Portrait of an African woman and a tree and a sunset in the background
Land, Plants, and Soil

Her land. Her rights.

Women hold a vital stake in the health of the land. Yet they often don't have control over it. In many regions, they remain subject to discriminatory practices that impede their right to inherit and access services and resources to prosper. Moreover, when land becomes degraded, and water is scarce, they are often the worst affected. This International Day Against Desertification and Drought (17 Nov) claims "Her land. Her rights" as a direct investment in our future. It is time for women and girls to be at the forefront of land restoration and drought resilience efforts. Join the campaign!

Women are major actors in the efforts to reduce and reverse land degradation. However, in most countries, women have unequal and limited access to and control over land.
Photo:Poco Bw / Adobe Stock
Burning fossil fuels like coal contributes to climate change.

Guterres calls for phasing out fossil fuels to avoid climate ‘catastrophe’

15 June 2023 — Countries must phase out coal and other fossil fuels to avert climate “catastrophe”, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Thursday in New York.  
 

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A boy in Jableh city in northwestern Syria watches excavation work following the February 2023 earthquake. (file)

UN chief insists on solidarity with people of Syria, with ‘no time to spare’

15 June 2023 — As donors gathered in Brussels at an international pledging conference for Syria organized by the European Union on Thursday, UN chief António Guterres highlighted the immense...

Displaced people walk back to Plain Savo site early morning after spending the night in host families in the nearby city of Bulé, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

UNHCR calls for concerted action as forced displacement hits new high of 110 million

13 June 2023 — The full-scale war in Ukraine, alongside other conflict and climate-driven upheaval, meant more people than ever remained uprooted from their homes last year, heightening the...

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.

Act Now

ActNow Campaign

ActNow is the United Nations campaign for individual action on climate change. Every one of us can help take care of our planet. Learn what you can do to be part of the solution and influence change. To log your actions, download the app.

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.

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.

SDG goals 12, 14 and 15

Goal of the month

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Goal 15: 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.

close-up of a boy smiling Children, FAO

Reshaping agriculture in Africa to end child labour

It is an alarming fact that there are more children engaged in child labour in sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world combined. Not all this work is considered child labour. Age‑appropriate tasks that are not hazardous and do not interfere with a child’s education can be positive for the family and even contribute to the inter-generational transfer of valuable skills that boost families’ food security. Here are four examples of the work FAO is doing to tackle this issue from the field right up to the global level, to ensure that children have a childhood.

an everyday scene at a park that includes people exercising Health, WHO

Inspiring the world to move for better health

The world is moving faster than ever, but people are moving less. Research has found that one in four adults and over 80 per cent of young people do not meet the recommended minimum activity levels needed for optimum health. Starting with just 30 minutes of movement a day has significant health benefits for hearts, bodies and minds. The International Olympic Committee wants to inspire and enable the world to move more every day. Led by Olympians and created in collaboration with WHO, the Let’s Move campaign is an invitation to make time every day for movement for better health.

a man working on the side of a shipping container Finance, World Bank

Global economy slows amid high interest rates

Global growth has slowed sharply and the risk of financial stress in emerging market and developing economies (EMDEs) is intensifying, according to the World Bank’s latest Global Economic Prospects report. In EMDEs other than China, growth is set to slow to 2.9% this year from 4.1% last year. With increasingly high interest rates and restrictive global credit conditions, one out of every four EMDEs has effectively lost access to international bond markets. Growth projections for 2023 are less than half from a year ago, making EMDEs highly vulnerable to additional shocks.

A path along the water scene from above.
Natural Resources and the Environment, UNESCO

11 new biosphere reserves

UNESCO biosphere reserves are tangible proof that humanity can live in balance with nature. 11 more sites are joining this powerful network, which is more relevant and necessary than ever.

An illustration of a green landscape in the shape of a nuclear plant.
Atomic Energy, IAEA

Nuclear decommissioning

A recent IAEA Bulletin features the valuable lessons to be learned from completed and ongoing decommissioning projects - the final stage in the lifecycle of any nuclear and radiological facility.

a woman looks over a baby sleeping under a net.
Health, UNOPS

A new space to welcome new lives

The capacity of the maternal and neonatal ward in the District General Hospital in Matara, Sri Lanka, is increasingly falling short. UNOPS works to rehabilitate a new hospital to serve the community.

a midwife listens through a fetoscope on a woman’s belly
Health, UNFPA

Mobile clinic helps women give birth safely

When armed groups attacked her village, seven months pregnant Tantine escaped with her family. Her luck took a turn for the better when she learned about a UNFPA mobile clinic operating in the camp.

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

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.

A new day is possible

Small-scale farmers in developing countries are only one flood, one drought or one failed harvest away from ruin. IFAD asks "Tomorrow is a new day. What will it look like?" 

GEN Z Mis- and Disinformation guide

This is an important conversation for everyone, but it is especially important for young people, who are the most likely to be exposed to misinformation and disinformation online

110 million persons displaced

UNHCR's global report found that by the end of last year, people displaced by war, persecution, violence and human rights abuses stood at 110 million. 

UN Podcasts

portait photo against a blue background

The Africa the World Needs

“Energy is magic. As simple as that. As we speak, Africa is a dark continent … 600 million people without electricity. But Africa is all energy sources. So, this is a paradox that needs to be broken.”

Cristina Duarte always brings great passion to any task she takes on. Now Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa, she works tirelessly to help the continent imagine a better tomorrow, one which not only meets its people’s needs, but also fulfills their dreams.

“The solutions for our challenges are all in Africa. You name it: Energy, Africa, financing for development, Africa, food insecurity, Africa. But for some reason, we still look outside of Africa for those solutions. Why?”

Born to an activist father who was integral to independence movements across Lusophone Africa, Cristina grew up instilled with Pan-African values. In this episode, the former finance minister reflects on her role in reforming Cabo Verde’s economy, on bringing power to remote villages, and how one chance encounter changed her mind about marriage.

Photo credit: ©IFAD/Daniele Bianchi

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.

Woman holding a child looking into the distance
Photo: UNICEF/UN0847811/Haro

Scars of climate change in Pakistan

Benazir and her husband lost a child amidst the tumult of the floods and have since faced challenges trying to feed their other children. The impact of last year’s historic floods will be felt for years to come by children and their families. In these climate-related crises children suffer most, with those in the poorest communities bearing the biggest burden. More than 1.5 million boys and girls are already severely malnourished, a number that will only rise in the absence of safe water and proper sanitation. UNICEF is training teachers on psychosocial care and health care and has established hundreds of temporary learning centres in the worst-affected districts.

Fisherman throwing a fishing net into across a canal
Photo:WFP/Samantha Reinders

Cambodia’s canal

In the words of rice farmer Deur Sok, the difference the 2.3km canal built in 2022 as part of a World Food Programme-backed project is making in Sambour, a commune in central Cambodia’s Kampong Thom province is tremendous. Changing weather patterns in the past few years have caused an unpredictable succession of drought and flooding, which spelled disaster for farmers relying on so-called wet season – or rainfed – rice cultivation. Farmers in the region had seen their plants wilt when there was not enough water – or washed away when there was too much. The canal has broken their dependence on erratic weather events and as a result, their yields have more than doubled.

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