UNICEF Offices

UNICEF Paris, Villa Borghese (Courtesy Fouad Kronfol)

UNICEF Paris: From the earliest period of its operations  the main UNICEF office outside HQ was in Paris which covered Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and Africa. It was in the magnificent estate of Villa Borghese,in Neuilly-sur-Seine near Paris.In 1970/71 UNICEF decided to move the office to Geneva to be closer to WHO and other INGO's and to reduce costs .It completed the move in 1973. In his memoirs Louis Gendron, who was Director of Administration and responsible for the event, has a complete chapter on the issues involved.

UNICEF Paris, Villa Borghese (Courtesy Fouad Kronfol)

UNICEF Paris Staff (Courtesy Fouad Kronfol)

The picture was taken in the gardens of Villa Borghese when Charles Egger, the Regional Director in Paris, was leaving for India.It would be nice to see if any of our readers can identify some of the staff in the photo.

Alcoa Building

When this iconic NY structure was completed in 1967, UNICEF moved its HQ from the UN Secretariat building to 866 UN Plaza where it occupied the fifth and sixth floors.The next move in 1987 was to the present UNICEF HOUSE.

UNICEF Port au Prince, Post Earthquake (Courtesy Mark Henderson)

Rebuilt Office, Port au Prince, Post Earthquake (Courtesy Mark Henderson)

UNICEF Field Office Mozambique Post Earthquake

UN House Yerevan, Armenia (Courtesy Gautam Banerji)

UNICEF Hanoi (Courtesy Fouad Kronfol)

The Hoa Binh hotel, opened in 1926 was where UNICEF staff were housed as of 1975 when it was the first UN Agency to establish a formal UNICEF representation in the newly unified Viet Nam.This venerable edifice served both as office and residence for the Representative and other staff. Because of the dearth of accommodations after the war, many UN and diplomatic missions in Hanoi were housed by the Government in this and another hotel nearby.

UNICEF Hanoi (Courtesy Fouad Kronfol)

In 1981 the government of Viet Nam offered UNICEF this old French provencal villa as "permanent" accommodation for its Hanoi office and as residence for the Representative. Built in the 1930's the villa was in very bad state but it had much potential so we accepted to undertake its restoration. The photo on the right is the Villa on 72 Ly Thuomg Kiet street as it became after UNICEF moved in 1983.

Irish Committee for UNICEF, Dublin (Courtesy Richard Bridle)