of Beirut in order to serve the seafarers. It became then a church for the international English speaking community in the Lebanese capital. The Arab local congregation was established by the Palestinian refugees who were forced out of their land and homes in 1948. Many Lebanese families who came back to Lebanon from Palestine, where they became Anglicans, joined the church since then. All Saints is one of 27 Anglican/Episcopal churches in the territories under the jurisdiction of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East. All Saints is the only Anglican Church in Lebanon. International and foreign institutions The Beirut Central District has become the heart of diplomatic life in Lebanon due to the secure environment, high-tech amenities, and modern services that it enjoys. Benefiting from the geographic location of the city center and the proximity to official and business institutions, Downtown Beirut has become the center for many international institutions, business and cultural delegations, and foreign embassies. As such, several countries have become officially represented in the city center through embassies, business and cultural cooperation agencies, humanitarian NGOs, and consulates. Some of these are: American-Lebanese Chamber of Commerce World youth alliance Union of Arab Banks ESCWA Embassy of Belgium Embassy of Italy Consulate of Belize Instituto Cervantes Arab Cultural Foundation Lebanese-German Business Council Amideast Cultural Cooperation agency Consulate of Turkey Embassy of Japan Embassy of Britain Embassy of Argentina Consulate of Gambia Embassy of Australia Embassy of Norway Embassy of Denmark UN House A landmark development at the southern gateway to the city center, overlooking Riad Al Solh Square and Gibran Khalil Gibran monumental garden, UN House was designed by Pierre El Khoury Architects as an intelligent building to house several United Nations local and regional agencies. Since its inauguration by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 1997, the UN House has become the focal point of the diplomatic activity in Lebanon. Best known for being the headquarters of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), UN House also hosts several UN regional and local headquarters including the World Bank's permanent Beirut office. The architecture of this nine-story development is in the shape of an arch, with an internal landscaped atrium of 600 sq m providing a pleasant shaded area with trees, flowers and benches. Extensive use of glass in the external walls gives the building a glittering appearance and allows natural light throughout.