On a finger jutting out of the Nordhavn neighbourhood in Copenhagen, sits an island that’s technically not part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Divided by a moat from Marmorbyen, UN City is on international territory and houses 10 different UN agencies, making it the sixth largest UN campus by number of employees.
While it presents a cohesive front, the UN system is really a collection of more than a 100 commissions and councils (like the Human Rights Council), funds and programmes (like the Environment Programme), specialized agencies (like the World Health Organization), other offices and bodies (like the Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, known as UNRWA), and related organizations (like the International Criminal Court). And, yes, you may have seen these five pop up in the news more often since a certain president started his second term.
Offices for UN organizations are grouped into campus across 34 global cities, with the largest being in New York and Geneva. These UN campuses, including UN City in Copenhagen, house organizations of different sizes and mandates, encouraging cross-agency collaboration and knowledge sharing and bringing together experts from diverse fields.
Most UN staff in Denmark work out of Campus 1 on Marmorvej and Campus 2 on Oceanvej is the world’s largest humanitarian warehouse, with a footprint larger than 20,000 m2. Combined, the two campuses have over 2,000 employees from more than 100 countries, all paid in US dollars and not subject to Danish income tax (a side effect of not being on Danish soil and common for UN employees globally). While Campus 2 (more formally known as UNICEF’s Global Supply and Logistics Hub) is visible from Campus 1’s top-floor windows and roughly 1.5km as the crow flies, Nordhavn’s water-access-friendly configuration translates to a serpentine 50-minute walk between the two.
But the high level of automation at the UNICEF warehouse means there aren’t a lot of people going back and forth between Campus 1 and Campus 2. Robots (including one named Roberta and another called Robert) facilitate quick packing and dispersal of the more than 1,000 different items housed there, from school supplies and syringes to water drilling rigs and pharmaceuticals, along with sanitation, hygiene, medical supplies; food and vaccines are shipped directly from manufacturers. The warehouse’s placement close to international shipping lanes helps UNICEF make good on their aim to deliver goods within 72 hours of orders being placed
The UNICEF warehouse was a gift from the Danish government, but UN City’s Nordic location was motivated more by efficiency than philanthropy. In the early 2000s, Kofi Annan (UN Secretary-General from 1997 to 2006) called for the UN to ‘Deliver as One’, aiming to operate as a single body despite being spread across dozens of agencies. The idea for Copenhagen’s UN City was born in 2002, with agreement from all six Danish-based UN agencies at the time: the European Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF Supply Division, UN Development Programme (UNDP), UNOPS, the World Food Programme (WFP), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Since construction began in 2009, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), UN WOMEN, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and UN Migration (IOM) also opened Danish locations, bringing the total number of agencies in UN City to ten. UNOPS is the only one headquartered here and the WHO has the longest history in Denmark, having set up operations in 1957.
The expanded number of offices prompted a shift from the original five-pronged, hand-inspired outline to the current eight-pointed star layout. Designed by Danish architectural firm 3XN, UN City prioritizes sustainability, using 55% less energy than similarly sized office buildings. The building won an 2012 European Commission GreenBuilding Award thanks to environmentally friendly features like 1,400 m2 of solar panels, rainwater-capture flushed toilets, and indoor temperature regulation using cold seawater (although an external heating system was brought in last year to handle the chilly Scandinavian winters).
The water theme continues across the three interior lounges (named for the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans) and 91 meeting rooms labeled as rivers that flow into them (for instance, the Colorado, Mississippi, and Yangtze meeting rooms connect with the Pacific lounge).
When Ban Ki-moon (UN Secretary-General from 2007 to 2016) officially inaugurated the facilities in July 2013 (alongside Queen Margrethe II) he noted: “UN City is an example of how modern, energy-efficient offices can play their part in building the future we want”. The commitment to sustainability carries through to staff usage of the space. There’s a gym in the basement and a canteen that emphasizes local produce and minimizes food waste (sadly neither is open to the public). The elevators are tucked out of sight from the entrance, with the prominence of a glossy black staircase encouraging human-powered movement between the six floors. Nearby S-Tog, Metro, and bus stations and racks for nearly 800 bikes at ground level and in the basement promote sustainable transport.
Although it’s not technically part of the country, Copenhagen’s UN City has represented Danish values of sustainability, cooperation, and simple, functional design on a global stage for more than a decade. And, in case you’re wondering, yes, those Danish values do mean Friday bar! (Only for staff, of course.)
UN City hosts public events, tours, workshops, and other events, all of which require pre-registration and a security check (don’t forget your photo ID!). Find more information on their website or through Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X (formerly Twitter).
