POLITICS: A Crumbling UN Plans a Billion Dollar Facelift

By Thalif Deen Reprint | | Print |

Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 26 2000 (IPS) - The 39-storeyed UN headquarters building in New York – described as the “glass house by the east river” – is in danger of falling apart.

The 50-year old historical landmark building – whose dome nearly crumbled last year – has been declared all but unfit for human habitation.

Joseph Connor, Under-Secretary-General for Management, told reporters Tuesday the United Nations has no choice but to undertake a major refurbishment programme costing a hefty 964 million dollars.

The building complex, which has been deemed a health and an environmental hazard, is in “dire need” of refurbishment, if it is to serve the needs of the 188 member states, he said.

Connor said the UN has developed a long-term Capital Master Plan which will be submitted to the General Assembly later this year for approval.

A review of the physical state of the building has revealed major deficiencies: asbestos contamination, soaked and spongy roofs, inefficient lighting, ineffective central cooling systems, and corroded piping causing major leaks.

The building, which holds privileged diplomatic status exempting it from New York city legal jurisdiction, does not even have a basic sprinkler system to fight fires.

According to the review, the building is also extremely energy inefficient: no automated heating and cooling control system, no automated ventilation fans, outdated equipment, 40-year-old motors and fans, and rusting railing supports. Connor said that if the present “reactive” approach of ad hoc repairs is continued it will cost over the next 25 years an estimated 1.1 billion dollars in emergency work and major construction, and an additional 490 million dollars in energy costs.

“Despite such significant expenditures, however, after 25 years of reactive repair, the buildings and systems would remain without the fundamental upgrades needed to meet codes and standards or drastically reduce energy costs,” he added.

The Department of Management has recommended a comprehensive six- year programme of refurbishment spelled out in the Capital Master Plan. If this Plan is approved, the construction work would be phased to allow the United Nations to continue functioning during the six years of refurbishment. The UN said that all meetings scheduled could be “juggled”, and some staff relocated to “swing space” under several possible options – from rental to new construction.

Besides basic infrastructure and code compliance, the Master Plan also identifies certain improvements which are long overdue. The UN is not only in need of conference space but also improvements to the public areas and guided tour routes, and consolidation of the technology service spaces.

The building, constructed between 1949 and 1952, was originally designed for 70 member states, and is now utilised by 188.

As an intergovernmental organisation, the UN will have to rely largely on its member states for the required funding. One of the funding options is a special assessment over six to eight years: a direct mandatory cash payment by member states.

However, consideration may also be given to spreading the cost over a 25-year period, either through interest-free loans from member states, or commercial borrowing through a “quasi-sovereign” bond issue, or a combination of both.

The headquarters complex, comprising some 2.7 million square feet on over 17 acres, has never received the fundamental upgrades to transform it from the energy-innocent 1940s to the modern concepts of energy conservation.

Following a gift of 8.5 million dollars (72.6 million dollars in year 2000 dollars) from John D. Rockefeller, a US philanthropist, the General Assembly decided in 1946 to locate the UN headquarters in New York.

In 1948, the host country provided a 31-year interest-free loan of 65 million dollars (449 million dollars today), which was repaid from the UN’s regular budget from 1951 to 1982.

Both the host city, New York, and the United States also made in- kind contributions to the United Nations. In 1961, the Dag Hammarskjold Library was constructed within the UN precincts at a cost of 6.7 million dollars (37.3 million dollars today) as a gift from the Ford Foundation.

One of the major renovations was in 1976 when the General Assembly approved a 55 million dollar (161 million dollars today) expansion programme, funded from the regular budget, for the reconfiguration of conference rooms and the construction of a South Annex and a North Lawn. By then, there were only 147 member states.