Inauguration of the WHO Headquarters Building in Geneva
This commemorative postage stamp was issued in 1966 for use in the Gaza Strip under the United Arab Republic (UAR) administration to celebrate the official inauguration of the new World Health Organization (WHO) Headquarters Building in Geneva, Switzerland. Designed by the renowned Swiss modernist architect Jean Tschumi, the monumental structure was inaugurated in May 1966 to centralize global public health logistics, research, and international medical campaigns. By releasing this 5-millieme issue bearing the "PALESTINE" inscription, the postal network formally aligned the local community with global medical advancement and institutional progress.
The design showcases a circular vignette on the left containing a detailed architectural rendering of the modernist, glass-and-concrete WHO headquarters complex, accompanied by the text "WHO Headquarters" and "GENEVA - 1966." The right side of the vibrant coral-pink background features the official United Nations emblem, the dual issue years 1966 / ١٩٦٦, and standard postal designations. The bottom margin carries the explanatory Arabic inscription "Maqarr Hay'at al-Sihhah al-Alamiyah - Jinif" (مقر هيئة الصحة العالمية - جنيف). Distributed across regular domestic and international mail networks, this stamp served as an elegant tribute to global scientific cooperation and international civic infrastructure.
The design showcases a circular vignette on the left containing a detailed architectural rendering of the modernist, glass-and-concrete WHO headquarters complex, accompanied by the text "WHO Headquarters" and "GENEVA - 1966." The right side of the vibrant coral-pink background features the official United Nations emblem, the dual issue years 1966 / ١٩٦٦, and standard postal designations. The bottom margin carries the explanatory Arabic inscription "Maqarr Hay'at al-Sihhah al-Alamiyah - Jinif" (مقر هيئة الصحة العالمية - جنيف). Distributed across regular domestic and international mail networks, this stamp served as an elegant tribute to global scientific cooperation and international civic infrastructure.