United Nations Office in Geneva

The Palais des Nations is home to the United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG), which acts as the Secretary-General’s regional office in Switzerland. UNOG is one of the busiest conference centres in the world, serving more than 8,000 events annually and serving as a hub for multilateral diplomacy. It is the largest duty station outside of New York City, with about 1,600 employees.

All year long, you can take a guided tour in one of 14 languages. There are numerous works of art at the Palais that you will get to see on the lecture tour. The goals and methods of the United Nations will be explained to you as well.

United Nations Office in Geneva facts and figures

🏛️ General Info

• Name: United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG)

• Established: 1946 (took over the former League of Nations headquarters)

• Location: Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland

• Function: Second-largest UN office after New York; handles diplomacy, human rights, disarmament, and humanitarian issues

📍 Location & Site

• City: Geneva, Switzerland

• Address: Palais des Nations, Avenue de la Paix 14, 1211 Geneva

• Park: Located in Ariana Park, overlooking Lake Geneva

• Size of Site: ~45 hectares (about 110 acres)

• Buildings: 34 conference rooms and over 2,800 offices

👥 People & Delegates

• UN Staff in Geneva: Around 1,600 UN employees (not including other UN agencies based in Geneva)

• Total in International Geneva: Over 10,000 staff from UN and other international organizations

• Annual Visitors: ~100,000 per year (pre-COVID), including guided tours

🕊️ Key Roles & Responsibilities

• Main Areas of Work:

  • Human rights (with OHCHR based in Geneva)

  • Disarmament

  • Humanitarian affairs

  • International law

  • Trade and development

  • Health (WHO is also headquartered in Geneva)

• Supports: Over 8,000 meetings annually

• Conference Services: Provides translation, documentation, interpretation for meetings in 6 official UN languages

🌍 Other UN Agencies Based in Geneva

• World Health Organization (WHO)

• Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

• International Labour Organization (ILO)

• UNHCR, UNCTAD, WIPO, ITU, and more

🏛️ Palais des Nations Highlights

• Constructed: Between 1929 and 1938 (originally for the League of Nations)

• Expansion: Several buildings added post-WWII

• Iconic Sites:

  • Assembly Hall

  • Council Chamber (murals by José Maria Sert)

  • “Broken Chair” monument outside the entrance (symbolizing opposition to landmines)

📢 Fun Fact

• The UNOG handles more than 50% of all UN conferences and meetings globally, making it a major diplomatic hub.

The UN Office in Geneva plays a critical role in international diplomacy, human rights advocacy, and multilateral cooperation—right from the heart of one of the world’s most neutral and peace-focused cities.