The United Nations has long been a fixture of New York City, headquartered on Manhattan’s East Side. While the UN was founded on noble principles -- to promote peace, security, and cooperation -- its presence in the U.S. has come at a significant cost to taxpayers, New Yorkers, and our national priorities.

As we approach the 80th anniversary of the 1947 Headquarters Agreement, which established the legal framework granting the UN privileges and immunities necessary for its operations at its headquarters in New York City, while ensuring access and certain obligations under U.S. law, it’s time to ask a fundamental question: Is hosting the UN in America still serving the interests of the American people?

The answer, increasingly, is no.

The United States pays more than its fair share to keep the UN operating -- a whopping 22% of its regular budget and 25% of its peacekeeping costs. American taxpayers are footing the bill while many member states contribute far less.

At the same time, the UN often acts against U.S. interests. Its forums have become platforms for nations that regularly criticize and oppose America. We’re spending billions of dollars to host and fund an institution that too often undermines the very principles we stand for. 

That’s a diplomatic way of putting it. Put bluntly, the UN has become a money-sucking haven for barbarous regimes and groups that sponsor and support terrorism, promote antisemitism and aim to destroy Israel. 

On top of that, hosting the UN in Manhattan imposes significant burdens on New York City. From traffic disruptions to security risks, the challenges of hosting an international organization of this scale are immense.

It doesn’t have to be this way. Thanks to President Trump’s landslide election win, the United States has an opportunity to modernize its relationship with the UN, starting with a bold but practical idea. The U.S. should withdraw from every UN organization, reduce U.S. financial contributions to minimum annual membership dues and terminate the 1947 Headquarters Agreement -- for national security reasons -- in order to reclaim sovereignty over the New York City property and relocate the UN headquarters to Switzerland. Geneva, already home to many international organizations, is perfectly suited to host the UN. Its neutrality and infrastructure make it an ideal location.

By withdrawing from every UN organization and reducing our contributions to the UN to the minimum membership dues required, the U.S. can redirect billions of dollars to initiatives that directly benefit Americans.

The federal government could purchase the UN property at fair market value and gift it to New York City for redevelopment into middle-income housing, retail spaces, schools, and parks. (Perhaps the New York judge who valued Mar-a-Lago at $18 million could be recruited to estimate the value of the UN property.)

This isn’t about abandoning diplomacy. It’s about ensuring that our foreign policy reflects American interests and values while giving New York City an exciting opportunity to redevelop a prime piece of real estate.

Imagine what New York City could do with 16 acres of prime Manhattan land. A model middle-income housing development could provide relief to the city’s housing crisis while creating jobs and revitalizing the neighborhood. Retail spaces and schools could bring new life to the area, serving local families and businesses.

Far from being a loss for New York, this transformation would be a significant win. The benefits of the new development -- an entirely new and thriving neighborhood -- would far outweigh any economic loss caused by the relocation of UN Headquarters.

Eighty years is long enough. The United States has been the primary financier and host of the UN for too long, often at the expense of our own people. By 2027, we can take bold steps to reclaim our sovereignty; modernize global diplomacy by relocating the UN to a neutral hub; reduce the financial burdens on American taxpayers; and transform New York City with a visionary redevelopment project.

The time for action is now. The Congress and President Trump -- one of the greatest real-estate developers in American history -- should prioritize American interests and reevaluate and modernize our relationship with the UN.  

Jonathan Braun is a former professional journalist and a second-generation native New Yorker who has specialized in reporting on and writing about international politics and personalities. 

Image: Steve Cadman