Housed at the Palais des Nations, the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) serves as the representative office of the Secretary-General at Geneva. A focal point for multilateral diplomacy, UNOG 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 stations outside of United Nations headquarters in New York.

Providing key infrastructure and support, UNOG contributes significantly to the Organization’s efforts to maintain international peace and security, to advance disarmament, to protect and promote human rights, to eradicate poverty, to implement sustainable development practices and to provide fast, effective humanitarian relief in emergencies – to mention just a few of the tasks. A large number of dignitaries and high-level delegations come to UNOG every year to participate in bilateral exchanges, intergovernmental meetings, conferences and other events, making UNOG a centre for information sharing and exchange.

UNOG performs representation and liaison functions with permanent missions, the host Government and other Governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, research and academic institutions at Geneva as well as other organizations of the United Nations common system at Geneva. UNOG also facilitates inter-agency cooperation and cooperation with regional organizations.

The Office provides financial and administrative support services to more than 20 Geneva-based organizations/departments as well as entities located in Bonn and Turin. It manages the United Nations facilities in Geneva and provides conference services for the United Nations meetings held at Geneva and at other locations as well as for specialized agencies under standing or special arrangements.

UNOG is also a centre for an on-going exchange among cultures through its Cultural Activities.

UNOG is headed by a Director-General at the level of Under-Secretary-General who is accountable directly to the Secretary-General.

 
The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) Library, previously the League of Nations Library, was founded in 1919 and became the United Nations Library at Geneva when the League’s assets were transferred to the United Nations in 1946. Its basic objective is to serve as a central Library for UNOG, the specialized agencies and other intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations headquartered in Geneva, for the Permanent Missions in Geneva, and for qualified external researchers.

Built "to serve as a centre of international research and an instrument of international understanding", the Library continues today to carry out its historic role thus keeping alive the visionary idea of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who in 1927, made an important donation to endow the League of Nations with a modern library suitable for the study of international relations.

By giving access to knowledge, the Library encourages better understanding between people of different origins and opinions. Its rich collections and archival funds provide a solid foundation for in-depth and comprehensive research in all areas of the United Nations’ work. The extensive collections of both print and non-print sources are continuously updated and expanded to ensure access to the latest data, research and analysis.

The Library also plays a unique role in helping the world remember, and learn from, the efforts of the United Nations and the League of Nations. Careful, select conservation of key documentation is central to the institutional memory of the Organization. The Archives section continues to collect UNOG archival material of historical value, and an elaborate programme for preservation of the valuable collections is under development.

The UNOG Library is part of a strong network of United Nations and UN system libraries, that share expertise, best practices and resources, and cooperate to ensure the best quality of products and services for their users.

These libraries have adapted to changes in the library work and profession to become important actors in the Organization’s information strategy. Their role is to provide access to information and ideas, serving as gateways to knowledge, thought and culture, thereby facilitating the decision-making process