What is a briefing?
A briefing is a unique and rich opportunity offered by our Speakers Bureau to your group to listen and interact for 45 minutes to an hour with a UN expert on the work of the Organization and on current events. Our briefings will deepen your participants' knowledge of particular issues that interest your group. You can request a briefing on a range of topics, from peacekeeping and human rights to the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as a general overview of the work of the Organization and its history.
- Briefings are appropriate for a range of groups, including students (high school and above), educators, civic and business leaders, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), etc.
- For briefings involving student groups, it is preferable if a teacher/professor/educator is the focal point.
- A minimum of 20 participants is required to request a briefing.
- Please request your briefing a minimum of 6 weeks in advance.
In-house Briefings
In-house briefings can be offered along with a guided tour, which is the best introduction to the work of the United Nations. Therefore, we highly recommend that you consider taking a tour before your specialized briefing. Please see details below:
- In-house briefings are for 20 - 25 participants.
- In-house briefings take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
- Briefings are available on weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- While we make every effort to accommodate your requests, briefing arrangements are subject to change or cancelation in case of unforeseen events.
- For operational reasons, it is not possible to split larger groups into smaller segments. For groups larger than 25 participants, we offer either or
- If you wish to arrange a briefing with a Member State of the United Nations or a Permanent Observer, please contact the Permanent Mission directly.
To book your in-house briefing, please
The United Nations Headquarters is accessible for persons with disabilities or with a mobility impairment.
Online Briefings
If you are unable to visit UN Headquarters or host a speaker; from the comfort of your home or classroom, we can connect you online to a UN speaker.
- Online briefings are organized for a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 30 participants.
- Online briefings are available on weekdays.
- Online briefings can be combined with a virtual tour. Through a virtual tour, you will have a chance to meet live one of our multilingual tour guides who will take you on an online journey through the history of the UN and speak about the Organization’s work in addressing global challenges.
To book your online briefing, please .
Outside Speaking Engagements/UN4U
Request a UN expert to speak at your location or school on a range of UN topics.
- Generally, a minimum of 75 participants is required (unless UN4U, see below).
- Generally, outside speaking engagements are available on weekdays.
- While UN speakers may not accept honoraria, the inviting organization is asked to cover the speaker’s travel, terminal expenses, lodging and hospitality costs, if applicable.
What is UN4U?
- UN4U engages youth to take an interest in global issues by providing UN officials to visit high schools. Through UN4U, expert speakers travel to your school in New York City (all five boroughs) and the Tri-State area to share their knowledge of the United Nations and a range of specialized topics.
- Generally, a minimum of 40 participants is required.
- While UN speakers may not accept honoraria, the inviting organization is asked to cover the speaker’s travel, terminal expenses, lodging, and hospitality costs, if applicable.
To book a speaking engagement at your preferred location, please .
Booking
In-House Briefings:
To book an in-house briefing, please
The United Nations Headquarters is accessible for persons with disabilities or with a mobility impairment.
Online Briefings:
To book an online briefing only (standalone), please
To add an online briefing with a virtual tour, please
Outside Speaking Engagements/UN4U:
- The venue in which the speaking engagement takes place should be well ventilated.
- All participants should wear a mask in an in-door venue during the speaking engagement.
- All other local COVID-19 mitigation measures should apply.
To book an outside speaking engagement or a UN4U briefing (for high schools), please .
If you have any questions, please contact us at: or (212) 963-8687
Price and Payment
In-House Briefings:
Rates for in-house briefing (45 to 60 min.): For every 20 - 25 participants, there is a briefing fee of $165 per briefing when the group also takes a guided tour. The charge for a standalone briefing is $250.
Online Briefings:
Rates for standalone online briefing (45 to 60 min.): For 20 – 30 participants, the administrative fee is $250.
Rates for online briefing (45 to 60 min.) combined with a UN virtual tour (60 min.):
For a combination session (Virtual Tour + Online Briefing on the same day), the online briefings will cost $165 and will be added to the virtual tour price chart below.
20 to 30 people ---- $280.00
31 to 40 people ---- $370.00
41 to 50 people ---- $460.00
51 to 60 people ---- $550.00
61 to 70 people ---- $640.00
71 to 80 people ---- $730.00
81 to 90 people ---- $820.00
91 to 100 people -- $910.00
Outside Speaking Engagements/UN4U:
Rates for outside speaking engagements (45 to 60 min.): Minimum of 75 participants, unless UN4U (high school, minimum 40 participants) is $250.
While UN speakers may not accept honoraria, the inviting organization is asked to cover the speaker’s travel, terminal expenses, and hospitality costs, if applicable.
Payment methods:
We accept credit card, Google Pay & Apple Pay payments
(a 3% vendor convenience fee will apply)
Checks and Purchase orders are not accepted
Once the briefing is confirmed, you will be charged at the latest 3 days before it takes place.
All sales are final - no exchanges or refunds are offered
