Aerial view of a building in Hiroshima, Japan, which was destroyed by an atomic bomb and later preserved as a monument.
Disarmament

At a critical juncture, the world revisits nuclear non proliferation

Today, humanity is just one mistake or misunderstanding away from nuclear annihilation. The Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a landmark international treaty designed to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and to promote co-operation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. From 27 April to 22 May, States parties will convene at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the 2026 NPT Review Conference to assess the implementation of the Treaty’s provisions since 2022. Earlier review meetings in 2015 and 2022 were unable to reach agreement on the substantive part of the draft Final Document.

The remains of the Prefectural Industry Promotion Building, later preserved as a monument. Hiroshima, Japan.
Photo:UN Photo/DB
24-04-2026-IMO-seafarer-Turkey (AZ3BHGc1M1vupghsMWqc)

Chokepoints and conflict: How the Hormuz crisis is exposing global shipping vulnerabilities

26 April 2026 — The blockading of ships in the Strait of Hormuz as a result of the conflict between the United States and Iran has demonstrated how ships and seafarers have become “leverage in...

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Mali: Guterres calls for international solutions to curb spread of violent extremism in the Sahel

26 April 2026 — There are reports of continuing clashes in Mali on Sunday, a day after a series of coordinated attacks across the landlocked African nation against Government forces by extremists...

21-04-2026-UN-Photo-Iceland-geothermal-01 (AZ2wtNoSdex1D7-SfD7U)

Renewables rising, Part 1: How four countries are reshaping energy security

25 April 2026 — The ongoing insecurity in the Middle East, where a large proportion of the world’s oil and gas is extracted, is forcing many countries to focus on how they can ensure access to...

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. 

ECOSOC Youth Forum (14-16 April)

As a global platform for dialogue, the ECOSOC Youth Forum brings together young people, Member States, the UN system, and other partners to exchange ideas, showcase innovative solutions, and strengthen youth engagement in accelerating progress on the SDGs. Find the ECOSOC Youth Forum programme here.

Partnerships for the Goals

Goal of the month

 

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

 

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 Lebanese teenager arranging her makeup in a shelter in Beirut. OHCHR, Displaced Persons and Refugees

“All I took was my dream”: A story of displacement in Beirut

Fourteen-year-old Maya Sakr sits on a thin mattress in a Beirut school turned shelter, clutching the only thing she carried when bombs fell: a small make-up bag. As her family fled the strikes in the city’s southern suburbs, there was no time for anything else. Now they share a crowded classroom with other displaced families. Her father, weakened by cancer, struggles to access care; her young brother is frightened and confused. At night, echoes of explosions linger. The make-up bag holds more than brushes—it holds Maya’s dream of becoming a make-up artist, and a fragile sense of control in a life overturned by war. Despite it all, Maya says it helps her remember who she is—and who she hopes to become.

collage of Big Ben next to Lady Liberty atop a blue background with scribbles Language

English Language Day: events and quizzes

You say EEdhuhr, and I say EYEdhuh... Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger's famous rendition of the song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" strikes a chord comparing British and American English pronunciations. This year, on the occasion of English Language Day, we have a fun quiz: test your knowledge of British vs. American English. Why now? April 23rd — the date traditionally observed as both the birthday and date of death of William Shakespeare, the English language's most famous playwright — is the day we celebrate the English Language at the United Nations. For the occasion, the UN Movie Society presents "Shakespeare at the UN", and the English Langauge programme showcases a lightning panel titled "FRONTER MINDS: Upskilling Communications in the AI Era."

A woman holding a large bundle of harvested rice. FAO, WMO, Climate

The heat is on: Practical solutions to extreme heat in agriculture

Heat was once routine for Sary Kea, a rice farmer in Cambodia, until extreme temperatures began ruining her crops. Repeated plantings failed as rains never came, draining her income and heightening anxiety about each season. Her story reflects a growing global crisis. A new analysis shows how extreme heat, combined with shifting rain and drought, damages crops, livestock and livelihoods. The effects are personal: lower yields, unsafe working conditions and food loss. Solutions that reach farmers in time — early warnings, heat‑tolerant crops, cooling storage and basic worker protections — are turning heat from a sudden disaster into a risk farmers can plan around, helping families like Sary Kea’s stay safe and afloat.

A collage of humanitarians at work.
Economic Development, UNDP

Development is the best defence

As conflict rises and aid declines, UNDP argues that investing in long-term development is essential to building resilience, reducing costs, and securing global peace and stability.

An indigenous young girl popping her head out a river
Natural Resources and the Environment, UNESCO

People and nature

Across more than 2,260 UNESCO-designated sites worldwide, communities and ecosystems remain deeply interconnected, offering powerful lessons for protecting biodiversity, sustaining livelihoods, and confronting climate change.

A mother and child in a makeshift home preparing food.
Peace and Security, WFP

A war’s ripple effect on hunger

A prolonged Middle East crisis is driving up fuel and food costs worldwide, pushing millions closer to hunger as disrupted supply chains hit the most vulnerable communities hardest.

Tanjong Pagar Container Terminal, Singapore
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, UNCTAD

Greening ports, securing trade

A new partnership between UNCTAD and Singapore aims to help ports cut emissions, boost resilience, and ensure developing countries are included in the transition to sustainable global shipping.

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

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.

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

Selecting the next Secretary-General

The United Nations process to appoint the next Secretary‑General continues on 21 and 22 April with interactive dialogues guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity. Join the conversation and follow the live interactive dialogues with the candidates on UN WebTV: Michelle Bachelet Jeria (21 April, 10 a.m. EDT), Rafael Mariano Grossi (21 April, 3 p.m. EDT), Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (22 April, 10 a.m. EDT), and Macky Sall (22 April, 3 p.m. EDT).

Watch and Listen

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

A girl’s climate story

In Pakistan, 14-year-old Sobh walks through her village, showing how climate change has disrupted daily life with heavy rains flooding schools and damaging water sources. 

Sobh explains how UNICEF is supporting her village through solutions like rainwater collection, solar energy, tree planting, and safe drinking water systems. At school, children are not only learning about climate change but also working together to find ways to protect their future.

$5 Emergency birth kit

No mother should have to give birth in unsafe conditions, yet in conflict zones and disasters many women still face childbirth without basic care or supplies, while UNFPA and Viola Davis highlight how a $5 Emergency Birth Kit can help save mothers and newborns.

Women who shape memory

In “Nab’d AlUla,” women artisans in AlUla pass on heritage through Sadu weaving and stone engraving, blending tradition and innovation while empowering future generations to preserve the region’s cultural legacy.

UN Podcasts

Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Hormuz crisis threatens global fertilizer supply, UN warns

A potential blockage of fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz could trigger a “very significant and severe” global food crisis, disproportionately affecting the poorest countries, according to Jorge Moreira da Silva of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS). He warned that access to these critical supplies is essential ahead of planting season.

He added that a UN-led task force could activate a “one-stop platform” within seven days to help coordinate the flow of fertilizers and raw materials, if passage through the strait is allowed. The goal, he told UN News journalist Reem Abaza, is to quickly support the world’s most vulnerable communities and prevent worsening food insecurity.

Photo Credit: UN

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.

Two women restoring herbal medicine fields.
Photo:NaPO

Forest Health. Human Health.

For centuries, Indigenous Peoples and local communities in Kenya have relied on herbal medicine to care for their families, drawing on knowledge passed from elders to children. Today, that wisdom is at risk—often ignored or exploited—just as forests and sacred landscapes disappear. Through community-led projects supported by the United Nations Development Programme’s GEF Small Grants Programme, healers like herbalist Roda Saaya and community elder Lekerio Sakui are protecting health and heritage. By documenting remedies, restoring forests, and mentoring youth, communities show that healing people and healing nature are inseparable, and that care, culture, and biodiversity must endure together for future generations.

A female athletics coach looks directly at the camera on a running track.
Photo:© UNFPA Uganda

Uganda: How sport helps to protect girls from female genital mutilation

For girls in eastern Uganda, sport has become a lifeline. Athletics coach Zuena Cheptoek is more than a trainer: she is a trusted adult to whom girls confide fears about female genital mutilation, pressure to leave school and unsafe relationships. Working with Sebei communities, she uses sport to challenge traditions that trap girls in cycles of poverty, violence and early marriage. Through races, mentorship and safe spaces, girls gain education, confidence and knowledge of their rights. As they run and learn, attitudes begin to shift—offering girls the chance to choose safety, dignity and a future of their own.

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