UN chief says UN headquarters not to be moved from New York
Russian officials have previously noted that the United States is abusing its obligations as a host country by denying visas to representatives or officials attending international events at UN sites.
There is no chance that the United Nations headquarters can be moved from New York to any other city, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said.
“Well, the headquarters in New York, something that was decided by member states in San Francisco (at the 1945 conference), and I don’t think that there is a chance to change the charter in relation to that point,” he said when asked by a journalist that moving the HQ from one of the world’s most expensive megacities would help save millions of dollars to donate them to those in need.
Russian officials have earlier pointed out that the United States abuses its commitments as the host country by denying visas to representatives or officials attending international events on the UN platform.
In 1946, New York was officially selected as the seat of the UN Headquarters. The issues of the UN Headquarters in the United States are regulated by the agreement between the world organization and Washington, which was approved by the UN General Assembly on October 31, 1947. Under the document, the district where UN agencies sit is an international area belonging to all Member States.
The US authorities cannot impose any impediments to transit to or from the headquarters district of representatives or officials traveling officially to UN events.
Among them are representatives or officials of UN member states or specialized agencies, experts performing missions for the United Nations, journalists who have been accredited by the UN and representatives of nongovernmental organizations recognized by the UN for the purpose of consultation.
The United States is legally obliged to grant visas to such individuals “without charge and as promptly as possible.”.
