UN flag on a blue background
United Nations Organization

United Nations Day: Reaffirm our shared values

United Nations Day (24 October) marks the anniversary of the day in 1945 when the United Nations Charter entered into force. For 81 years, the United Nations has given life to the idea that humanity's future depends on our ability to work together — settling disputes through diplomacy and law, fighting poverty and hunger, promoting human rights, and delivering life-saving aid. In a world shaken by conflict, battered by the climate crisis and scarred by inequality, UN Day is a moment to renew that promise: dialogue over division, cooperation over confrontation, solidarity over fear.

There is no other global organization with the legitimacy, convening power and normative impact of the United Nations.
Photo:UN
A Black African woman in a headscarf holds an infant in a makeshift tent at a displaced persons camp in Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan.

Women ‘first to suffer’ under siege, first to step up as frontline responders in Sudan

24 October 2026 — When Tahani Al-Numeiri heard the first explosions in Khartoum, her hometown, war seemed so remote that she assumed they were celebrations from a nearby wedding. It was the...

A Palestinian woman and her two children stand inside a room of their home in the West Bank that has been burned down by a settler attack.

West Bank: Guterres alarmed as Israel imposes sweeping closures after deadly Hebron attack

23 October 2026 — The UN said on Friday it was “extremely alarmed” by intensifying violence in the occupied West Bank, as Israel moved to seal off the territory following a deadly attack on its...

Women and children sit around yellow water jerrycans at an IDP camp in Lahj, receiving WFP humanitarian aid.

Yemen: Deepening concerns for Taiz City as aid is blocked from entering

23 October 2026 — Aid agencies warned on Friday of the fast-developing humanitarian emergency inside Taiz City in Yemen, which has been encircled by de facto Houthi forces fighting government...

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.

Thomas the Tank engine

Student Resources on the SDGs

Learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals! On our student resources page you will find plenty of materials for young people and adults alike. Share with your family and friends to help achieve a better world for all.

outline of a drop over a blue background

2026 UN Water Conference

Coming up in December! The 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and the Republic of Senegal, takes place 8 to 10 December in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Conference is an opportunity to strengthen investment, foster innovation, and galvanize political will to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

SDG 15: Life on Land

Goal of the month

 

Goal 15: Life on Land

Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss

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.

Alejandra Cartagena López (Mexico), Angkhana Neelapaijit (Thailand) and Amina Masood Janjua (Pakistan) in Palais des Nations in Geneva Human Rights

Still here, still searching

When a loved one disappears, life continues, but nothing is ever the same. For Alejandra in Mexico, Angkhana in Thailand and Amina in Pakistan, the search for missing relatives has meant years of uncertainty, financial hardship and bureaucratic obstacles. Now, their voices are helping shape “We Are Still Here”, a new UN-backed initiative putting victims and families at the centre of efforts to address enforced disappearances. Beyond the search for truth and justice, it aims to tackle the everyday challenges families face, from accessing bank accounts to securing identity documents. Their message is clear: nobody gives up here.

baby's bare feet Climate, Health, WHO

When extreme heat threatens the youngest lives

For pregnant women, newborns and children, rising temperatures pose growing health risks long before a heatwave makes headlines. Extreme heat is linked to a 26 per cent increase in the odds of preterm birth, while an estimated 1.5 billion children worldwide face increasingly severe heatwaves. To address these threats, WHO and UN partners have launched a new global framework to help countries monitor heat-related health risks, strengthen early warnings and prepare health services. The goal is to turn better data into timely action, protecting vulnerable families as the planet warms.

two men holding up honeycombs Agriculture and Food, IFAD

When protecting nature pays off

What if protecting biodiversity could also put food on the table and money in farmers’ pockets? From restoring wetlands in Mali to safeguarding native seeds in Colombia, rural communities are showing how healthier ecosystems can strengthen livelihoods and local economies. Yet those who protect nature often receive the fewest financial benefits. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) outlines five ways to make biodiversity work for rural people, combining ecosystem restoration, community leadership, fair financing and access to markets to create lasting opportunities for people and the planet.

Larissa holding a harvested crop.
Displaced Persons and Refugees, UNHCR

Sowing seeds of hope

In Cameroon, refugees are driving their own recovery, transforming farmland into livelihoods and building thriving businesses that strengthen families, communities and resilience.

Alfred holding an egg.
SDG 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production, WFP

Homegrown solutions to hunger

From wasted harvests to thriving businesses, South Sudanese entrepreneurs are turning local ingredients into jobs, better nutrition and new opportunities.

Economic Development, UNCTAD

Investing in a better future

How can global investment create opportunities for everyone? The World Investment Forum (25–27 October) brings world leaders to Doha to turn capital into lasting development.

An abandoned shipwreck.
Drugs and Crime, UNODC

The deadly cost of smuggling

Migrant smugglers collected up to $509 million on sea routes to Europe in 2025, while thousands of people died or disappeared attempting dangerous crossings.

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 with interactive dialogues guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity. Watch the dialogues: Lana Zaki Nusseibeh (27 October), Ivonne A-Baki (20 August), Michelle Bachelet Jeria (21 April), María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (15 June), Rafael Mariano Grossi (21 April), Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (22 April), Olara Otunnu (19 August), Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett (18 June) and Macky Sall (22 April).

 

A group of people carrying their few belongings, walking in front of buildings in ruins, at sunset.

The Spotlight series

This series shines a light on communities facing conflict, displacement, public health emergencies and other humanitarian challenges around the world. Drawing on reporting from across the UN system, it amplifies voices from countries including Haiti, Gaza, DR Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar, to foster understanding, encourage engagement, and help mobilize support, assistance, and protection for the most vulnerable people.

Climate Change

Climate Change is one of the defining issues of our time and we are at a pivotal moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Taking decisive action today will make adapting to these impacts in the future more effective and less costly.

General Assembly hall with the Secretary-General at the podium

The Essential UN

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. 

Watch and Listen

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

Before the UN: The Forgotten Story of UNRRA

Founded in November 1943 during the Second World War, UNRRA delivered vital food, clothing and medicine, repatriated seven million people, and helped rebuild devastated communities across Europe.

Through the dedication of relief workers, including women such as Amy Rachel Kerr, UNRRA restored dignity and hope to displaced people while pioneering international cooperation that helped lay the foundations for the United Nations.

Do young people want to have a family anymore?

UNFPA surveyed over 100,000 young people around the world to learn what they want. Shudu Musida, UNFPA Global Champion for Women and Girls tells us what they said, and how people reacted to the results.

The point of return

The window to limit warming to 1.5°C without significant overshoot has closed, but UNEP says rapid emissions cuts can still avert worse climate impacts.

UN Podcasts

groceries receipt

Why is life becoming harder to afford despite economic growth?

The cost of everyday life has risen sharply in recent years, leaving many working people struggling to make ends meet. Yet economies have continued to grow and productivity has increased. So why aren’t workers always seeing the benefits in their incomes?

ILO Chief Economist Sangheon Lee explores the low-pay, low-productivity jobs trap and explains why better jobs can themselves help drive economic growth. He also looks at how artificial intelligence could widen existing inequalities, the challenges facing small and medium-sized enterprises, and what policymakers can do to ensure that productivity gains translate into better jobs, higher incomes and improved living standards.

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.

family members checking on patient in transparent cube
Photo:UNOCHA/Francis Mweze

Providing care and contact while reducing risk of contagion

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, an innovative medical unit is transforming Ebola treatment, making care safer, more humane and less isolating. Known as the CUBE, this transparent, self-contained structure allows health workers to monitor and treat patients while reducing the risk of infection. Unlike traditional isolation wards, it also enables patients to see and communicate with their loved ones throughout treatment. In a region where Ebola outbreaks have brought fear, suffering and mistrust, the CUBE offers more than medical care. It helps restore dignity, rebuild trust and bring hope to families facing a deadly disease.

women harvesting grain in a field
Photo:UNDP/W+ Standard

Making women’s climate action count

Women are on the frontlines of climate change, protecting forests, restoring ecosystems and helping communities build resilience. Yet their contributions often go unrecognized and unrewarded. A pioneering approach, the W+ Standard, is helping change that by measuring the social and economic benefits of women’s work, from increased incomes to greater opportunities and decision-making power. By making these contributions visible and measurable, the initiative aims to attract investment, strengthen gender equality and ensure women share in the benefits of climate action.

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