The agency will relocate to the Istanbul office its key operations, including human resources, emergency operations and major finance and administration units.

“This resolution was supported by our country in line with our vision for Istanbul to become a United Nations center,” the decree stated.

The agreement for the establishment of the UNICEF office in Istanbul was signed in New York in 2023, and the move is expected to further strengthen Türkiye’s collaboration with the U.N. agency. The decision underscores Türkiye’s commitment to supporting global U.N. activities.

UNICEF is a U.N. agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide.

This development came amid efforts of Turkish authorities toward the goal of turning Istanbul into a U.N. hub in line with Türkiye’s business and humanitarian foreign policy.

The U.N. will relocate some headquarters to Istanbul from Geneva and open an Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the metropolis to support field operations worldwide.