We have all seen the United Nations Headquarters building in New York on TV news reports. This is a very recognizable river front iconic building especially when the flags are flying at the front. You will find it on the east river bank of Manhattan between the roads E 42nd and E 48th with 1st Ave.

In 1946, the United Nations organization was looking for the ideal site to locate their new headquarters in New York. The original plan was to use the grounds of the 1939 World Fair in Flushing Meadow Park in Queens. But when a project known as X-City on Manhattan's eastern border failed to materialize, John D. Rockefeller Jr. bought the 18 acre plot and donated it to United Nations which was a very generous public spirited thing to do. This site was then used to construct the UN building. What is really unusual is that the whole area was converted legally into international territory and officially is not part of the United States.

The design for the United Nations complex was drawn up in something called 'international style' that was meant to symbolized a new start after the Second World War. The tower block just looks like a yet another skyscraper to me but then I have not taken a degree in architecture

The United Nations Building complex was finished in 1952. There are four main buildings: the General Assembly building, the Conference Building, the tower block is called the Secretariat building, and the Dag Hammarskjold Library (added in 1961).

The green glass-curtain Secretariat administration 39 story, 544 ft (166m) tower skyscraper contrasts starkly with the 1920s buildings of New York Tudor City nearby. It dwarfs the adjacent five stories General Assembly building which actually the most important part of the complex.

The General Assembly Hall is the largest room in the United Nations, with seating capacity for over 1,800 people. The design of the room was a collaborative effort by the team of 11 architects that designed Headquarters, and to emphasize the international character of the room it contains no gift from any Member State. The only gift in the General Assembly is anonymous: two abstract murals on each side of the Hall - designed by the French artist Fernand Leger - were given by an unnamed donor through the United Nations Association of the United States.

The General Assembly Hall is the only conference room at the United Nations containing the UN emblem. The emblem consists of a map of the world, as seen from above the North Pole, flanked by olive wreaths as a symbol of peace. This is where all 191 Member States can gather to discuss the pressing problems of our times, most of which involve many countries or continents and therefore require international cooperation. The General Assembly is not a world government - its resolutions are not legally binding upon Member States. However, through its recommendations it can focus world attention on important issues, generate international cooperation and, in some cases, its decisions can lead to legally binding treaties and conventions.

The conference building behind the Secretariat and General assembly buildings houses the security Council and the Economic and Social Council. The Security Council Chamber was a gift from Norway, designed by the Norwegian architect Arnstein Arneberg.

A central feature of the Security Council Chamber is the oil canvas mural painted by the Norwegian artist Per Krogh. It depicts a phoenix rising from its ashes, as a symbol of the world being rebuilt after the Second World War. Above the dark sinister colours at the bottom different images in bright colours symbolizing the hope for a better future are depicted. Equality is symbolized by a group of people weighing out grain for all to share.

The blue and gold silk tapestry on the walls and in the draperies by the East River windows features the anchor of faith, the growing wheat of hope, and the heart of charity. The Charter gives the Security Council the main responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. As the "emergency room" of the UN, it has to be ready to meet at any time if there is a threat to peace.

The Dag Hammarskjold Library was dedicated on 16 November 1961 in honour of the late Secretary-General. The Library building, a gift from the Ford Foundation, adjoins the Secretariat at the south-west corner of the Headquarters site. The Dag Hammarskjold Library is intended primarily for the use of Secretariat staff, delegations to the United Nations, members of permanent missions and other official users.

The Park adjacent to the United Nations complex is a small public park bordering the East River. It is littered with artwork donated by many countries, including the 'Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares' by Evgeniy Vuchetich, donated by the Soviet Union in 1959 and a piece of the Berlin Wall.

Along First Avenue in front of the United Nations Headquarters is a display of flags from all 192 UN member states, plus the United Nations flag,. It starts with Afghanistan at 48th street and ends with Zimbabwe at 42nd street.

English and French are the working languages of the United Nations Secretariat; most of the daily communication within secretariat and most of the signs in the UN headquarters building are in French and English. The currency in use at the United Nations headquarters' businesses is the U.S. dollar. , French and Spanish are the working languages of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); and Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish are working and official languages of the General Assembly.

Tourists can go on guided tours of the United Nations. They operate daily Monday - Friday 9:45 am to 4:45 pm from the General Assembly Public Lobby. An international staff explains the work of the United Nations and its related organizations, while taking visitors to some of the main Council Chambers and the General Assembly Hall. The tour also features art and other objects of interest donated by Member States. A limited schedule may be in effect during the general debate of the General Assembly (mid-September to mid-October), between Christmas and New Year and during special conferences and events. Children under five years of age are not permitted on tour. The United Nations postal counter - where visitors can buy UN stamps - a UN book store, gift shops, and a coffee shop are also located in the public concourse.

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