The contents of this article are written with authoritative materials and personal opinions. The source of the literature has been marked at the end of the article, so please know.
The idea of moving the United Nations headquarters out of new york has actually been around for many years.
But what really makes this possible is a series of actions after Trump returned to the White House. This time, the United States is not said to be "doing badly", but has become a "good helper" for the global move.
September 26th, The U.S. State Department has suddenly revoked the visa of Colombian President Gustav Petro.The reason was that he openly criticized the U.S. policy on Israel.
The key to this matter is that Petro is the current president and should logically enjoy diplomatic immunity. But the United States doesn't care about this. It does whatever it wants and doesn't pay attention to international law at all.
Petrus, of course, was angry and asked directly: "The United Nations headquarters shouldn't be in new york at all!"
As soon as he said this, the previous controversy about relocation was raised again, and this time, the international reaction was much bigger than before.
In fact, it is not only Petro who has resentment, delegations from many countries have long been intolerant to some of America’s practices.
The visa was denied, the journey was blocked, and even after entering the country was watched.This has greatly reduced the image of the United Nations’ “International House”.
Even the United Nations itself has suffered a lot in the United States.
just like In the winter of 2024, the United Nations building stopped heating because of no money.At the time of the meeting, the cold in the conference room, just like the ice, the diplomats of all countries wrapped in coats.
Some offices don’t even have lights, and many humanitarian projects can only be stopped.
Who is responsible for this financial trouble? Then it has to be America.
According to the United Nations, as of April this year, The US’s regular budget default has reached $1.5 billion.
Moreover, the United States has previously accumulated $3 billion in debt to subscribe and is steadfastly seated on the throne of the "old power".
The United States does not pay money, but enjoys all kinds of convenience and influence brought by its headquarters at home.This situation has caused more and more countries to wonder, does the United Nations really have to rely on the United States to survive?
The United Nations also feels that this will not work. As early as 2024, Secretary-General Guterres proposed a UN80 reform plan.To put it bluntly, it is to want to save some money, rebuild the institutions, do not always rely on the big powers.
This reform is seen as just a snapshot of the UN agency’s beginning to become more diversified.
At the same time, there is also a wave of "moving small homes" actions. Agencies such as the United Nations Children's Fund, the United Nations Women, and the United Nations Population Fund, Started moving some departments to Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, Africa.
In Asia, China is also quietly becoming a new focus.In 2024, the UNDP Development Centre and UNESCO International STEM Education Institute will be located in Shanghai.
This is the first time that the United Nations has placed the world’s core agencies outside of Europe and the United States, which is not simple and meaningful.
Shanghai has established SUNRA, a United Nations research institution,Responsible for providing policy support and strategic research on many global issues.
This “point-to-face” approach shows that China is no longer just a “participant” but more like a “contractor.”
This is not just a matter of ability, but more importantly, China has "credibility."
As one of the five permanent members of the United Nations, China has been quite reliable in peacekeeping, anti-epidemic and global development in the past ten years.
Moreover, China has always insisted on neutrality and doesn't care about other people's affairs, so many international contradictions, China thinks that everyone should sit down and have a good talk.
In doing so, many developing countries find it quite reliable.
In contrast, Japan wanted to get involved. In early 2025, when Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike visited the United States, he proposed to Guterres that If the UN were to move, Tokyo could take over.
But as the proposal emerged, there were more voices of opposition than of support.
There has always been friction between Japan and its neighbors, and it has always followed the United States in foreign policy.Anywhere else, or restricted by the same ally, has not changed at all.
China is located on the Asian-European mainland border, east of the Pacific Ocean, and transportation is very convenient. Beijing and Shanghai have world-class conference, transport and security facilities.Whether it’s a global summit or a multilateral forum, it can be easily addressed.
More importantly, China has the money to support, the economy is so large, the finances are very stable, never do anything, will spend anything, are paid on time.
This is undoubtedly an enormous attraction for the United Nations, an agency that worries about the budget every year.
Some people may worry, will China try to influence the United Nations like the United States? But precisely because of China Insisting on not interfering, not pressuring, not adding any conditions, has won everyone's trust.
Over the past decade, China’s assistance to many countries in Africa, Central Asia and South America has rarely added political conditions, and this is what many developing countries value.
Whether or not the United Nations headquarters will be relocated will not be decided in a year or two. The era of "one-pole center" has passed, and "multi-center" is taking shape rapidly.
Nairobi has emerged in Africa and China has emerged in Asia.In this trend, Shanghai has become the “pilot city” of the UN system.
Even if the headquarters are still in New York in the short term, China may also become the actual "second headquarters".
The "visa suppression" imposed by the Trump administration on the President of Colombia was simply the last straw that crushed the camel, completely destroying trust.
The United States is getting worse and worse in the UN, and everyone is now in a hurry to find another way out, which is not an unexpected thing.
When a nation replaces rules with hegemony and responsibilities with interests, the international order naturally changes.
The United Nations is not moving, it is only a matter of time.
References:
The U.S. revokes Colombia’s President Petro’s visa 2025-09-27 15:24 Source: China News Network
2. "British Media: The United States is in arrears with US$1.5 billion in dues, and the United Nations is in a" financial crisis "and plans to cut budgets and lay off employees" 2025-05-30 17:27| Source: World Wide Web
3. "United Nations: Lack of money, plans to move some operations to Nairobi" 2025-07-28 11:18| Source: Reference News
The establishment of the UNESCO International STEM Educational Research Institute in Shanghai 2025-09-22 00:13