The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace 25 years ago. The declaration emphasizes the importance of promoting dialogue, understanding, and cooperation for peace. In today's world of increasing tension and conflict, it's vital to remember these values. The International Day of Peace (21 September) should not only be about laying down weapons and observing ceasefires but also about recognizing each other's humanity, as our global community's survival depends on it.
20 September 2024 — The Security Council met in emergency session on Friday following Israeli strikes on the Lebanese capital Beirut and in the south, which have left at least a dozen dead. It...
19 September 2024 — Last October’s terror attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on Israeli communities marked a devastating day for children, and the suffering has continued unabated...
18 September 2024 — It’s the busiest and probably most high-profile week at UN Headquarters in New York, where leaders from across the world come together to discuss global issues or highlight...
The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries — poor, rich and middle-income — to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.
ActNow is the UN campaign to inspire people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the lead up to the Summit of the Future, join the 1 Million Actions for our Common Future challenge to contribute to a more sustainable and peaceful world. Find new inspiring actions on the app and at un.org/actnow.
The Summit is a high-level event on 22-23 September in New York, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future. This once-in-a-generation opportunity serves as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively achieve agreed goals and tackle emerging threats and opportunities.
Join us on 23-27 September for live coverage of the SDG Media Zone at this year’s UN General Debate and hear about the transformation and solutions needed to accelerate action on the SDGs. This year’s sessions will highlight the tracks of the Summit of the Future, including the new agenda for peace, global governance, financing for development, digital cooperation, and future generations.
The highly anticipated Summit of the Future, held on 22 and 23 September, underscores the urgent need for enhanced international cooperation to address pressing challenges and forge a collective vision for a better, more sustainable future. See all the events during the UN General Assembly High-level Week.
Featured stories from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
How is the recent mpox outbreak impacting refugees and displaced people in Africa? The surge in mpox cases has raised concerns about its potentially devastating impact on people living in crowded camps. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is currently working with partners to contain the outbreak. To gain more insight into the situation, UNHCR interviewed Dr. Allen Maina, Chief of Public Health at the UN Refugee Agency, to understand what mpox is and how it is affecting refugees and other displaced people.
The Roma minority in Moldova has long faced discrimination in various aspects of life. A program led by UN Human Rights Moldova is helping vulnerable Roma families integrate into society through trained Roma community mediators. For example, Raisa Demeniuk, a Roma community mediator, helped a marginalized family obtain identity documents, enroll their children in school, and access healthcare and social protection benefits, improving their livelihoods and social inclusion.
Among the lush and fertile lands in the northwestern region of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Bactrian camels roam the area once again. The revival of this specific Iranian camelid species takes place in Ardabil city, a bustling capital surrounded by the Moghan plain. A symbol of Ardabil’s cultural heritage, these camels were facing the threat of extinction due to changing land use and the high cost and scarcity of fodder. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the local Ministry of Agriculture - Jahad, embarked on a transformation of the camelid sector to tap into activities such as agritourism, livestock feed production, wool and milk processing.
Fighting corruption is vital to the World Bank’s mission to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity on a livable planet. Here are four innovative ways it is doing it.
Mohammad’s Café has transformed into an oasis in the heart of the Diyala market thanks to a grant from the UNDP SME Grant Programme, which allowed him to fully renovate the café and equip it.
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has released a comprehensive report detailing the profound economic destruction that has gripped the Occupied Palestinian Territory in the aftermath of the Israeli military operation in Gaza.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Alzheimer's Disease International launched the #TimeToActOnDementia campaign to raise awareness about dementia and address the stigma that surrounds the condition.
Due to the powers vested in its Charter and its unique international character, the United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, including:
The United Nations came into being in 1945, following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN does this by working to prevent conflict; helping parties in conflict make peace; peacekeeping; and creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish. These activities often overlap and should reinforce one another, to be effective. The UN Security Council has the primary responsibility for international peace and security. The General Assembly and the Secretary-General play major, important, and complementary roles, along with other UN offices and bodies.
The term "human rights" was mentioned seven times in the UN's founding Charter, making the promotion and protection of human rights a key purpose and guiding principle of the Organization. In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights brought human rights into the realm of international law. Since then, the Organization has diligently protected human rights through legal instruments and on-the-ground activities.
One of the purposes of the United Nations, as stated in its Charter, is "to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character." The UN first did this in the aftermath of the Second World War on the devastated continent of Europe, which it helped to rebuild. The Organization is now relied upon by the international community to coordinate humanitarian relief operations due to natural and man-made disasters in areas beyond the relief capacity of national authorities alone.
From the start in 1945, one of the main priorities of the United Nations was to "achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion." Improving people’s well-being continues to be one of the main focuses of the UN. The global understanding of development has changed over the years, and countries now have agreed that sustainable development offers the best path forward for improving the lives of people everywhere.
The UN Charter, in its Preamble, set an objective: "to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained." Ever since, the development of, and respect for international law has been a key part of the work of the Organization. This work is carried out in many ways - by courts, tribunals, multilateral treaties - and by the Security Council, which can approve peacekeeping missions, impose sanctions, or authorize the use of force when there is a threat to international peace and security, if it deems this necessary. These powers are given to it by the UN Charter, which is considered an international treaty. As such, it is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it. The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations.
The main parts of the UN structure are the General Assembly, the
Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. All were established in 1945 when the UN was founded.
The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation.
The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). Each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
The Economic and Social Council is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as implementation of internationally agreed development goals.
The Trusteeship Council was established in 1945 by the UN Charter, under Chapter XIII, to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories that had been placed under the administration of seven Member States, and ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government and independence.
The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one of the six principal organs of the United Nations not located in New York (United States of America).
The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international UN staff members who carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the Organization's other principal organs.
Climate change is the defining issue of our time and now is the defining moment to do something about it. There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society.
Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development.
While global poverty rates have been cut by more than half since 2000, one in ten people in developing regions still lives on less than US1ドル.90 a day — the internationally agreed poverty line, and millions of others live on slightly more than this daily amount.
Following up on a pledge made by UN Member States at the UN’s 75th anniversary, the report Our Common Agenda looks ahead to the next 25 years and represents the Secretary-General’s vision on the future of global cooperation. It calls for inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism to better respond to humanity’s most pressing challenges.
As the world’s only truly universal global organization, the United Nations has become the foremost forum to address issues that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.
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Video and audio from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
With 3.7 billion people getting to vote this year, the stakes have never been higher. UNDP is working before, during and after elections to strengthen governance systems and ensure #EveryVoiceCounts far beyond the ballot box.
Some of the most innovative ways being used to improve agricultural practices involve nuclear technology. Nuclear applications in agriculture rely on the use of isotopes and radiation techniques to combat pests and diseases, increase crop production, protect land and water resources, ensure food safety and authenticity, and increase livestock production.
El Niño is hitting at a time of already significant unmet needs, with 13.6 million people currently experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity in affected countries. WFP is supporting governments in mitigating the impact of El Niño on food security in the region.
Working from home was not an option for most people before March 11, 2020, when work and home life suddenly collided. The pandemic upended many aspects of doing business, but the daily commute is one routine that seems unlikely to return to what it was.
Nicholas Bloom was studying the potential impact of remote work long before the pandemic launched it into the mainstream and now has data to suggest businesses should stick to the hybrid working model. Bloom is the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University.
Images from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
Lives in ruins amid displacement in Gaza
Almost ninety percent of the population of Gaza – 1.9 million people – have been displaced at least once by evacuation orders issued by Israeli Defense Forces, searching for something that does not exist: safety. The war in Gaza has rendered pregnancy unsafe for women. Ongoing hostilities, repeated evacuation orders, a breakdown in public order and safety, and the challenges of reaching people in need are preventing an effective humanitarian response. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners continue to provide support despite the insurmountable circumstances, but the only way to ensure that people have access to the basics to survive is with an immediate and sustained ceasefire.
The story of a school: Rebuilding for the Future
In the heart of Kharkiv, a school that once brimmed with life and energy has become a quiet monument to the challenges faced during war. The playground stands mostly empty, serving as a quiet testament to the devastating impacts the war has had on this school and the surrounding communities. Despite being struck three times, the school has been repaired through the School Repairs in Ukraine project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNOPS. The restoration of this school is part of a broader effort to repair educational facilities across Ukraine, with plans to restore over 75 schools in total.