User:Jesuiseduardo/sandbox/Agreement between the United Nations and the United States of America regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations

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UN-US Headquarters Agreement
Agreement between the United Nations and the United States of America regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations
TypeBilateral
ContextUnited Nations Headquarters
DraftedJune 1946
Signed26 June 1947 (1947-06-26)
LocationLake Success, New York, United States
Effective21 November 1947
ConditionExchange of notes between parties
Parties
Languages
Full text
UN-US Headquarters Agreement at Wikisource

The Agreement between the United Nations and the United States of America regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations is a bilateral agreement between the United Nations and the United States of Africa that governs their relationship concerning United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Background[edit]

After World War II, and the creation of the UN in mid to late 1945, there was considerable debate as to where the new organization would be headquartered. While the UN's predecessor, the League of Nations, was based in Geneva, Europe was in a state of disarray after the war, leading to concerns that the continent would not allow for a peaceful setting for the new organization. This disarray, however, could also used to justify a European headquarters, as the continent's pressing needs would require a strong presence in the area. Alternatively, the UN could also choose to locate its headquarters in another, more peaceful, location in North America, as such a site would not be mired by disillusions with the European-oriented League of Nations.[1][2]

After considerable debate, the executive committee of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations decided on 3 October 1945 that the UN's future headquarters would be located in the United States. Despite this, supporters of a European headquarters continued to lobby the Commission to opt for a site in Europe. On 10 December 1945, in an attempt to persuade the UN to locate its headquarters in the United States, a concurrent resolution was brought to the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives which proposed that the UN be "invited to locate the site of the United Nations Organization within the United States of America." This resolution passed the House unanimously and was sent to the U.S. Senate, which also passed it unanimously on 11 December. On 22 December 1945 the Preparatory Commission reaffirmed once more that the UN's headquarters would be located in the United States after supporters of a European headquarters forced open the topic again. The Commission's decision finally settled the debate on what country the new organization would be based in. However, since the Commission did not chose a host city, a fierce battle between cities in the United States erupted as they tried to persuade the UN to settle within their respective jurisdictions.[2][3][4]

As the Preparatory Commission began to hear proposals from cities hoping to host the UN, it created a new sub-committee, the Committee 8 (General Questions), to arrange the hearings. The Committee heard proposals from over three dozen cities, among these the most popular were San Francisco, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. San Francisco was favored by countries in Asia and the Pacific due to its closer proximity. The city had also left a positive impression on delegates to the San Francisco conference. On the other hand, countries in Europe preferred a site in New England or on the Atlantic seaboard, with a similar rational to the countries of Asia and the Pacific. After much deliberation, the Committee decide to set its sights on a site in New England or the upper mid-Atlantic in late December 1945. It also ruled out Philadelphia due its close proximity to Washington in an attempt to limit the influence of the U.S. Government.[2][5]

After Philadelphia was excluded, the Committee focused its attention on a possible site in either Boston or New York City. On 13 February 1946 the General Assembly finally authorized the Secretary-General to begin negotiations with United States authorities with the aim to establish the UN's headquarters in the United States. The Assembly also provided the Secretary-General with a draft of a possible agreement, as well as a ten member committee to assist in the negotiations. The following day the Assembly further decided that the permanent headquarters of the UN should be located in either Westchester County in New York or Fairfield County in Connecticut, i.e. "near to New York City." The Assembly also created a Headquarters Commission to study and make recommendations regarding a permanent location, as well as decided that interim headquarters should be located in New York City.[5][6][7]

While the Headquarters Commission went about its task to create proposals for the UN's permanent headquarters, the Secretary General worked to create temporary accommodation's for the UN's various bodies. On 25 February 1946, the Secretary General requested the use of three buildings at Bronx campus of Hunter College, now Lehman College, for meetings of the Economic and Social Council and the Security Council from 15 May, which the Mayor of New York City agree to. On 11 April 1946, the Mayor further offered the use of the City Building at Flushing Meadow, now the Queens Museum, for the use of the General Assembly if the UN agreed to relocate the Security Council and ECOSOC to the Sperry Corporation's plant at Lake Success, New York. The Secretary General agreed and the Security Council, ECOSOC an Secretariat would eventually move to the Lake Success site on 15 August, while the General Assembly continued to use the City Building.[8][9][10][11]


1945[edit]

  • 24 October: UN Founded

10 December: US Congress invites UN to set up HQ in US

  • Bids start from candidate cities

1946[edit]

  • 13 February: A/RES/22(I) B
    • GA authorizes SG to begin negotiations, with help of 10 member committee, with US to come to an agreement regarding the establishment of the seat of the UN in the US
    • Included draft resolution
  • 14 February: A/RES/25(I)
    • GA decides that HQ should be located in either Westchester and/or Fairfield county, i.e. near New York City
    • Creates Headquarters Commission to study and make recommendations to the GA regarding the location to be selected
    • States that interim HQ should be located in New York City
  • 25 February: SG requests use of Hunter College to house ECOSOC and SC
  • 11 April:
    • NYC Mayor offers City Building in Flushing Meadow available for GA; SG agrees
    • SG chose to move Secretariat, ECOSOC and SC to Sperry Plant at Lake Success
  • 15 April: SG sends letter to owner of Sperry Plant asking to lease it
  • 7 May: HQ Commission held its first meeting; would meet a total of 8 times
    • First tasks were: address housing problems concerning the interim site; conversion of the Sperry Plant.
    • After this began to plan its main task, a study of the Westchester-Fairfield area to find permanent HQ location
  • 15 August: Secretariat, ECOSOC and SC move to Lake Success
  • 10 December: John D. Rockefeller, Jr., writes letter stating he would donate $8.5 million to UN to allow it to buy land in NYC to build its HQ
  • 14 December: A/RES/99(I)
    • GA Decided to locate HQ in NYC
    • GA authorizes SG to begin negotiations to create HQ in NYC
    • Negotiations to be guided by the draft resolution
  • 14 December: A/RES/100(I)
    • Accepts Rockefeller offer
    • Requests SG to write report concerning plans and requirements for the HQ

1947[edit]

  • February: Negotiations between United Nations, United States and the City and State of New York resulted in agreement
  • 26 June: Text of an agreement between the United Nations and the United States was signed
  • 26 July: US Congress approves Agreement
  • 4 August: US President approves Agreement
  • 23 September: GA refers Agreement to C6
  • 23 October: C6 approves, moves out of committee and into plenary
  • 31 October: A/RES/169(II) A
    • GA approved HQ Agreement
    • GA authorizes SG to bring agreement into force
  • 21 November: Agreement enters into force


[12]

Key provisions[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Landes, Katherine (14 November 2016). "United Nations Headquarters". TLTC Blogs. Seton Hall University. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Mires, Charlene (March 2006). "The Lure of New England and the Search for the Capital of the World". The New England Quarterly. 79 (1): 37–64. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  3. ^ 1945 Congressional Record, Vol. 91, Page H11748 (December 10, 1945)
  4. ^ 1945 Congressional Record, Vol. 91, Page S11786 (December 11, 1945)
  5. ^ a b Atwater, Elton (April 1976). "Philadelphia's Quest to Become the Permanent Headquarters of the United Nations". The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. 100 (2): 243–257. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  6. ^ United Nations General Assembly Session 1 Resolution 22B. Resolution relating to negotiations with the competent authorities of the United States of America concerning the arrangements required as a result of the establishment of the seat of the United Nations in the United States of America, and text of a draft convention to be transmitted as a basis of discussion for these negotiations A/RES/22(I) 13 February 1946. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  7. ^ United Nations General Assembly Session 1 Resolution 25. Question of the Headquarters of the United Nations A/RES/25(I) 14 February 1946. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  8. ^ Yearbook of the United Nations: 1946 - 47. Lake Success: United Nations Department of Public Information. 1948. pp. 113–115, 250–251, 272–276.
  9. ^ "The Queens Museum – New York City Building". Queens Museum. Queens Museum. n.d. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Lehman's Historic Past". Lehman College. Lehman College. n.d. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  11. ^ Schifman, Jonathan (1 June 2017). "Did the United Nations really have headquarters on Long Island?". Newsday. Melville, New York. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
  12. ^ Yearbook of the United Nations: 1947 - 48. Lake Success: United Nations Department of Public Information. 1949. pp. 197–204.

External links[edit]


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