A young boy in a wheelchair is performing on a stage and pointing up.
Social Development

Empowering persons with disabilities for a sustainable future

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December) highlights the essential role of persons with disabilities in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable world. It also underscores that the leadership of persons with disabilities is needed to drive transformative change and promote disability-inclusive peace and development at all levels. The theme aligns with key global milestones, including the Pact for the Future and the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development in 2025, reinforcing efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16 percent of the world’s population, have a significant disability. That’s one in six of us.
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Deforestation releases carbon into the atmosphere, which fuels climate change and further harms forests.

Landmark climate change hearings represent largest ever case before UN world court

2 December 2024 — A record number of oral statements are expected to be presented to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as highly awaited public hearings on States’ legal obligations with...

In Haiti, the ongoing crisis has led to children being recruited by armed groups, often drawn in due to poverty, lack of access to education and social instability, which make them vulnerable to exploitation.

Haiti’s children: Crisis demands urgent action

2 December 2024 — As Haiti grapples with escalating violence and systemic collapse, its children are bearing the brunt of a multipronged crisis that threatens their lives, safety, and future....

Part of a water and sewage network in Nur Shams camp in Gaza is damaged following an Israeli military operation.

The nightmare in Gaza must stop, urges UN deputy chief

2 December 2024 — Describing the situation in Gaza as “appalling and apocalyptic” the UN Deputy Secretary-General on Monday called on world leaders to act decisively to alleviate suffering and...

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.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Goal of the month

 

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Reduce inequality within and among countries

 

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 fish in the sea next to plastic debris. Pollution and Waste, UNDP

Hidden in plain sight: 10 things you didn't know contained plastics

Plastic is more widespread than we realize. While we recognize common items like bags and bottles, many everyday objects contain plastic in surprising ways. Ten unexpected sources of plastic include dust, air, clothing, fish, salt, drink cans, human blood, tea bags, paper cups, and snow. As countries work toward a global treaty to #BeatPlasticPollution, the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) will be held in South Korea (25 November – 1 December), with the goal of creating a legally binding agreement to combat plastic pollution. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is tackling the plastic pollution crisis through more than 200 projects and 1,000 community initiatives in 132 countries, helping governments develop policies and regulation.

A group of women participating in a social protection program in Madagascar. Economic Development, World Bank

Why economic inclusion is key to poverty reduction

As the world faces pressing issues like poverty, inequality, and climate change, the poorest communities are often the hardest hit. The World Bank Group aims to provide social protection to at least 500 million people by 2030, including 250 million women. Economic inclusion programs are vital in boosting income and assets, offering pathways to better job opportunities and resilience. These initiatives now reach 15 million households, benefiting over 70 million people globally, largely through government-led efforts, with NGOs providing additional support. However, nearly 700 million people still live on less than $2.15 per day, highlighting the ongoing fight against extreme poverty and the need to scale up these programs.

A woman teaching at a farmer's school in Kenya. Agriculture and Food, África, FAO

Kenya: Investing in families opens markets

Esther Munani Kyalo, a mother of three from Miambani ward in Kitui County, Kenya, has changed her routine over the past few months. Every Tuesday, she joins around 35 other women at the Kavakaky Farmer Field School to breed chicks in a new poultry house. Under a large mango tree, the community gathers to discuss and improve their husbandry practices. In Kenya's arid and semi-arid regions, livestock production, including beekeeping and chicken brooding, is vital for family income. Transitioning to commercial farming can improve incomes and reduce rural poverty, and Farmer Field Schools are key to this change. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) supported Kenya’s National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth (NARIG) project, reaching nearly 300,000 farmers in eight years.

Women and Gender Equality, Protection of Civilians, UN Women

Global femicide crisis escalates

Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation. In 2023, an estimated 51,100 women and girls were killed by intimate partners or family members worldwide.

Peace and Security, IOM

Resilience amid Port-au-Prince displacement

Amid ongoing violence and displacement in Port-au-Prince, communities in sites like Virginie sans Peur and Parc 10 demonstrate remarkable resilience, rebuilding their lives through mutual support and solidarity.

Displaced Persons and Refugees, UNHCR

Surviving displacement

Odette and her family, displaced by violence in Masisi territory, find resilience and survival through small businesses at the Lushagala Extension displacement site in North Kivu, DRC.

Communication and Mass Media, UNOPS

Half a million calls

Launched in 2018, Awaaz Afghanistan has become a vital communication lifeline, connecting over 3 million people to essential services and humanitarian aid amid conflict and crisis.

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

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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.

A young girl holds a smiling infant at the Zaatari Refugee Camp

Our Common Agenda

Following up on a pledge made by UN Member States at the UN’s 75th anniversary, the report Our Common Agenda looks ahead to the next 25 years and represents the Secretary-General’s vision on the future of global cooperation. It calls for inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism to better respond to humanity’s most pressing challenges.

Did you know?

As the world’s only truly universal global organization, the United Nations has become the foremost forum to address issues that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.

Watch and Listen

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

Every 10 minutes, a woman is killed

For thousands of women, the cycle of gender-based violence ended with one final and brutal act—their murder by partners and family members. There is #NoExcuse for violence against women and girls. The crisis of gender-based violence is urgent. 

The 16 Days of Activism is an opportunity to revitalize commitments, call for accountability and action from decision-makers, as the world approaches the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action in 2025 – a visionary blueprint for achieving gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights everywhere.

How Does Oral PrEP work?

As World AIDS Day approaches, it's important to highlight the significance of preventive measures like PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) which offers over 90% protection against HIV when taken correctly, empowering individuals to protect themselves from potential exposure.

International security and disarmament in 2045

By 2045, when United Nations celebrates its 100th anniversary, will disarmament, arms control, digital weaponization prevention, and diplomacy have effectively addressed global security challenges?

UN Podcasts

Arif is sitting in a group, listening and making notes.

How Much Does it Cost to Feed the World?

“We want people to scream at the top of their lungs saying enough is enough […] We as humanity will not tolerate this, regardless of what and where it is happening.”

Arif Husain has spent the past decade raising his voice on behalf of those struggling to get enough to eat. Now Chief Economist at the World Food Programme (WFP), he is calling for the world to put a stop to mass hunger.

There is no shortage of food in the world, yet WFP says the number of people going hungry has more than doubled in the past five years. In this episode of Awake at Night, Arif Husain reflects on how the deadly trio of conflict, climate change and economics conspire to breed hunger, and offers listeners hope from a surprising source.

Photo: ©WFP/Inger Marie Vennize

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 hugging
Photo:© UNFPA Ukraine/Artem Nykyforov

Uprooted: Three displaced survivors of gender-based violence share their personal journeys

Three women: from Sudan, from Ukraine, and from the Democratic Republic of the Congo share their stories of surviving wartime rape and domestic violence to find safety and support in clinics run by the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners. A staggering 70 percent of women in conflict zones are subjected to gender-based violence. Maria, a Ukrainian woman, fled her home due to the war, but was forced to return to an abusive partner, enduring further trauma. Now on the road to healing, Maria says she is profoundly grateful to the people who listened, and cared.“They simply looked me in the eyes, extended a hand and said, ‘Hold on, hold my hand, and I’ll help you.” UNFPA's efforts are critical in addressing the urgent needs of these survivors, offering healthcare, counseling, and protection services to rebuild their lives.

Indigenous woman looking up at tree
Photo:© UNDP Peru/Nuria Ángeles Tapia

Indigenous women: Agents of change for ecological restoration in the Peruvian Amazon

In the Peruvian Amazon, indigenous women are spearheading ecological restoration in the Cordillera Azul National Park buffer zone, addressing deforestation that has impacted over 7,945 hectares of forest. Communities like Santa Rosa de Aguaytía (Shipibo-Conibo) and Yamino and Mariscal Cáceres (Kakataibo) are restoring biodiversity while revitalizing ancestral knowledge. Leaders such as Nilda Vásquez plant native trees, like the endangered ishpingo, alongside agroforestry crops like cacao, creating wildlife corridors and boosting family incomes. Supported by the Sustainable Productive Landscapes project, 2,658 hectares have been restored, improving biodiversity and ecosystem services. This collective effort strengthens governance, climate resilience, and the communities' connection to their land, ensuring a sustainable future for people and nature.

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