New construction and major alterations to existing premises at United Nations Headquarters

XXIV. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED ON THE REPORTS OF THE FIFTH COMMITTEE
2618. New construction and major alterations to existing premises at United Nations Headquarters

The General Assembly, Recalling its resolution 2487 (XXIII) of 21 December 1968 entitled "Proposed new construction and major alterations to existing premises at United Nations Headquarters", in which it authorized the Secretary-General to proceed, at an estimated cost to the United Nations of $250,000 in 1969, with the preparation of detailed plans and specifications on which reliable cost estimates could be based, Noting the subsequent report of the Secretary-General[1] and the report of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions[2] on proposed new construction and major alteration to existing premises at United Nations Headquarters, Recognizing that there is currently an acute space shortage at Headquarters, as well as at many other major United Nations locations, and that the existing circumstances preclude any immediate relief except through new construction, Convinced that the assistance of the host country is urgently needed to help resolve the considerable difficulties which exist for delegations and staff in New York in acquiring and retaining suitable and moderately priced office and residential accommodation in convenient locations, Aware that many factors must be considered in determining the optimum locations at which additional construction should be undertaken, including the interrelationships between the organizational units of the United Nations, inflationary pressures, including cost of living factors, and the like, Convinced also that all the possibilities of relocating units of the United Nations now or in the near future, in the context of the existing need to build at all major United Nations locations, have not yet bee fully explored, Expressing its appreciation to those other source that have indicated or may indicate a willingness t bear a substantial cost of the proposed Headquarter construction, Welcoming the assurances given by the Government of the United States of America, as the host country of the United Nations Headquarters, that it will immediately seek accession to the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations,

1. Decides to authorize the Secretary-General to proceed with the execution of the Headquarters project on the basis set forth in paragraph 26 of his re port,[3] taking into account the related observation and recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions in its report

2. Further decides that the United Nations budgetary appropriations for the purpose of the Headquarter project should not in any circumstances exceed $25 mil. lion, to be spread over a period of ten years beginning in 1971;

3. Notes with interest the report of the Secretary General[4] on space requirements and development over the next twenty years, and requests the Secretary General to undertake a further study of the optimum distribution of Secretariat functions between United Nations Headquarters in New York, the United Nation Office at Geneva and any other location which may be appropriate, bearing in mind not only the construction projects in progress or envisaged, but all other pertinent factors as well, and requests him to submit the study to the General Assembly at its twenty-sixth session;

4. Requests the Secretary-General to undertake a systematic inquiry into the possibility and desirability of relocating all or part of certain units of the United Nations, bearing in mind the efficiency of the operations of the Secretariat, and for this purpose to employ the early years of the coming decade, in effective consultation with the appropriate government authorities, in choosing potential locations for United Nations units other than in already established major United Nations centres;

5. Decides accordingly that, before further construction beyond that authorized by this and prior decisions of the General Assembly takes place in New York or Geneva, a full inquiry shall be made into the possibility and desirability of relocating units elsewhere;

6. Urges the host country to undertake an examination of those conditions which adversely affect the delegations and staff of the United Nations in New York and to consider taking all the necessary measures to alleviate the effect of such conditions;

7. Requests the Secretary-General to reconstitute and convene on a regular basis the Informal Joint Committee on Host Country Relations, so that there will be a continuous interchange of views and exploration of problems between the diplomatic community, the Secretariat and the Government of the host country on matters of mutual interest, and to report the results thereof to the General Assembly at its twenty-fifth session and annually thereafter;

8. Requests the Secretary-General to report to the General Assembly, at the beginning of its twenty-fifth session, on all developments in connexion with the present resolution.

1837th plenary meeting,
17 December 1969.


[1] Ibid., documents A/C.5/1246 and Add.1. [2] Ibid., document A/7835. [3] Ibid., document A/C.5/1246. [4] Ibid., document A/C.5/1263.
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