommendations to UN Members vote.
(except on disputes or situations which are The Assembly meets every year from
September to December. Special sessions
The General Assembly may be summoned by the Assembly, at the
request of the Security Council, or at the
request of a majority of UN Members.
The work of the General Assembly is also
carried out by its six main committees, the
Human Rights Council, other subsidiary
bodies and the UN Secretariat.
The green and gold General Assembly Hall
A view of the voting board in the General This ivory sculpture, depicting the construction accommodates all 192 delegations. Each
Assembly Hall. The board, located above and of the Chengtu-Kunming Railway in China, was delegation has six seats — three at the
behind the speakers' rostrum, displays the results carved from eight ivory tusks weighing more than table for senior delegates and three behind
of votes. Voting in the Assembly is done elec- 300 kilogrammes. A gift from China, it is now dis- them for others. All 1,898 seats of the Hall
tronically. Delegates signal their country’s vote by played in the third-floor passage connecting the are equipped with earphones, allowing the
pressing a button located on their table — green Conference and the General Assembly Buildings. listener to “tune in” either to the language
for “yes”, red for “no” and yellow for “abstain”. being spoken on the floor or to interpreta-
tions into any of the UN’s six official lan-
guages — Arabic, Chinese, English,
French, Russian and Spanish.

10. geographical representation for two-year
10 terms. Decisions require nine votes;
except on procedural questions, a deci-
sion cannot be taken if there is a negative
vote by a permanent member (known
as the “veto”). The Council also makes
recommendations to the General Assembly
The Security Council on the appointment of a new Secretary-
General and on the admission of new
The Security Council has primary respon- members to the UN. Many countries want
sibility under the Charter for maintaining to expand the membership of the Council to
peace and security. It can be convened at include new permanent and non-permanent
any time, whenever peace is threatened. members.
Member States are obligated to carry out
its decisions. When a threat to peace is
brought before the Council, it usually first
asks the parties to reach agreement by
peaceful means. If fighting breaks out,
the Council tries to secure a ceasefire. It
may then send peacekeeping missions to
Stained-glass window. This work by
Marc Chagall (France), depicting themes of
troubled areas or call for economic sanc-
peace and human happiness, is installed on the tions and embargoes to restore peace.
The Security Council Chamber was furnished
west side of the General Assembly Lobby. The Council has 15 members, including
by Norway and designed by the Norwegian
five permanent members: China, France, Arnstein Arneberg. A large mural by Per
the Russian Federation, the United Krohg of Norway, symbolizing the promise of
Kingdom and the United States of future peace and individual freedom, covers
America. The other 10 are elected by most of the east wall. There are 164 seats for
the General Assembly on the basis of the public and 118 for the press.

12. The Economic and Social Council (ECO- To meet specific needs, the General
12 SOC) is the central body for coordinating Assembly has set up a number of spe-
the economic and social work of the Unit- cialized agencies, such as the Food and
ed Nations and the UN family of organiza- Agriculture Organization of the United
tions. It has 54 member nations elected Nations (FAO), the World Health Orga-
from all regions. As much as 70 per cent nization (WHO) and the UN Education-
al, Scientific and Cultural Organization
The Economic and Social Council (UNESCO) and programmes (such as the
UN Development Programme (UNDP),
of the work of the UN system is devoted the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the
to promoting higher standards of living, full Office of the UN High Commissioner for
employment, and conditions of economic Refugees (UNHCR)). The work of these
and social progress and development. The agencies and programmes is coordinated
Council recommends and directs activities by ECOSOC.
aimed at promoting economic growth of
developing countries, supporting human
rights and fostering world cooperation to
fight poverty and under-development.
Peace. Two murals entitled "War" and "Peace" The Economic and Social Council Chamber
were presented to the United Nations by Brazil in was designed by Sven Markelius of
1957. The murals, each measuring 34 by 46 feet, Sweden and furnished by that country.
were painted by the late Brazilian artist Candido
PORTINARI. They are located on the east and
west walls of the delegates' lobby on the ground
floor in the General Assembly building.

14. The Trusteeship Council was assigned The Trusteeship Council Chamber was
14 under the UN Charter to supervise the furnished by Denmark and designed
administration of Trust Territories — for- by Finn Juhl, a Dane.
mer colonies or dependent territories —
which were placed under the International
Trusteeship System. The system was cre-
ated at the end of the Second World War
The Trusteeship Council
to promote the advancement of the inhab-
itants of those dependent Territories and
their progressive development towards
self-government or independence.
Since the creation of the Trusteeship Coun-
cil, more than 70 colonial Territories, includ-
ing all of the original 11 Trust Territories,
have attained independence with the help
of the United Nations. As a result, in 1994,
the Council decided formally to suspend its
operation and to meet as and when occa-
sion might require.
This statue of a woman with arms upraised was Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. These are the words inscribed on this
carved from teak by Henrick Starcke (Denmark) and mosaic representation of a painting by Norman Rockwell (USA) depicting people of different
is against one wall of the Trusteeship Chamber. nationalities. It is located on the third floor near the Economic and Social Council Chamber.

16. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) tional law. If a country does not wish to
16 is the UN’s main judicial organ. Presid- take part in a proceeding it does not have
ing over the ICJ, or “World Court”, are 15 to do so, unless required by special treaty
judges, each from a different nation, elect- provisions. Once a country accepts the
ed by the General Assembly and Security Court's jurisdiction, it must comply with its
Council. The Court settles legal disputes decision.
between nations only and not between The seat of the International Court of Jus-
individuals, in accordance with interna- tice is at The Hague in the Netherlands.
The offices of the Court occupy the “Peace
The International Court of Justice Palace”, which was constructed by the
Carnegie Foundation, a private non-profit
organization, to serve as the headquarters
of the Permanent Court of International
Justice, the predecessor of the present
Court. The UN makes an annual contribu-
tion to the Foundation for the use of the
building.
The Court is composed of 15 judges elected to
nine-year terms of office by the United Nations
After a much debated international competition General Assembly and Security Council sitting
and with financial support from the Carnegie independently of each other. It may not include
Foundation, French architect Louis Cordonnier’s more than one judge of any nationality. Elections
design of the Peace Palace now stands in are held every three years for one-third of the
The Hague, Netherlands. It has housed the seats, and retiring judges may be re-elected. The
International Court of Justice and its predeces- Members of the Court do not represent their gov-
sors since 1913. ernments but are independent magistrates.

18. The Secretariat is made up of an interna- may also act on his own initiative to deal with
18 tional staff working at UN Headquarters in humanitarian or other problems of special
New York, as well as UN offices in Geneva, importance.
Vienna, Nairobi and other locations. It con- There have been only eight Secretaries-
sists of departments and offices with a total General since the founding of the UN:
staff of around 16,000, drawn from some
175 countries. Staff members carry out the Trygve Lie (Norway), 1946-1952;
The Secretariat substantive and administrative work of the
United Nations as directed by the General
Dag Hammarskjöld (Sweden), 1953-1961;
U Thant (Burma, now Myanmar),
Assembly, the Security Council and the 1961-1971;
other organs. Kurt Waldheim (Austria), 1972-1981;
The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary- Javier Pérez de Cuéllar (Peru), 1982-1991;
General. He is appointed by the General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali (Egypt),
Assembly on the recommendation of
1992-1996;
the Security Council for a five-year term.
As the chief administrative officer of the Kofi Annan (Ghana), 1997-2006; and
Organization, the Secretary-General directs Ban Ki-moon (Republic of Korea), 2007 -.
its work. He is also responsible for imple-
menting decisions taken by the various
organs of the United Nations.
The Secretary-General may bring to the
attention of the Security Council any mat-
ter which, in his opinion, may threaten
international peace and security. He may
use his “good offices” to prevent conflicts
United Nations Headquarters, New York. Over or promote peaceful settlement of disputes
4,700 people drawn from all parts of the world
between countries. The Secretary-General
work here.

19. “The UN is needed more than ever before.
The world’s peoples will not be fully served
unless peace, development and human rights,
the three pillars of the United Nations, are
advanced together with equal vigour.”
— Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General
Equal parts diplomat and
advocate, civil servant and
chief executive officer, the
Secretary-General is the repre-
sentative of the United Nations
ideals and the spokesman for
the interests of the world’s
peoples, in particular the poor
and vulnerable. The current
Secretary-General, and the
eighth occupant of the post,
is Mr. Ban Ki-moon of the
Republic of Korea, who took
office on 1 January 2007.

20. 20
The house where
the world meets
The site on which UN Headquarters is
now situated was once a rundown area of
slaughterhouses, light industry and a rail-
road garage building. Trucks rumbled up
and down First Avenue on one side, and
automobiles sped along the East River
Drive. Today, with the 39-story UN build-
ing rising high above the ground, the view
of the site has changed completely.
Initially New York was not even consid-
ered as the site for UN Headquarters.
Offers were received from several cities
in Europe and North America. There was
even a suggestion made that it should
be located on a ship which would sail
the seas constantly, a sort of permanent
cruise around the world.
UN Headquarters building

21. Before settling in its permanent home, the The site, 18 acres in size, is owned by the bly Building, the Library, an underground
Organization led a roving existence which United Nations and is international terri- 3-story printing plant and a cafeteria.
began in January 1946 when the first tory. On the site, the UN has its own fire There is also an underground garage on
session of the General Assembly opened and security forces, and its own US Gov- three levels, accommodating more than
in London. From there, the UN moved in ernment post office branch with a special 1,000 cars.
March 1946 to Hunter College in the Bronx, provision for UN stamps.
New York, and in August 1946 to the Sper- A team of 11 world-famous architects,
ry Gyroscope plant at Lake Success, New headed by Wallace K. Harrison (USA),
York. A few of the meetings of the Security designed the Headquarters build-
Council were held at the Henry Hudson ing. Originally, the designers wanted
Hotel on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan prior to to build a 45-story building at a cost of View of the site chosen for UN Headquarters,
the move to Lake Success. $85 million. The cost was later cut by taken from Tudor City at 41st Street looking north
On 10 December 1945, the US Congress $20 million and the size was reduced to to 48th street, October 1949.
invited the United Nations to establish its 39 stories. The cornerstone of the building
permanent home in the United States. The was laid on 24 October 1949. Nineteen
decision to accept the invitation was made months later, on 21 August 1951, the
in London on 14 February 1946 during the Secretariat staff began moving into their
first session of the General Assembly. The new offices.
Assembly also accepted an offer of $8.5 UN Headquarters has several inter-
million by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., for the connected buildings: the Secretariat Build-
purchase of the present site. Concurrently ing, the Conference Building (consisting of
with the Rockefeller gift, the City of New the Council Chambers, conference rooms
York offered certain land within and adja- and dining facilities), the General Assem-
cent to the site.

22. 22
Peace is not just a dream
UN peacekeepers with their blue
helmets are the most visible sym-
bols of the UN’s peace efforts. In 2005, the International Atomic Energy
Agency and its Director General Mohamed
The peacekeepers, soldiers drawn
ElBaradei were awarded the Nobel Peace
voluntarily from various national
Prize. This was the ninth time the UN was
armies, fulfil the role of an impar-
honoured by the Nobel Committee with the
tial third party. They help create
peace award. Previous winners were: UN
and maintain a ceasefire and form and Kofi Annan (2001), UN Peacekeeping
a buffer zone between parties in Forces (1988), UN High Commissioner
conflict. Their presence helps make for Refugees (1954 & 1981), International
the search for peaceful settlement Labour Organization (1969), UN Children’s
of conflict through diplomatic chan- Fund (1965), Dag Hammarskjöld (1961)
Seventh UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the President of
nels possible. As peacekeepers and Ralph Bunche (1950).
the 56th Session of the UN General Assembly, Han Seung-soo,
receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on 10 December 2001.
maintain peace on the ground,
mediators from the United Nations rity. Peacekeepers are increasingly
meet with leaders from the disput- involved with assisting in political pro-
ing parties or countries and try to cesses, reforming justice systems,
reach a peaceful solution. training law-enforcement and police
Modern-day peacekeeping is more forces, disarming former combatants
than maintaining peace and secu- and clearing land mines.

23. “I believe that life is precious and must be
protected and respected, and that all human
beings have the right to live in dignity.”
— Ban Ki-moon
UN Secretary-General
Weapons being burned during the official launch of the disarma-
ment, demobilization and rehabilitation process in Muramvya, Burundi.
Members of the Burundian military signed up voluntarily to be disarmed
under the auspices of UN peacekeepers and observers.
UN peacekeepers assist a school in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti.
They deliver milk, rice, flour and tea to hundreds of students.

24. Between 1945 and 2006, UN peace- Afghan refugees in Chaman
24 keepers undertook 61 field missions Camp, a Pakistani border town.
and participated in the implementa- Children make up a large per-
centage of the population at
tion of 172 peaceful settlements
several such camps.
that ended regional conflicts, and
enabled people in more than 45
countries to take part in free and fair
elections. A total of 108 countries
have contributed military and police
personnel to UN peacekeeping.
Peacekeeping throughout the world
UN peace operations are less
expensive than other forms of inter-
national interventions. At the start On Information Campaign Day,
of 2007, there were almost 92,200 young Sudanese children wait
personnel serving in 18 UN peace- for the go-ahead to pick up
keeping operations on four con- information leaflets printed in
both Arabic and English as
tinents in ten time zones, directly
part of the Sudan Information
impacting the lives of hundreds of
Campaign for Returnees, facili-
millions of people. The approved
tated by UN agencies and non-
peacekeeping budget up to June governmental organizations,
2007 was approximately $4.75 bil- at the Hey Al Baraka camp for
lion, representing less than 0.5% of internally displaced persons, in
global military spending. Khartoum, Sudan.

25. Patrolling vehicles attached to the UN Interim
Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) get a friendly smile
from Lebanese youngsters near As Siddiqin.
A woman from Macamba province, Burundi, casts
a ballot in the national referendum on the draft of a
post-transition constitution, marking the first step in A UN peacekeeping soldier is accompanied by a group of local children as
the electoral process to form a new government. he conducts a security patrol in East Timor.

26. When in 1948 the United Nations adopted
26 the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
it set a common standard of human rights
for all nations. By this Declaration, Gov-
ernments are expected to accept their
obligation to ensure that all human beings,
Human rights for everyone
rich and poor, strong and weak, male
and female, of all races and religions, are
treated equally. The 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child has
so far been ratified by 191 countries – more than any
Since then, the UN has adopted numerous
other international treaty. This landmark human rights
international treaties on human rights, cov-
treaty affirms that every child has the inherent right to
ering such issues as women’s rights, racial life. It requires countries to apply its provisions to each
discrimination and children’s rights. When child without discrimination of any kind.
Governments become parties to these trea-
ties, they accept an obligation to honour
them. When violations occur, specially cre-
ated treaty bodies review them and make
recommendations to rectify the situation.
The UN can also censure a country for not
honouring its obligations under an interna-
tional human rights treaty.

27. Photos: UNICEF
The Human Rights Council established in June
2006 is the primary global forum for dialogue and
cooperation on human rights. A subsidiary of the
General Assembly, it is directly accountable to the
full membership of the Organization and is adminis-
One in every six persons in the world is illiterate. Nearly two thirds of them are women. More than 70 per
tered by the United Nations High Commissioner for
cent of the world’s poor are women. They also receive lower wages — sometimes as little as one fourth Human Rights. Promoting respect for human rights is
those of men. In 1979, the United Nations adopted the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of increasingly central to UN development assistance.
Discrimination against Women. More than 150 countries have recognized this treaty and over 100 coun- In particular, the right to development is seen as
tries have reported progress towards women’s equality. part of a dynamic process which integrates civil,
economic, political and social rights, and by which
the well-being of individuals in a society is improved.
Key to the enjoyment of the right to development is
the eradication of poverty, a major UN goal.

28. About 1.3 billion people in the world training and opportunities to sustain
28 now live in absolute poverty — earn- livelihoods. Lasting world peace cannot
ing less than $1 a day. These people be achieved until social and economic
often don’t have access to the funda- development for all is achieved. The
mentals of a decent life — sufficient United Nations devotes more than 80
food, safe water, reliable health care, per cent of its resources to achieve
adequate shelter, and basic education, this goal.
Development is another name for peace
Environmental degradation knows no At the Millennium Summit in September
national boundaries. Sulphur emis- 2000, the largest gathering of world lead-
sions in one country cause acid rain ers in history adopted the UN Millennium
in another downwind. Depletion of the Declaration, committing their nations
ozone layer from chlorofluorocarbons to a new global partnership to reduce
(CFCs) used in one nation can lead to
extreme poverty and setting out a series
skin cancer on the opposite side of the
of time-bound targets known as the
world. The United Nations, by bringing
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Governments together to prevent cli-
mate change, air and water pollution, The MDGs are the world's targets for
extinction of species and many other addressing extreme poverty in its many
problems, is helping to protect the dimensions – income poverty, hunger, dis-
environment. At the Earth Summit, ease, lack of adequate shelter, and exclu-
the UN Conference on Environment sion – while promoting gender equality,
and Development, held in Rio de
education, and environmental sustainabil-
Janeiro in 1992, government leaders
ity. They are also goals for basic human
adopted Agenda 21, a global plan for
rights – the rights of each person to health,
sustainable development.
education, shelter and security.

29. Millennium Development Goals
Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
By 2015, reduce by half the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day.
By 2015, reduce by half the proportion of people who suffer from hunger.
Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education
By 2015, ensure a full course of primary schooling for boys and girls alike.
Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women
By 2005, eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education; and at
all levels of education no later than 2015.
Goal 4: Reduce child mortality
By 2015, reduce by two-thirds the number of children dying under the age of
five.
Goal 5: Improve maternal health
By 2015, reduce by three quarters the number of women dying from complica-
tions of pregnancy and childbirth.
Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
By 2015, halt and begin to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS.
By 2015, halt and begin to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major
diseases.
Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability
Reverse the loss of environmental resources.
By 2015, halve the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe
drinking-water.
By 2020, achieve significant improvement in the lives of at least 100 million
slum dwellers.
Safe drinking water is a basic prerequisite for healthy life, yet over 1.1 billion
Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development
people in developing countries do not have access to it. In December 2003, the Address the special needs of the least developed countries, landlocked coun-
General Assembly proclaimed the years 2005 to 2015 as the International Decade tries and small island developing States.
for Action: 'Water for Life'. The primary goal of the 'Water for Life' decade is to pro- Deal comprehensively with the debt problems of developing countries through
national and international measures in order to make debt sustainable in the
mote efforts to fulfill international commitments as stated in the MDGs, to reduce long term.
by half the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and to stop In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new tech-
nologies, especially information and communications technologies.
unsustainable exploitation of water resources.

30. 30
Come to the United Nations, it’s your world
United Nations Headquarters is one of
the most popular tourist attractions in
New York. Over a million people visit the
building every year; about half of them
take guided tours offered by the United
Nations.
You can take a guided tour of the United
Nations in as many as 20 languages.
Led by an international staff, the tour will
take you to the main conference rooms
where nations meet and discuss mat-
ters of global interest. On most tours,
you will be able to see the General
Assembly and, if no meeting is in prog-
ress, the Security Council. You will also
see objects of interest and works of art
donated by Member States.

32. Group tours: Groups of 12 or more Parking: Nearest public parking is avail-
should make reservations for their tours in able on 43rd and 44th Streets, between
advance. For reservations and information, Second and Third Avenues.
please write to: Guided Tour Reservations,
Room GA-63, United Nations, New York, Wheelchair access: The UN building is
NY 10017; or call: (212) 963-4440; or fax: accessible to the handicapped.
(212) 963-0071; or email unitg@un.org. Wheelchairs are also available during
guided tours.
General information on guided tours
Hours: English tours leave daily about Special briefings: Special briefings by Public information: For inquiries
every 20 minutes, from 9:30 a.m. to UN Secretariat staff can be arranged for and information on any aspect of the
4:45 p.m. (closed weekends in January groups of 20 or more, free of charge. UN’s work, please contact the Public
and February). Opening hours are Arrangements should be made in advance Inquiries Unit, Room GA-57, United
subject to change. For information by writing to: Group Programmes Unit, Nations, New York, NY 10017; or call
call (212) 963-TOUR (-8687) or visit: Room GA-61, United Nations, New York, (212) 963-4475; or fax (212) 963-0071.
www.un.org/tours. NY 10017; or calling (212) 963-7710, E-mail: inquiries@un.org
Monday through Friday. Internet: www.un.org/geninfo/faq
Admissions: For current rates please
contact the Guided Tours at (212) 963- Gift centre: A gift centre located in the
8687. Children under five years of age public concourse is open seven days a
are not admitted on tours. week. It carries a variety of souvenirs,
including UN memorabilia and gifts from
around the world. For information, call
(212) 963-7700.
07-26301 — DPI/1938.Rev 4 — May 2007— 15,000
Produced by the Department of Public Information, United Nations, New York, NY 10017