2008 – a year when the meltdown of the world’s financial markets sent shockwaves around the globe. The United Nations faced considerable challenges during a year of new and ongoing conflicts. At the same time, an unprecedented number of peacekeepers served in missions around the world and the fight against hunger and poverty continued.

It was a year when UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon travelled to Myanmar to pave the way for the unrestricted flow of aid after Cyclone Nargis caused suffering to over two million people. The effects of climate change continues to be visible everywhere, like in Haiti, which was slammed by four consecutive hurricanes. And there was no end to terrorism in the world: in November the attacks in Mumbai shocked the world. At the UN, at a meeting to promote the Culture of Peace, world leaders agreed to reject the use of religion to justify terrorism.

2008 also brought world leaders to the UN to renew their pledge to reach the Millennium Development Goals to reduce poverty and provide access to health and education by 2015.

The annual “Year in Review” programme includes coverage of global events and comments from world leaders, as well as citizens, dealing with the effects of climate change or poverty. It also provides an intimate view of the worldwide work of the United Nations in 2008 and concludes with an appeal by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to turn crisis into new opportunity: “The need for global solidarity is more important than ever.”

View Year in Review 2008