Europe and Central Asia

Europe and Central Asia

 

The main centres of United Nations activity in Europe and Central Asia are Geneva, Switzerland, Vienna, Austria and The Hague in the Netherlands. Geneva is home to the UN Office at Geneva (UNOG) and the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE). Vienna is home to the UN Office in Vienna (UNOV). The Hague is the seat of the International Court of Justice.  There are also many regional and country offices of UN system entities, and UN political offices in Europe and Central Asia.
 

 

UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
An aerial view of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), Switzerland.

UN Office at Geneva (UNOG)

The UN Office in Geneva located in Geneva, Switzerland, serves as the representative office of the Secretary-General at Geneva. It is a focal point for multilateral diplomacy, and services more than 8,000 meetings every year, making it one of the busiest conference centres in the world. With more than 1,600 staff, it is the biggest duty station outside of United Nations Headquarters in New York.  There are many UN system entities with a presence in Geneva.

UN Office in Vienna (UNOV)

The UN Office in Vienna performs representation and liaison functions with permanent missions to the United Nations (Vienna), the host Government and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in Vienna. There are many UN system entities with a presence in Vienna.

The Hague, International City of Peace and Justice

The Hague is the International City of Peace and Justice. There are 160 international organisations in The Hague, employing around 14,000 people dedicated to the cause of world peace. The seat of the International Court of Justice is at the Peace Palace in The Hague. Of the six principal organs of the United Nations, it is the only one not located in New York.

Economic Commission for Europe (ECE)

The major aim of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), which has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, is to promote pan-European economic integration. To do so, it brings together 56 countries that are part of the European Union, non-EU Western and Eastern Europe, South-East Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and North America. All these countries dialogue and cooperate under the aegis of UNECE on economic and sectoral issues. However, all interested United Nations member States may participate in the work of UNECE. Over 70 international professional organizations and other non-governmental organizations take part in UNECE activities.

UN Peacekeeping Operations in Europe and Central Asia

United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)

Secretary-General

The Secretary-General of the United Nations has Special and Personal Representatives, Envoys and Advisers in the European region.

Department of Political Affairs (DPA)

The UN’s Department of Political Affairs works in the European region.

Department of Public Information (DPI)

There are UN Information Centres in the Europe and CIS region.

UN System Offices in Europe

United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

UNDP works in countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)

UNICEF works in countries in Central and Eastern Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

UNFPA has country offices in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)

UNHCR works in Eastern Europe, South-Eastern Europe, and Northern, Western, Central and Southern Europe.

World Health Organization (WHO)

WHO Headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. WHO has a regional office for Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark and country offices in Europe.

Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)

UNAIDS works in countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

International Labour Organization (ILO)

ILO Headquarters is in Geneva Switzerland. The ILO gives support through its Decent Work Technical Support Team and Country Offices for Central and Eastern Europe in Budapest, and Eastern Europe and Central Asia in Moscow. There is an ILO Office for the European Union and the Benelux, and offices in Paris, France, Berlin, Germany, Rome, Italy (for Italy and San Marino), Lisbon, Portugal, Madrid, Spain and Ankara, Turkey. There are national coordinators for Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Tajikistan and Ukraine.

UN Women

UN Women has a regional office for Europe and Central Asia, and country offices.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

UNIDO Headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.  UNIDO also has several liaison and country offices, desks and focal points for Europe and the Newly Independent States.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

UNESCO Headquarters is in Paris, France.  UNESCO also has offices in Europe.

Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

OHCHR has a Regional Office for Europe in Belgium, and a Regional Office for Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

OCHA has an office in Geneva, Switzerland, covering Europe and Central Asia. OCHA also has a Liaison Office in Brussels, Belgium.  The OCHA Regional Office for the Caucasus and Central Asia (ROCCA) is based in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

UNODC Headquarters is in Vienna.  The UNODC Regional Office for the Caucasus and Central Asia is in Kazakhstan.

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

The UNOPS headquarters is located in Copenhagen, Denmark, along with its Asia, Europe and the Middle East Regional Office and Global Portfolio Services Office.  It also has country offices in Kosovo and Serbia.

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

FAO Headquarters is in Rome, Italy. The FAO Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia is in Budapest Hungary. 

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

IFAD Headquarters is in Rome, Italy.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

IAEA Headquarters is in Vienna, Austria.

World Bank

The World Bank has an office in Brussels. It works in Western Europe and Europe and Central Asia.

International Monetary Fund (IMF)

The IMF has a Regional Office for Central and Eastern Europe in Warsaw, Poland. and a Europe Office in Paris and Brussels.

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

The ICAO European and North Atlantic Office is in Paris, France.

International Maritime Organization (IMO)

IMO Headquarters is located in London, United Kingdom.

International Telecommunications Union (ITU)

The ITU Regional Office for Europe is in Geneva.  It provides assistance to the ITU Member States of the Region.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

WIPO Headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland.

United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)

The UN-Habitat Office for Liaison with European Institutions is in Brussels, Belgium.