GZERO World Clips
Explaining: the history of the UN headquarters

The History of the UN Headquarters | GZERO World

Before it became the headquarters of global cooperation, the site of the UN headquarters in New York was known for its foul smell. That's because slaughterhouses lined the block.
The UN buildings were designed by 11 architects and built in 1947 for the equivalent of $130.2 million in today's money. The territory belongs to no government, and it has its own police force, Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.
UN headquarters also features the famous Hall or Flags or the huge General Assembly Hall, where South Korean boy band BTS performed last year, and a first-rate art collection.
In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer addresses the killing of Alex Pretti at a protest in Minneapolis, calling it “a tipping point” in America’s increasingly volatile politics.
Who decides the boundaries for artificial intelligence, and how do governments ensure public trust? Speaking at the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Arancha González Laya, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs and former Foreign Minister of Spain, emphasized the importance of clear regulations to maintain trust in technology.
Will AI change the balance of power in the world? At the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Ian Bremmer addresses how artificial intelligence could redefine global politics, human behavior, and societal stability.
Ian Bremmer sits down with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb and the IMF’s Kristalina Georgieva on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum to discuss President Trump’s Greenland threats, the state of the global economy, and the future of the transatlantic relationship.