As artificial intelligence reshapes how we create, share, and engage with information, media and information literacy (MIL) is more essential than ever. In a world where AI influences news feeds, search engines, and even content itself, MIL empowers individuals to think critically, question sources, and understand the impact of algorithms. By prioritizing human judgment, ethics, and awareness, "Minds Over AI" calls for a future where people, not machines, guide the interpretation and use of digital information.
22 October 2025 — The International Court of Justice (ICJ) says that Israel must uphold its responsibilities as the "occupying power" by ensuring aid can flow freely and by respecting the rights...
22 October 2025 — A new UN-backed forum launched on Wednesday to help developing nations escape the weight of unsustainable debt – which has left more than three billion people worldwide living in...
21 October 2025 — More than a million people have returned to Sudan’s war-ravaged capital in the past ten months, the UN migration agency said on Tuesday, warning that basic services remain...
The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries — poor, rich and middle-income — to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.
The Goals can improve life for all of us. Cleaner air. Safer cities. Equality. Better jobs. These issues matter to everyone. But progress is too slow. We have to act, urgently, to accelerate changes that add up to better lives on a healthier planet. Find new inspiring actions on the app and at un.org/actnow.
Today, half the world is under 30, and this generation is a powerful force for peace. The UN "Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World" campaign, launched on the International Day of Peace, aims to include, invest in, and partner with young people to build lasting peace.
Reading and learning are essential to children’s growth and development; stories can fuel their imagination and raise awareness of new possibilities. The SDG Book Club aims to encourage them to learn about the Goals in a fun, engaging way, empowering them to make a difference.
End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.
Featured stories from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
In a small village in Somalia's Middle Shabelle region, fear gripped the community as storm clouds loomed. For years, erratic rains led to devastating floods that destroyed homes and fields, followed by harsh dry seasons and sandstorms that worsened land degradation. However, residents now believe they have broken this destructive cycle through intentional actions. With support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the local non-profit Shaqadoon, the community of Harqabobe has focused on building defenses that work with the water, rather than against it, fostering resilience in the face of climate challenges.
Fatima Laanieg has always been drawn to hands-on work. After taking care of her home and children, she sought to contribute financially. Four years ago, she became a seasonal agricultural worker in Spain, which went well. Fatima dreamed of starting her own business but lacked resources. In 2022, she joined WAFIRA, an International Labour Organization (ILO) programme for women run by Morocco’s National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Skills, where she expressed her desire to open a grocery shop. With training and support from her husband, she gained confidence. Her dream is to expand her small shop into a supermarket and inspire her son to learn the trade. Fatima is committed to growing her project step by step.
Züleyha Ceylan, a 22-year-old in Düzce, Türkiye, drives her blue truck to tend to her beehives. Adorned in a canary-yellow beekeeping suit, she calmly inspects her hives, finding joy and energy in the buzzing bees. Despite skepticism from her community about her choice, Züleyha’s parents supported her passion for beekeeping. With high local demand for honey and minimal land required, she produced 100 kilograms of honey this year, selling it through friends and social media. Züleyha aims to expand her business to include products like royal jelly and create jobs for others, bolstered by training from the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO).
New WFP findings reveal that deep humanitarian aid cuts threaten millions with hunger and loss of lifesaving support, putting six critical operations at highest risk.
UNESCO’s Horizontes programme reimagines rural secondary education in Peru, helping adolescents like Anaís complete their studies, build socioemotional skills, and build brighter futures.
The Deliver-E Coalition unites major global food and grocery delivery platforms to accelerate the shift to zero-emission two- and three-wheeler vehicles, aiming to reduce emissions, and improve urban air quality.
As legal battles over AI training and copyrighted material unfold globally, the music industry faces a pivotal moment to balance innovation with fair compensation, while enabling AI’s growth.
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.
The United Nations is the only place on Earth where all the world's nations come together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. Learn about the main areas of the UN’s activities; how it makes a difference to the world’s people; and how every citizen can get involved and make a contribution.
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.
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.
Find out more in
Find out more in
Find out more in
Video and audio from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
As the UN marks its 80th anniversary, this video reflects on how the Organization has shaped international peace, security, development, and human rights - and what it means for the future.
The short film Ghotul highlights the importance of safe, culturally rooted spaces for young people to learn about love, consent, and sexuality, emphasizing that open conversations protect young women. Ghotuls were real institutions within Muria and Gond tribes of India. They were youth dormitories where unmarried boys and girls lived and learned about social customs and sexuality in a culturally sanctioned setting.
UNAIDS uses this story to advocate for comprehensive sexuality education, which is crucial in reducing HIV risks and empowering adolescent girls worldwide.
Danielle Bell explains why documenting human rights in Ukraine’s conflict is crucial for justice and accountability amid ongoing violence.
Rural women are the innovators, leaders and changemakers at the core of our planet’s food systems. That’s why supporting them is essential to building a sustainable future. In honour of the International Day of Rural Women, we’re celebrating their vital contributions. In a new episode of IFAD’s Farms.Food.Future podcast, we explore how empowering women through training, access to resources, and leadership opportunities creates stronger rural communities and leads to measurable improvements in income, food security, and resilience.
Images from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
Girls in refugee camps lead the fight for dignity and change
Life in refugee camps is harsh for girls, marked by overcrowding, lack of privacy, and limited access to food and basic necessities. They face heightened risks such as sexual violence and child marriage, alongside disrupted health services and education. Despite these challenges, girls are advocating for change, using their experiences to combat harmful practices and promote a future filled with peace and dignity. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) empowers these girls and helps them build a more hopeful future.
In Brazil's Pajeú region, marked by inequality and historical struggles like the cangaço movement- groups of bandits who challenged the entrenched power of large landowners-, women played vital roles in resistance and community resilience despite being marginalized. Environmental challenges, especially water scarcity due to the degraded Pajeú river basin, compounded their difficulties. To combat these issues, the Community Association of Women from Bom Sucesso, with support from the GEF Small Grants Programme and UNDP, launched a project to empower women through sustainable agriculture and political participation. They constructed cisterns for rainwater harvesting, promoting female leadership and agroecological practices in their semi-arid environment.
