Empty wooden chair in dark room under spotlight, symbolizing absence and remembrance of victims.
Human Rights

Enforced disappearances: Fear persists, treaty ratification lags

Enforced disappearance is often used as a strategy to instill fear in society. The resulting sense of insecurity affects not only the close relatives of the disappeared, but also their communities and society at large. In 2010, the General Assembly adopted the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance to prevent this grave human rights violation and combat impunity. On the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances (August 30), the UN notes that only 77 Member States have ratified the Convention.

Enforced disappearances are a global issue, affecting regions worldwide.
Photo:Adobe Stock/zabhie (AI Generated)
A seven-year-old patient with severe acute malnutrition and dehydration was transferred to a field hospital in southern Gaza in April amid a looming famine in the north.

The descent into ‘a massive famine’ in Gaza has begun, relief agencies warn

29 August 2025 — Amid reports of increased Israeli military operations across Gaza City on Friday, UN aid agencies repeated urgent warnings of ongoing famine and a likely rise in preventable...

A mother and her child, displaced by gang violence, sleep on the bare floor of a school in Haiti.

‘The people of Haiti are in a perfect storm of suffering,’ warns UN chief

28 August 2025 — State authority is crumbling across Haiti while gang violence engulfs the capital Port-au-Prince and beyond, “paralysing daily life and forcing families to flee,” UN Secretary-...

A displaced family sit outside their tent in Gaza.

Gaza death and destruction ‘without parallel in recent times’: Guterres

28 August 2025 — UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Thursday renewed his call for a ceasefire in Gaza, greater humanitarian access and the release of all hostages, as the enclave faces yet...

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

ActNow is the UN campaign to inspire people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the lead up to the Summit of the Future, join the 1 Million Actions for our Common Future challenge to contribute to a more sustainable and peaceful world. 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.

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.

Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Goal of the month

 

Goal 9: Industries, Innovation and Infrastructure

Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

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 tranquil landscape with a lake. In the foreground, two people stand casting long shadows. Natural Resources and the Environment, UNEP

Lakes worldwide are in decline. Here's why and what to do.

There are over 100 million lakes across the globe, but many are undergoing dramatic changes. Climate change, pollution, and excessive water use are causing lakes to shrink, overflow, or even change color. According to Dianna Kopansky of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), some of the world’s most iconic lakes have deteriorated significantly in recent decades. She warns that reversing this trend is essential, as countless people depend on lakes for their survival. In honor of the first World Lake Day, here’s a closer look at the biggest threats to the world’s lakes – and what can be done about them. 

Two women face the ruins of a collapsed building in earthquake-hit Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye Economic Development, World Bank

Turning knowledge into action: Scaling solutions for disaster risk

Knowledge, especially practical know-how, is crucial for countries to address development challenges and enhance resilience to disasters. Many people and businesses in emerging economies lack insurance against natural disasters, forcing governments to absorb the costs. In 2023, earthquakes in Morocco, Türkiye, and Syria highlighted this gap. In Morocco and Türkiye, public-private insurance partnerships demonstrated effectiveness in these cases, expanding access and affordability of risk coverage. The World Bank Group Academy launched the Disaster Risk Finance Academy to facilitate sharing of best practices among global experts and officials, with a goal of transforming knowledge into actionable solutions.

A person sorting a large pile of potatoes. Agriculture and Food, FAO

Lesotho´s potato farmers: From subsistence to prosperity

In a remote town in Lesotho’s Maseru District, farmer Mabitsoane Diholo has transformed her life through potato farming. Once merely for family consumption, potatoes have become her livelihood, contributing to her home and children's education. In 2022, Lesotho joined the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), supporting 750 farmers like Mabitsoane. With improved seeds and access to markets like Maluti Fresh Produce Market, farmers are shifting from subsistence to commercial farming, enhancing their incomes and becoming entrepreneurs, thanks to better practices and coordinated efforts.

An collage of youth.
Youth, UNDP

Youth driving change

Across Latin America and the Caribbean, young leaders are rising to confront the climate crisis, advocate for justice, and build resilient communities.

A young lady watering a plant outside.
Health Interventions, IOM

Hope through sound

After years of silence and struggle, 15-year-old Merve’s life transformed with a single hearing aid, unlocking her confidence, connection, and dreams for the future.

A woman in a broadcasting room for a television program.
Communication and Mass Media, UNESCO

Voices beyond silence

Through Begum TV’s Tabasum program, Afghan women and girls cut off from education find hope, healing, and empowerment, one broadcast at a time.

A delivery person on a motorbike on the streets.
Industry, ILO

Defining the In-Between

The new international classification ICSE-18 finally gives long-overlooked dependent contractors a distinct identity, recognizing their unique position between employment and self-employment.

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

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. 

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 mother's wish

Imagine a hunger that never ends, one that threatens your very life. In Gaza, daily violence and collapsing hospitals put mothers and newborns at extreme risk, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) delivers essential medical care, emergency obstetric services, and psychosocial support.

Your donation helps ensure that even amidst war and devastation, mothers receive the care they desperately need and their babies have a chance to survive and thrive.

World Food Day poster contest

Unleash your creativity in the World Food Day Poster Contest and show how healthy food builds thriving, hopeful communities. The deadline for entries is 7 November 2025.

Enhancing rural livelihoods

Yemen’s Rural Livelihoods Project boosts resilience by restoring water, providing solar power, and teaching nutrition to fight poverty and hunger.

UN Podcasts

Group photo with a large assembly of women, children and men outdoors surrounded by trees and fragile homes some seated on a UNICEF banner

Working for peace in the DR Congo, with Vivian van de Perre (AAN S11-E5)

“It's tragic and it's unimaginable, but at the same time, people live their lives and they do the best they can, and they remain generous and warm, despite the circumstances that they live in. You go to these places and you see the worst and you see the best, and it's all in one package, and it is just something that really, really touches you. It's not like a regular job.”

Vivian van de Perre’s calling is to help nations transition from conflict to peace. Now the deputy head of peacekeeping in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), she leads a life-saving operation in the rebel-held city of Goma.

A recent peace accord has raised hopes of an end to the violence that has plagued eastern DRC for the past three decades. In this episode, recorded before the peace agreement, Vivian van de Perre reflects on the impact of funding cuts on active war zones, on peacekeeping as a delicate balancing act, and shares why she falls for every place she serves.

Photo: ©United Nations/MONUSCO

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 woman in Gaza gently holding her 18-month-old son, Mohamed, who has a rare genetic disorder.
Photo:WFP/Ali Jadallah

As famine grips Gaza, families turn to desperate measures to survive

Hedaia cradles her 18-month-old son, Mohamed, who suffers from muscular atrophy and is now skeletal due to severe food shortages in Gaza. By the end of September, it is projected that 641,000 people will face catastrophic hunger. Famine has been confirmed in Gaza at the highest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) level, which is the global standard for measuring food insecurity. An additional 1.14 million will face Emergency conditions, while 396,000 will be in Crisis. The situation is worsened by ongoing conflict and restricted aid access. Experts call for urgent aid and a ceasefire to save lives, marking the first confirmed famine in the Gaza Strip.

A healthcare worker dressed in a white uniform is examining a child's arm inside a wooden structure.
Photo:OCHA

Severe aid cuts threaten survival of returnees in North Kivu

Decades of armed conflict in North Kivu, DRC, have devastated infrastructure and lives. Since January 2025, over 1 million displaced people have been pushed to leave camps and return to villages, but many struggle to access basic services, especially healthcare. In Kabase village, the only health facility is in ruins, with stolen essential equipment, including a vaccine refrigerator. Nurse Lukoo Joseph highlights the dire situation, stating the community cannot afford healthcare. Despite severe funding cuts, the UN aims to assist 11 million people this year but requires more support to meet rising needs. You can help make a difference. Support the DRC Humanitarian Fund.

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