Headquarters of the UN in Europe - Geneva

The office of the United Nations in Geneva is the European headquarters of the UN, the other headquarters being in New York. The building complex, called the Palais des Nations, houses the UN Human Rights Council as well as the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, among other agencies.

The Palais des Nations, the Völkerbund (League of Nations) Palace, is located in the midst of the Ariana Park, on the banks of Lake Geneva. The palace, which was built in the 1930s, was the main headquarters of the League of Nations (Völkerbund) until 1946.

The building has housed the European headquarters of the UN since 1966 and is thus international territory. The palace, which has been extended to a length of 600 meters through several upgrades, contains 34 conference rooms and about 2,800 offices.

Over 8,000 meetings of nations take place here every year - of these meetings about 600 are larger conventions. Individual sections are open to the public - such as the Consultation Hall, which is decorated with magnificent frescos or the large Assembly Hall, which is even larger than the Paris Opera House.

Information

Guided Tour of UN Palais des Nations
Guided tours (1 hour) are available upon request in 12 languages. The tour includes: the Hall of Human Rights, the "Concourse", the Assembly Hall, the Council Chamber, a film presenting the activities and objectives of the United Nations Office at Geneva and the donations made to the institution of the UN from the various countries.
Number of participants: 20-140