Three girls holding menstrual pads in their hands.
Health

Changing periods, changing futures

Millions of women and girls worldwide still lack access to menstrual products, clean water, sanitation, and education needed to manage their menstrual health and hygiene safely and with dignity. Periods make them miss school, work, and opportunities — especially in conflict-affected areas where the challenges are even greater. But it does not have to be this way. This Menstrual Hygiene Day (28 May), let's end period poverty and stigma. Let's change the rules and support the work of UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund and UN Women to ensure every girl and woman can thrive.

UNICEF-supported initiatives in India help girls from marginalized communities break menstrual taboos, build awareness, and manage their periods with dignity.
Photo:UNICEF/Vinay Panjwani
A view of a heavily damaged multi-story brick apartment building in Sloviansk, Ukraine, with debris scattered on the street in front.

UN warns Ukraine war risks spiralling ‘out of control’

28 May 2026 — The United Nations on Thursday warned of a dangerous escalation in the war in Ukraine after a wave of large-scale Russian strikes and threats of further attacks, with Secretary-...

Two health workers in white hazmat suits stand at the open cargo door of an airplane at Bunia airport in DR Congo, during an Ebola emergency response supply delivery.

WHO chief calls for ceasefire amid DR Congo Ebola outbreak

28 May 2026 — The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) headed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Thursday as the country continues to combat a deadly resurgence of...

The United Nations Secretariat building in New York, with flags of Member States in the foreground under a bright blue sky.

UN80 Initiative: ‘Critical new phase’ for UN reform effort

28 May 2026 — UN chief António Guterres has outlined further progress in the wide-ranging UN80 Initiative, a major reform and restructuring project aimed at making the global body more effective,...

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 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal of the month

 

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

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 child sitting down and wearing headphones looks at the camera while other people are blurred in the image. Human Rights, Youth

“Include Us!”: Young voices set new standards for global decision-making

Over 15 months, eight young people (12–19) from six countries worked to address gaps in the quality of child participation in global decision-making. Drawing on their experiences, surveys and a global consultation, they found children are often underrepresented and engagement is inconsistent. As the Children and Young People’s Task Group, they developed “Include Us!” standards to ensure meaningful participation before, during and after events, grounded in Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The guidance offers practical steps for inclusive, safe and impactful engagement, urging organizers worldwide to adopt them.

The shadow of an airplane is seen from above and reflected in a wetland area. ICAO

Clearing the runway to net-zero aviation

Civil aviation, long a driver of global connectivity, faces a critical test: decarbonizing fast enough to remain viable in a climate‑constrained world. While the sector has embraced a net‑zero emissions goal by 2050, progress must accelerate far beyond incremental gains. Achieving this requires massive, sustained global investment, especially in sustainable aviation fuels expected to deliver over half of emissions cuts. Ahead of The International Civil Aviation Organization Aviation Climate Week (Montreal, Canada, 2-4 June) ICAO is advancing financing tools, capacity‑building programmes and global standards. With urgent cooperation and decisive action, net zero is within reach—without it, climate realities could jeopardize aviation’s future.

A woman joins the tea pluckers for the harvest season. FAO, Agriculture and Food

Hilltops and teacups

At dawn in Rwanda, tea harvesters in bright yellow gear work the country’s lush hills, sustaining a sector that is key to the economy. Agriculture employs over 60% of the population, with tea as the second-largest export. Smallholder farmers, many of them women, are central to production, using handpicking techniques to ensure high-quality leaves. Government programmes and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) support have helped farmers improve livelihoods, lifting many out of poverty and expanding opportunity. A national tea strategy now aims to boost quality, strengthen market access and attract investment, helping rural communities grow and securing the future of Rwanda’s tea industry.

A farmer admiring her crop.
Economic Development, IFAD

Partnerships growing rural economies

IFAD’s public-private-producer partnerships connect companies with small farmers, increasing incomes, strengthening supply chains, and supporting sustainable rural development globally.

People climbing over debris between damaged buildings in a heavily ruined area.
Peace and Security

Rebuilding lives slowly

After years of displacement, families returning to Yathrib, a small town in Salah al Din, Iraq,  struggle to rebuild destroyed homes and restore stability with limited support.

A mother holding her child at a wellness check up clinic.
Children, SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, WFP

Pakistan's nutrition success

WFP-backed Nashonuma programme reduces child stunting in Pakistan through nutrition support, counselling, and maternal health services.

A couple of workers inspecting solar panels.
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy, UNCTAD

Green investment inequality

UNCTAD warns renewable energy investment alone is insufficient; countries need technology, skills, and flexible policies to build local industries.

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

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).

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.

A 90s invention like no other!

UNICEF highlights that ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) has transformed treatment for severe child malnutrition worldwide. Since 2000, global under-five mortality has dropped significantly, and RUTF has helped reach over 9 million children annually, contributing to millions of lives saved in both crisis and stable settings.

Child wasting is a life-threatening form of malnutrition that weakens immunity and increases the risk of death and disease. RUTF is an energy-dense, shelf-stable paste that can be used at home, enabling high recovery rates of over 90% while reducing the need for hospitalization and improving access to treatment in remote areas.

Inclusive action for planet earth

Inclusion means fostering respect, dignity, and safe spaces where diverse identities, backgrounds, and lived experiences are valued so that everyone can fully participate in shaping a more sustainable future.

Chemical threat – Clandestine laboratories

A UN-supported virtual reality training tool helps governments, law enforcement, and experts identify and safely respond to clandestine chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapon labs.

UN Podcasts

WIPO podcast

Intellectual Property and Cannabis

In this episode of WIPO’s podcast Page Points, Natalie Corthésy explores the evolving relationship between intellectual property and the global cannabis industry.

Drawing from the groundbreaking book Intellectual Property and Cannabis, the discussion examines how trademarks, branding, packaging, patents, and traditional knowledge intersect within a rapidly expanding and increasingly legitimized market.

Corthésy highlights the importance of consumer trust, national identity, and fair competition, while also addressing the cultural and socio-economic dimensions of cannabis regulation.

The episode offers timely insights into how IP frameworks are adapting to one of the world’s most complex emerging industries.

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.

mother with two infants
Photo:© UNFPA/Gaia Squarci

New life, fragile ground

In the Central African Republic conflict, poverty and shrinking humanitarian funding are pushing health systems to the brink. At the Bangui Paediatric Complex, Central African Republic's only specialist neonatal and paediatric hospital, families face rising costs for care after free health services sustained by international partners, including UNFPA, were scaled back. Belicia, who had triplets is receiving quality care in the maternity ward. However, only around 40 per cent of births in the country are attended by skilled personnel and many women struggle to access essential reproductive and neonatal healthcare.

dried fruit at a farmer's market
Photo:UNDP/SGP Uzbekistan

Resilience revolution

Double-landlocked in the heart of Central Asia, Uzbekistan is dominated by an arid climate. Almost half of the country is covered by rangelands that sustain the livelihoods of pastoralists, small-scale herders, ranchers and farmers. But with the escalating impacts of climate change and land degradation this territory and the local communities who depend on it are under unprecedented pressure. Yet, it is within these local communities that the most powerful solutions are being forged, with support from the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, including a shift away from water-intensive, traditional farming towards a more resilient model.

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