The United Nations is the world’s most prominent international organization and has 193 member states. Its main headquarters in New York City house the General Assembly, the Secretariat, The International Court of Justice is another organ of the United Nations but has its main offices in The Hague.
The United Nations organization was founded in 1945 in the aftermath of World War II and in an attempt to provide a platform for international dialogue and peace. The United Nations are involved in many economic, social, and political matters and try to find practical solutions to international issues. It also addresses pressing problems going on both within nations and between nations.
When visiting New York City, you should make some time to visit the headquarters of the United Nations. There are daily guided tours available to the public from 9:45 am to 4:45 pm that depart every half an hour. Note that if you have small children under five, they will not be allowed to go on the tour. The tours last anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes and are offered in the six main languages of the United Nations; French, Arabic, English, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish. Tours in Italian, Japanese, Korean, and German are available upon request. Since the United Nations represents countries from all over the world, there are 24 multilingual tour guides from 20 different countries speaking 17 different languages. So no matter, where you’re from, you’re bound to feel right at home at the headquarters of the United Nations.
To get tickets for tours in English, you can go online to the United Nations Visitor’s Center website. Tours in all other languages must be purchased at the United Nations. If you want to take an audio tour in one of the United Nations’ official languages, you can also purchase tickets online. Audio tours are a great way to learn all about the United Nations and are conducted in groups of 15 with a group leader. They are available during the week but also Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 4:15 pm. If you have children ages 8 to 10, there are special family audio tours geared especially toward them.
After your tour of the United Nations is over, you should take home a souvenir from one of the organization’s excellent gift shops such as the UN Bookshop, the UNICEF gift shop, and the UN gift shop. If you get hungry, you can also get snacks, drinks, soups, and sandwiches from the on-site Coffee shop.