The laying of the foundation stone of the Palais des Nations as the headquarters of the League of Nations on 7 September 1929 was the beginning of the construction of a new multilateralism. The Palais des Nations was to be more than an architectural and artistic landmark. It was to become the embodiment of the collective aspirations of the international community for a more peaceful, more prosperous and more just world.

Our common heritage: our collective responsibility

The Palais des Nations ties together the lessons of the past, the efforts of today and the vision of a better tomorrow. It is an illustration that lasting results are built over time – through multilateral action, and with patience and persistence. UNOG is proud to hold this unique heritage in trust. The Palais des Nations belongs to the international community; it is a shared obligation to preserve it.

The Strategic Heritage Plan represents the foundation for a sustainable future for the Palais des Nations in the service of security, development and human rights for all.

Overview of the three-phase Strategic Heritage Plan:

Initial basic assessment of the type and scope of the challenges and terms of reference (TRs) for a larger study.

Based on the TRs of the foundational phase 1 study, a conceptual engineering and architectural study outlining the challenges, describing appropriate remedial action and likely time frames, providing possible options, with estimated costs (-/+ 20%) for Member States’ consideration.

The scope of the actual renovation will be determined on the basis of the outcome of the phase 2 engineering and architectural study, subsequent discussions among Member States of options and following the results of the individual Requests for Proposal to be launched.

1. Establishment of key performance objectives in terms of functionality of the premises, energy performance, quality of interior environment and security, as well as longevity and durability;
2. Identification of major operational issues and critical security risks and proposal of strategies to mitigate impact on operations;
3. Comprehensive, high-level assessment of the renovation, rehabilitation and restoration needs of the Palais des Nations;
4. Different options and technical alternatives;
5. Alternative concepts and implementation strategies to execute a renovation, rehabilitation and restoration programme at the Palais des Nations;
6. Recommendation of the concept deemed most appropriate for necessary renovation, rehabilitation and restoration works, including project priorities, high-level outline of a project plan with organization and management of the project, a provisional timeline and a rough order of magnitude of the possible project cost.