UNHCR aid workers helping an elderly woman in Ukraine
Humanitarian Aid

A collective push to protect millions of lives

The Global Humanitarian Overview Report presents an analysis of global crises and needs and the humanitarian plans to address them. In 2026, humanitarian partners are appealing for almost US$33 billion to assist 135 million people in crisis, with the immediate priority to mobilize $23 billion to save 87 million lives. The report presents a collective picture of humanitarians' achievements and highlights the widening gap between growing humanitarian needs and limited resources, calling for stronger global solidarity and sustained support to protect civilians and tackle the root causes of crises.

Aid workers assist people arriving by the evacuation train from front-line areas, helping them access support and care in safer parts of Ukraine.
Photo:UNHCR/Rokada Charitable Foundation
Family members rest on a street in Beirut, Lebanon, after fleeing their house due to an evacuation order.<br />

MIDDLE EAST LIVE 11 March: Civilian toll rises, regional disruption spreads as Security Council meets

11 March 2026 — As the conflict in the Middle East continues to ripple across the region, the UN Security Council is meeting today to discuss the escalating situation, with a morning briefing...

Afghan returnees from Iran gather at the Islam-Border, near Herat in western Afghanistan. (file)

‘Toxic rain’ warning from oil depot strikes amid ongoing Middle East war

10 March 2026 — Toxic “black rain” linked to strikes on oil depots, mass displacement and continuing disruption to aid supply chains are upending lives across the Middle East and beyond after 10...

Young people protest for gender equality and women's rights in Nepa (file)

UN commission opens with focus on justice for women and girls

9 March 2026 — Access to justice for women and girls dominated the agenda on Monday as the Commission on the Status of Women opened its 70th session at UN Headquarters in New York. 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.

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.

Goal of the Month 5

 
Gender Equality

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

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 group of five women facing the camera in a triangular shaped formation. Women and Gender Equality

International Women’s Day 2026: Rights. Justice. Action.

International Women’s Day 2026 arrives as justice systems falter under conflict and repression, leaving women with only 64% of men’s legal rights. Across most countries, women face higher barriers to justice—denied lawyers, priced out of services, dismissed, or blamed when reporting abuses. For hundreds of millions near conflict zones, justice is absent entirely. When justice fails, women pay. Real justice means enforceable rights, believing survivors, accessible legal aid, and support after violations. UN Women urges collective action to build and fund justice systems that deliver equality. 

A woman holding a small bowl seated on a raised, carpet covered outdoor platform attached to a white plastered building. Agriculture and Food, Women and Gender Equality

The woman who grows Tajikistan

Sonya Kirgizova, a respected farmer in Tajikistan’s Tojikobod region, has become a key leader in efforts to revive traditional crops and strengthen local agriculture. As more men migrate for work, women like Sonya now manage farms but often lack resources. Sonya partnered with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to train women in gardening, greenhouses and beekeeping, and helped establish community seed banks that store climate‑resilient seeds. Women are now accessing seeds, earning income, reviving local varieties and seeing themselves as producers and decision‑makers.

A black tire placed upright against a solid pink background. The center opening of the tire is completely filled with tightly packed pink flowers. Economic Development

India’s first smell mark: Sumitomo rose-scented tires

India has approved its first smell trademark: Sumitomo’s rose‑scented tires, marking a shift in how the country handles non‑traditional marks. Because scents are hard to represent objectively, Sumitomo used scientific tools—like chromatography and mass spectrometry, to define the molecular fingerprint of its rose fragrance —to meet legal standards of clarity and non‑functionality. The case sets a precedent for sensory marks, highlights the need for guidelines and scientific support, and opens opportunities for scent‑based branding in India and beyond.

Woman in wide-brim hat holds a green melon amid a display of melons in a garden.
Women and Gender Equality, UNDP

Women leading climate resilience

Across fragile regions, women restore forests, manage scarce resources, and rebuild livelihoods, showing how climate resilience and peace grow stronger when communities empower women.

Traditional Rohingya food cooked in wrapped leaves.
Culture, Food, IOM

Memory wrapped in leaves

In Cox’s Bazar, Sabekun Nahar revives the traditional Rohingya dish musa, using food, memory and culture to reconnect displaced communities with identity and belonging.

Fauna cubana.
Wildlife, Tourism, UNESCO

Photography connecting nature and people

Through ecotourism and photography, José Pérez reveals Cuba’s hidden biodiversity, connecting visitors with communities and conservation while transforming images into powerful bridges between science, emotion and protection.

A teacher in a classroom.
Artificial Intelligence, World Bank

AI adoption reveals global divide

New data shows AI adoption largely follows predicted job exposure, but a widening global divide leaves high-income countries leading usage while developing economies risk technological exclusion.

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.

Indigenous teen codes new opportunities

Sixteen-year-old Arleidis, a Wayúu girl from the Pushaina clan, walked hours to study software programming, determined to overcome barriers and inspire her family and community. She now uses digital tools to promote and sell their work, strengthening her community livelihood.

First Global Citizenship Education prize

In 2025, UNESCO awarded its inaugural Global Citizenship Education Prize to initiatives in Tanzania and Ecuador, recognizing outstanding global education impact.

Youth voices transform safe space

In Benin, UNFPA-supported youth center murals, created with artist Larenson Djihouessi, showcase creativity while promoting safe spaces and essential support.

UN Podcasts

A UNODC programme participant examines coffee seedlings at a nursery in Kuan District, Laos.

Women and youth in agrifood systems

As global debates on food, equity and resilience accelerate, one story highlights who must be at the center. This episode of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Work We Do podcast highlights why women and youth are essential to transforming agrifood systems.

Lauren Phillips, FAO’s Director of Partnerships and UN Collaboration, discusses findings from FAO flagship reports on women’s central roles, persistent gaps in land, finance and opportunities, and why progress remains uneven. The conversation explores the International Year of the Woman Farmer, youth participation amid high global youth unemployment, and the financing gap. It makes the case for investing in women and youth as drivers of inclusive growth, resilience and food security.

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.

children in school uniform are playing in a playground
Photo:©WFP/Alessandro Abbonizio

Their teacher knows their journey

For thousands of students in Uganda’s Karamoja region, Teacher Evaline Akello is more than a teacher, she’s proof that their dreams are possible.

Evaline once sat where they sit now, a hungry child relying on the World Food Programme (WFP) school meals to stay in class. Today, her students see in her story a powerful message: with food, education and determination, their futures can be bigger than the challenges they face. Evaline's journey shows how one simple meal can change the course of not just one, but many lives.

a person with an earring and a head cover points to vegetable patches next to tents
Photo:©OCHA/Bénédicte Bama Toé

Gardens of hope

In a displacement site in Dédougou, Burkina Faso, families forced to flee violence are transforming small plots of land beside their tents into gardens of resilience with support from OCHA and humanitarian partners.

By growing vegetables they add fresh food to scarce meals, share with neighbors and regain a sense of dignity and purpose. Tending these gardens offers more than nourishment; it brings moments of calm, community and hope amid the uncertainty of displacement.

Main Bodies

Departments / Offices

Resources / Services

Key Documents

News and Media

Issues / Campaigns