Geneva, the European headquarters of the United Nations, is located in Switzerland.
The United Nations maintains a major European centre in Geneva at the Palais des Nations, or Palace of Nations. The complex was originally built for the League of Nations, the international organization founded after World War I, and later became an important United Nations venue after the UN was established in 1945.
Geneva's international role extends well beyond the UN headquarters. The city hosts offices and headquarters for organizations including the World Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. It is also home to major non-UN institutions such as the World Trade Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
A frequent mix-up is assuming New York is the only UN headquarters location. New York is the UN's principal headquarters, while Geneva is its main European headquarters. Geneva is in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, close to the country's border with France.