Video: 'Behind the scenes of the UN General Assembly'

(Monday, January 8, 1951) — The $65 million Headquarters of the United Nations, an intergovernmental organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation and be a center for harmonizing the actions of nations, officially opened today in New York City.

The headquarters, located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, holds the seats of the principal organs of the UN, including the General Assembly and the Security Council, but excluding the International Court of Justice, which is seated in the Hague.

None of the United Nations’ 15 specialized agencies (such as UNESCO) are located at the headquarters. However, some “autonomous subsidiary organs,” such as UNICEF, have their headquarters at the UNHQ.