View source for Mission to the United Nations

{{Organization
|OrganizationName=Mission to the United Nations
|OrganizationType=Executive Departments (Sub-organization)
|Mission=To carry out the United States' participation in the United Nations by representing U.S. interests, facilitating policy execution, and advancing peace, security, and human rights globally.
|ParentOrganization=Department of State
|TopOrganization=Department of State
|CreationLegislation=United Nations Participation Act of 1945
|Employees=150
|OrganizationExecutive=United States Ambassador to the United Nations
|Services=Diplomatic representation; Advocacy; Negotiation; Policy formulation
|HeadquartersLocation=40.75082, -73.96891
|HeadquartersAddress=799 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, USA
|Website=https://usun.usmission.gov
}}
{{Short description|United States delegation}}

The '''United States Mission to the United Nations''' ('''USUN''') serves as the United States delegation to the [[United Nations]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://usun.usmission.gov/mission/|title=About the Mission|website=United States Mission to the United Nations|language=en-US|access-date=2019-08-19}}</ref> USUN is responsible for carrying out the nation's participation in the world body. In 1947, the United States Mission was created by an [[act of Congress]] to assist the [[President of the United States|President]] and the [[United States Department of State|Department of State]] in conducting United States policy at the United Nations. Since that time, USUN has served a vital role as the Department of State's UN branch. Today, USUN has approximately 150 people on staff who serve to represent the United States’ political, economic social, legal, military, public diplomacy, and management interests at the United Nations.

USUN is divided into the following sections: Executive; Washington; Political; Management and Reform; Economic and Social; Legal; Military Staff; Public Affairs; Host Country; Management; and Security.

The United States Mission to the United Nations is located at 799 United Nations Plaza (between East 44th and 45th streets on [[First Avenue (Manhattan)|First Avenue]]) across the street from [[United Nations Headquarters]].

==Leadership==
There are several major leadership roles in the U.S. Mission.<ref name="USUN">
   "Welcome to the United States Mission to the United Nations", 
   USUN.state.gov, March 2011, webpage:
   [http://usun.state.gov/about/c32913.htm state.gov-913] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110210212358/http://usun.state.gov/about/c32913.htm|date=2011-02-10}}.</ref> The primary role, [[United States Ambassador to the United Nations]], is the leader of the U.S. Mission to the United Nations.  The position is more formally known by the exact title:

[[UN Permanent Representative|Permanent Representative]] of the [[United States|United States of America]] to the [[United Nations]], with the rank and status of [[Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary]], and Representative of the United States of America in the [[United Nations Security Council|Security Council of the United Nations]].

The position is also known as simply the U.S. Permanent Representative, or "Perm Rep", to the United Nations.

The U.S. permanent representative, currently [[Linda Thomas-Greenfield]], is charged with representing the United States on the UN Security Council and during almost all plenary meetings of the [[United Nations General Assembly|General Assembly]], except in the rare situation in which a more senior officer of the United States (such as the [[United States Secretary of State|U.S. Secretary of State]] or the [[President of the United States]]) is present. Like all [[Ambassadors from the United States|United States ambassadors]], the U.S. Permanent Representative must be nominated by the U.S. [[President of the United States|president]] and [[advice and consent|confirmed]] by the [[United States Senate|Senate]].

Many prominent U.S. politicians and diplomats have held the post, including [[Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.]], [[Adlai Stevenson II|Adlai Stevenson]], [[George H. W. Bush]], [[Daniel Patrick Moynihan]], Dr. [[Jeane Kirkpatrick]], [[Richard Holbrooke]], Dr. [[Madeleine Albright]], [[Bill Richardson (politician)|Bill Richardson]] and [[John Danforth]].

It was a [[United States Cabinet|cabinet-level]] position under the [[Clinton administration]] and the [[Obama administration]], but no longer held that status under the [[First presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]]. It was returned to this position under the [[Biden Administration]]. It was not a cabinet-level position under George W. [[Presidency of George W. Bush|Bush administration]] (from 2001 to 2009).<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97661695&ft=1&f=1003|title = U.N. Envoy Nominee Rice Known As Smart, Tough |publisher = National Public Radio|date=December 1, 2008|last=Kelemen |first=Michele |quote=The head of the United Nations Foundation, a Washington-based advocacy group, released a statement praising Rice as well as Obama's decision to make the post of U.N. ambassador a Cabinet-level position once again — as it was during the Clinton years.|access-date=January 21, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Cooper|first=Helene|title=Clinton Decision Holding Up Other Obama Choices|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/us/politics/20Cooperweb.html|date=November 20, 2008|quote=Ms. Rice could get the post of United States ambassador to the United Nations, a cabinet-level position under President Clinton. President Bush downgraded the position when he came into office|access-date=February 9, 2009|work=The New York Times}}.</ref>

Additionally, there are four additional Representatives appointed by the President of the United States to serve on the United Nations General Assembly, two acting as Congressional Representatives to the United Nations and two Non-Congressional members. The Biden Administration has named [[Tom Carnahan]] and [[Sim Farar]] as Representatives of the United States to the General Assembly of the United Nations who are not members of Congress.<ref name="whitehouse.gov">{{Cite web|url=https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/09/13/president-biden-announces-representatives-for-the-united-nations-general-assembly/|title = President Biden Announces Representatives for the United Nations General Assembly|date = 13 September 2021}}</ref>

The other leadership roles are also known as UN ambassadors, but with specific titles related to which offices of the UN they handle.

==Congressional Representatives to the United Nations==
The U.S. president also appoints two members of Congress. Members are selected by the [[United States House of Representatives]] and/or [[United States Senate]] – one Democrat and one Republican from each chamber – as Congressional Representatives to the United Nations General Assembly. The position is regulated by Section 2(a) of the [[United Nations Participation Act]] (UNPA), which stipulates that the President can appoint no more than five members of Congress to the General Assembly with the advice and consent of the Senate and that members appointed to the Assembly can not be compensated for their service in the Assembly. The duties of Congressional Representatives are not specified by the UNPA, but they generally act as observers in the committee proceedings and formal gatherings of UN General Assembly members and heads of state.<ref name="crs" />
As outlined in UNPA, the President, with the advice and consent of the Senate, may designate congressional representatives.

===Committee selection===
Both the [[House Foreign Affairs Committee]] (HFAC) and [[Senate Foreign Relations Committee]] (SFRC), have at different times, documented procedures for selecting congressional representatives. In practice, the process appears to be informal and has varied over time depending on the priorities and preferences of committee leadership.<ref name="crs" />

* House of Representatives: HFAC does not appear to have a formal process for selecting congressional representatives to the General Assembly. Based on past practice, it has assigned one Member from each political party based on seniority, starting with those who have not served as representatives; however, in recent years, HFAC members have increasingly selected participants based on the Member’s level of interest in U.N.-related issues and availability to attend the session.<ref name="crs" />

* Senate: Similar to the House, SFRC also does not appear to have a formal process for selecting congressional representatives to the Assembly. In practice, the chairperson and ranking member select the representatives, who are usually chosen from among SFRC members. Similar to the House, congressional representatives from the Senate appear to be selected based on their interest in U.N. issues and availability.<ref name="crs" />

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee has developed a policy of not holding hearings for temporary or part-time positions, including General Assembly representatives. Instead, both the HFAC and SFRC have annually provided the President with their choices, who are then nominated by the President and confirmed by the vote of the full Senate.<ref name="crs">{{cite web |title=United Nations Issues: Congressional Representatives to the U.N. General Assembly |url=https://sgp.fas.org/crs/row/IF10464.pdf |publisher=[[Congressional Research Service]] |access-date=February 26, 2022}} {{PD-notice}}</ref>

The current Congressional Representatives to the [[Seventy-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly]] are Congresswoman [[Barbara Lee]] (D-CA) and Congressman [[French Hill (politician)|French Hill]] (R-AR)<ref name="whitehouse.gov"/>

==Building==
The Ronald H. Brown United States Mission to the United Nations Building, located at First Avenue and East 45th Street in [[Turtle Bay, Manhattan]], was dedicated on March 29, 2011.<ref>{{cite news |date=March 30, 2011 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/129000211/newsday-obama-in-the-apple/ |title=Obama in the Apple |work=Newsday |agency=Associated Press |access-date=July 27, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Nguyen |first=J.T. |date=March 30, 2011 |title=Obama inaugurates new US mission building to the United Nations |work=The News Tribune |location=Tacoma, Washington |id={{ProQuest|859020900}}}}</ref> The lead architect was [[Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects]]' [[Charles Gwathmey]], who died in 2009, approximately two years before the structure was completed. Former U.S. Permanent Representative [[Susan Rice]] thanked Gwathmey in her remarks at the dedication ceremony.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 29, 2011 |url=http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/2011/159336.htm |title=Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the Dedication of the Ronald H. Brown U.S. Mission to the United Nations Building |website=U.S. Mission to the United Nations |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706010342/http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/2011/159336.htm |archive-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref> Gwathmey's firm said that they wanted to design "an iconic tower that would transcend strict programmatic and technical constraints, and become a compelling and representative landmark for architecture and democracy".<ref name="Fox News">{{Cite news |last=Wachtel |first=Jonathan |date=March 29, 2011 |title=State-of-the-Art Details Unveiled at New U.S. Mission to United Nations in New York City |url=https://www.foxnews.com/world/state-of-the-art-details-unveiled-at-new-u-s-mission-to-united-nations-in-new-york-city |access-date=2024-03-19 |website=Fox News |language=en-US}}</ref> 

Although the mission's building was designed before the September 11 attacks, security concerns were prioritized in the building's design due to the earlier [[1998 United States embassy bombings]] and [[USS Cole bombing|USS ''Cole'' bombing]].<ref name="NYT">{{cite news |last=Muschamp |first=Herbert |title=The Bruisers Play Defense, The Seducers Trap the Eye |date=2002-02-03 |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/03/arts/art-architecture-the-bruisers-play-defense-the-seducers-trap-the-eye.html |access-date=2024-03-19 |language=en-US}}</ref> The United States [[Post-9/11|post-9/11 era]] only amplified those concerns.<ref name="Fox News"/> For example, the building was built with {{convert|30|in|adj=on}} thick walls and was intended to be able to withstand an explosion from a car bomb. In that scenario, the windowless bottom six floors would help prevent injury from flying glass shards.<ref name="WaPo"/>

''The New York Times''{{'}} architecture critic [[Herbert Muschamp]] positively reviewed the building, which he called "essentially a high-rise bomb shelter":

{{quote|I'm for Gwathmey's design because, for once in a very long time, a building doesn't shrink from reminding us that [...] architecture is inherently aggressive. Space is invariably gained at the expense of views, sky, memories, history, emptiness and the desires of those outside the walls. In renderings, the mission's window-washing apparatus resembles heavy artillery. This equipment won't be visible from the street, but the rendering may give some viewers a fleeting perception that high rises throughout history have performed the role of strategic defense, even when they're made of glass. With so much space in this town dedicated to buildings that don't even tell entertaining lies about themselves, there's room for a few that are upfront. New York is itself a sacrificial facade: it can absorb and even benefit from aesthetic shocks.<ref name="NYT"/>}}

Conversely, the ''[[New York Magazine]]''{{'}}s equivalent critic [[Justin Davidson]] criticized the building's "stark, medieval look", adding that "Gwathmey's bunker may function perfectly [if attacked], but as an icon of democracy, it can only fail."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Davidson |first=Justin |magazine=New York Magazine |date=2009-02-06 |title=The Keep <!--the title as configured for search engines appears to be "America Gets a Medieval New Mission to the United Nations" --> |url=https://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/62373/ |access-date=2024-03-19 |language=en}}</ref>

The building replaced a 1960s [[Modernist architecture|Modernist]] building with a honeycombed concrete exterior. Its design was acclaimed for its time, but by the early 2000s ''The Washington Post'' noted that it was widely derided, including being described by Germany's ambassador to the UN as "ugly".<ref name="WaPo">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/08/30/ugly-us-mission-building-to-get-roomier-replacement/446b3ae6-b386-4efb-aa52-22eb1c0960eb/ |title='Ugly' U.S. Mission Building To Get Roomier Replacement |newspaper=The Washington Post |last=Lynch |first=Colum |date=2004-08-29 |access-date=2024-03-19 |language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Law|Politics}}
* [[United States and the United Nations]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
*{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/ocm54089212 |title=Gwathmey Siegel: buildings and projects, 1992-2002 |date=2003 |publisher=Rizzoli |isbn=978-0-8478-2529-5 |editor-last=Collins |editor-first=Brad |location=New York |oclc=ocm54089212 |editor-last2=Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects}}
*{{Cite book |last=Hill |first=John |url=https://www.worldcat.org/title/696605121 |title=Guide to contemporary New York City architecture |date=2011 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Co |isbn=978-0-393-73326-6 |location=New York |oclc=696605121}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|United States missions to the United Nations}}
* [http://usun.state.gov/ Official Website]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120620221658/https://www.gwathmey-siegel.com/portfolio/proj_detail.php?job_id=199825 Gwathmey Siegel project page] (archive copy)
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=fH-5WSPNDhUC&pg=PA35-IA54 Press release for the original building's topping out]

{{Diplomatic missions of the United States}}
{{Diplomatic missions in the United States}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1947 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:Missions to the United Nations]]
[[Category:Diplomatic missions of the United States|United Nations]]
[[Category:Diplomatic missions in Manhattan]]
[[Category:United States and the United Nations|Mission]]
[[Category:First Avenue (Manhattan)]]