Nairobi will join New York, Geneva and Vienna as one of only four cities worldwide hosting multiple UN headquarters.
Early this year, the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, announced plans to relocate at least three agency headquarters from New York to Nairobi, Kenya.
The United Nations complex in Gigiri, Nairobi, is already undergoing extensive infrastructure improvements as the city prepares to accommodate additional UN agencies by 2026.
These include the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). This relocation is part of a broader UN reform initiative focused on decentralization and cost-effectiveness. Nairobi will join New York, Geneva, and Vienna as one of only four cities globally hosting multiple UN headquarters.
Already Nairobi is home to the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), which is one of the four main UN headquarters locations. Additionally, Nairobi hosts the global headquarters of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Several other UN agencies and regional offices also have a presence in Nairobi, including UNICEF, UNDP, FAO, UNIDO, ILO, ICAO, UNESCO, and others.
Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, hosts the most UN headquarters and offices in Africa. The United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) serves as the UN’s headquarters in Africa and is one of four main UN secretariat duty stations. It provides support to several UN agencies, including UNEP and UN-HABITAT. Nairobi also hosts 23 country offices and several regional hubs.