A group of people are meditating in the lotus position in a studio.
Health, Sports

Celebrating meditation: A global path to health and calm

Meditation, an ancient practice rooted in diverse traditions, focuses attention on the present to promote mental clarity, emotional calmness, and physical relaxation. Today, it’s a global tool for well-being, reducing stress and anxiety, and improving sleep and physical health. The World Health Organization (WHO) endorses mindfulness meditation for mental health and highlights yoga’s benefits, while technology broadens access via apps. Recognizing its universal value, the United Nations declared 21 December World Meditation Day to promote health and collective well-being.

Estimates suggest that between 200 and 500 million people practice meditation worldwide.
Photo:Adobe Stock / Syda Productions
People in Sudan continue to flee their homes due to the conflict in Darfur and South Kordofan.

Sudan: Intensifying hostilities bring new displacement, more casualties

16 December 2025 — The situation across Sudan’s Kordofan region is rapidly worsening, the UN aid coordination office (OCHA) warned on Monday. 

Read the...

Palestinian towns in the West Bank have been targeted by Israeli forces.

New demolition order for West Bank camp is ‘more devastating news’

16 December 2025 — Israel has issued new demolition orders for the Nur Shams camp in the north of the occupied West Bank effective this week, which a senior official with the UN Palestine refugee...

An eight-month-old baby waits to be vaccinated at a health centre in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district.

New influenza variant is surging, but vaccination still our best bet: WHO

16 December 2025 — Amid an early start to the Northern Hemisphere influenza season a new variant of the virus is rapidly gaining ground - but vaccination remains the “most effective defence”, the...

UN Sustainable Development Goals

17 Goals to transform our world

The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries — poor, rich and middle-income — to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.

hands holding megaphone and speech bubble

ActNow Campaign

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.

Act Now for a Peaceful World

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. 

children holding up books

SDG Book Club

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.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Goal of the month

 

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Reduce inequality within and among countries

 

More about the UN Sustainable Development Goals

More from the
United Nations

Featured stories from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.

A view of a National Park in Utah, United States of America. Natural Resources and the Environment, UNEP

A healthier planet isn’t just a dream, it’s a trillion-dollar opportunity

Climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution already cost trillions annually, warns a new United Nations Environment Programme report. But systemic transformation, circular economies, clean energy, sustainable agriculture, could unlock $20 trillion yearly by 2070, save nine million premature deaths, and lift millions from poverty and hunger. Investing $8 trillion a year until 2050 secures a thriving planet and economy. However, the cost of inaction is far higher.

A newborn baby lying on a bed, wrapped in a blanket, with parents close by in a hospital. Health, WHO

Progress toward universal health coverage, but billions still left behind

Since 2000, nations have advanced toward universal health coverage, more care, and less financial strain. Yet billions still lack essential services, and millions are pushed deeper into poverty by out-of-pocket costs, largely for medicines. A new study from the World Health Organization-World Bank warns: without bold investment, by 2030 many will still face hardship. Health is a right, but for too many, it remains a distant promise.

A woman seated outdoors on a grassy area near a mountainous landscape, operating a traditional wooden loom. Economic Development, FAO

From Himalayan mountain tops to Milan catwalks

In the Himalayan mountains of Bhutan, women in the village of Goenpa Kabab weave intricate silk Kishuthara dresses on backstrap looms, a skill passed down through generations in a Buddhist, matriarchal community. Sherab Tshomo, a 41-year-old artisan, has been perfecting this craft since age eight, which involves dyeing raw silk with local plants and using traditional methods to create detailed patterns. Despite the high value of these garments within Bhutan and abroad, many women artisans struggle to access international markets, including the global fashion industry, to showcase their artistry and heritage.

A group of displaced population transversing across a country.
Displaced Persons and Refugees, IOM

Gaza’s families struggle to rebuild

One month into the ceasefire, Gaza’s displaced families are experiencing brief relief but remain exposed to the cold and devastation as urgent humanitarian access and shelter support are desperately needed.

A group of medics meeting at an unfinished building.
Health Interventions, UNFPA

Premature births and underground deliveries

Amid relentless attacks and rising stress, maternity hospitals across Ukraine are forced to deliver babies in underground shelters as premature births and maternal risks sharply increase.

A picture of a hand at a weaving station.
Culture, UNESCO

Saving Paraguay’s legendary 60-stripe poncho

Once a symbol of resilience in precolonial and wartime Paraguay, the Poncho Para’í de 60 Listas now relies on UNESCO-backed support to overcome dwindling materials and aging craftsmanship as communities work to keep its ancestral weaving traditions alive.

A man at a factory operating a machine.
Economic Development, UNCTAD

Global trade growth rebounds

Global trade is set to grow 7% in 2025, driven by East Asia, Africa and manufacturing, reaching a record $35 trillion despite persistent imbalances and rising geopolitical fragmentation.

What we do

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:

A UNIFIL peacekeeper from Spain on a regular patrol in the vicinity of Al Wazzani, south-eastern Lebanon as the sun sets in the horizon. Since 1948, more than a million women and men have served as UN peacekeepers.

Maintain International Peace and Security

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.

Students at Butkhak High School in Kabul, Afghanistan, cheer in unison on the last day of Global Action Week, an international campaign advocating free, quality education for all.

Protect Human Rights

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.

A child has a meal at a food distribution centre in the Rwanda camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), near Tawila, North Darfur. More than 8,000 women and children living in the camp benefit from nutrition programmes run by the World Food Programme

Deliver Humanitarian Aid

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.

Grace, a farmer from Kipilat village, and a leading member of the forest community in Ainabkoi, Kenya, planting a tree in 2012.

Promote Sustainable Development

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 International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers its order on the request for the indication of provisional measures filed by Nicaragua on 11 October 2013 in the case concerning Construction of a Road in Costa Rica along the San Juan River.

Uphold International Law

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.

Structure of the
United Nations

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.

General Assembly

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.

Security Council

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.

Economic and Social Council

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.

Trusteeship Council

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.

International Court of Justice

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).

Secretariat

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.

More about the structure of the United Nations

Learn more

Podium of the General Assembly Hall seen from below with the gold wall and the golden UN logo behind

Selecting the next Secretary-General

On 25 November 2025, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council initiated the process of selecting and appointing the next Secretary-General. Candidates are nominated by a Member State or a group of Member States. Learn more about the multi-step selection and appointment process of the next United Nations Secretary-General.

Climate Change

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 at UN CSW63 Side Event - “Take the Hot Seat”. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

Gender Equality

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.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is greeted on his visit to the Central African Republic

Ending Poverty

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 US$1.90 a day — the internationally agreed poverty line, and millions of others live on slightly more than this daily amount.

Watch and Listen

Video and audio from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.

How United Are the Nations?

Musician George Harrison of The Beatles visited the United Nations in New York on 20 December 1974. He met UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim and briefed the press on his donation of proceeds from concerts to UNICEF. 

Impact of funding cuts on children

More than one million people live in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps, over half children, and funding cuts are forcing UNICEF to make impossible choices about life-saving services, says Orlando Bloom.

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists 2026

Rangelands cover half the world, supporting biodiversity and pastoralist livelihoods, requiring policies and investments for land access, mobility, governance, ecosystem restoration, animal health, and equitable value chains.

UN Podcasts

Stéphane Dujarric and António Guterres at table

A trapeze without a net: the life of the UN Spokesperson

“It's [a] trapeze without a net, in a sense, because you're representing ... the Secretary General, you're representing the UN as a whole. And you have to be prepared, and sometimes you don't have the answer.”

Every day at noon, Stéphane Dujarric steps on stage to field questions about the United Nations from international journalists. As spokesman for the Secretary-General, he must be ready to talk on all aspects of the organization’s work at a time of unprecedented financial and political strain.

“There is no way we can move forward in this world without multilateralism, without an organization like this one. It's like a plant, right? It needs to be watered. We can't let it wither away.”

An alumnus of the United Nations International School, Stéphane Dujarric was immersed in the world of international diplomacy from an early age. In this episode of Awake at Night, he shares why his own family owes everything to the actions of two courageous diplomats, and reflects on how being a procrastinator can be a superpower when faced with the challenge of the 24-hour news cycle.

Latest Audio from UN News

The United Nations in Pictures

Images from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.

A war-torn urban area viewed through a dark, shadowed opening, from inside a damaged building.
Photo:UNOCHA/Ali Haj Suleiman

365 Days of transition in Syria

On 8 December 2024, the people of Syria woke to the news that marked the end of 14 long years of deadly conflict. Syrians began returning to the places they once called home. Despite the challenges, hope prevails. For several days a United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) team travelled across the country, meeting families who had recently returned after long years of displacement within Syria and beyond its borders. Here are their stories.

A stunning mountainous landscape with a winding river cutting through a lush green valley.
Photo:Tergar Charity Nepal

Melting mountains

In Nepal’s remote Nubri Valley, Tergar Charity Nepal, founded in 2018 by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, merges Indigenous knowledge with nature-based solutions to fight climate change. In 2021, the initiative tackled COVID-19-driven food shortages in Samagaun by building 62 bioclimatic solar greenhouses for year-round organic farming. Combining modern and traditional techniques, these earthquake-resistant structures improve food security and strengthen resilience against climate shocks.

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