8) United Nations
Along the East River in Manhattan sits the headquarters of the United Nations. Once you pass through the gates of the visitors’ entrance you enter an international territory. The 18-acre site belongs to all 193 member countries. Guided tours take visitors through the history of the buildings as well as the 4 major organs that comprise the U.N., including the Security Council and the General Assembly. In the human rights segment of the tour, you can view the 30 articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights designed by Brazilian artist Octavio Roth. At the disarmament stop of the tour, visitors will see remnants of the nuclear explosions in Nagasaki, as well as the Escopetarra, a guitar made from an AK47 by César López, a Colombian musician and social activist. Your tour ends with a visit to the gift shop in the basement of the General Assembly building, which includes the counters of UNICEF, WFUNA, Women’s Guild and UNESCO.
