Statues of the Buddha surrounded by lights of different colours
Philosophy and Religion

Vesak Day

"Vesak", the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May, is the most sacred day to millions of Buddhists around the world. It’s a day that we honour the birth, enlightenment and passing of Lord Buddha. On this Day of Vesak, let’s find inspiration in the Buddha’s message of honesty, compassion and respect for all living things to shape a better, more peaceful world for all people.

Gangaramaya Buddhist temple Colombo, Sri Lanka, during Vesak season
Photo:stock.adobe / surangaw
Women and children wait to be seen by members of a UNICEF-supported mobile health and nutrition team in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Women tell UN rights experts ‘we’re alive, but not living’

5 May 2023 — Following a systematic crackdown on the rights of Afghan women and girls by the Taliban – from attending school to working at the UN – “the stage may be set for multiple preventable...

UN Secretary-General António Guterres speaks to reporters at a press conference in Bujumbura, Burundi.

In Burundi, Guterres outlines challenges facing the region

5 May 2023 — Armed groups – both local and foreign – must lay down their arms in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and efforts must be redoubled to advance a lasting, sustainable peace...

Nurses work at a mobile COVID-19 vaccination clinic in Rofunta, Sierra Leone, in December 2022.

WHO chief declares end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency

5 May 2023 — The head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) has declared “with great hope” an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, stressing that it does not mean the disease is no...

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.

Partnerships for the Goals

Goal of the month

 

Goal 17: Partnerships for the Goals

Revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

 

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.

Aicha sits with her daughter on her lap among other refugees. Displaced Persons and Refugees, WFP

Sudanese refugees arrive in Chad as difficult times loom

When the fighters came to her Sudanese village, 50-year-old Aicha Madar fled with her daughter Fatima, joining thousands streaming across the border into eastern Chad. Tens of thousands of Sudanese refugees have escaped the recent uptick of violence in their homeland – numbers that could swell to 270,000 or more. Most are heading to South Sudan and to Chad, countries already grappling with some of the world’s highest hunger levels. WFP and other humanitarians fear a perfect storm, as refugee influx from Sudan’s unrest is compounded by upcoming rains, lean season and a funding crunch.

A woman in scrubs holds a baby. Health, UNFPA

International Day of the Midwife

The single most important factor in stopping preventable maternal and newborn deaths: access to midwives. And yet the world is short of 900,000 of these essential service providers. Addressing this deficit could prevent two-thirds of maternal and newborn deaths, saving more than 4.3 million lives a year by 2035. What’s necessary now is the political will to expand the ranks and reach of midwives around the world. With that in mind, the UNFPA theme for the International Day of the Midwife this year is “Actioning Evidence: Leading the Way to Enhance Quality Midwifery Care Globally.”

A large group of Sudanese refugees congregate – mostly women and children. Displaced Persons and Refugees, UNHCR

Sudan refugee response will need $445 million

The UN Refugee Agency said today that it is planning for an outflow of 860,000 refugees and returnees from Sudan and, with partners, will require US$445 million to support the displaced until October. The updates were made in a preliminary summary of the inter-agency Regional Refugee Response Plan for Sudan, which was presented to donors today. It will primarily cover immediate support in Chad, South Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic. The plan has been drawn up with 134 partners including UN agencies, national and international NGOs and civil society groups.

A girl carries a water bucket on her head among a crowd.
Health, UNICEF

Cholera is endangering children globally

Despite being preventable and treatable, children continue to suffer from Cholera, a potentially fatal disease. UNICEF works to ensure vaccines and treatments reach the children most in need.

a man underwater with a snorkel, a tube frame and a tape measure
Oceans and Marine Life, UNEP

Helping to rescue marine habitats

Fishing communities in Madagascar have seen their catches dwindle - a by-product of overfishing. But in some communities, fish stocks have start5ed to rebound thanks to small grants from UNEP.

Two women sit on the shore collecting seaweed
Trade and Commerce, UNCTAD

Making trade more sustainable and inclusive

UNCTAD will host the third UN Trade Forum to identify trade policies to help countries grow their economies while tackling challenges and accelerating progress towards achieving the SDGs.

An art installation of a woman’s face with people’s shadows as her hair, seen from above.
Art, Culture, UNESCO

Enhancing protection for artists at risk

The new UNESCO publication Defending Creative Voices recommends that the international community develop tailored assistance to protect and promote artistic freedom in emergency context.

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.

Watch and Listen

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

Reducing food loss and waste through sustainable food cold chains

In a world where tonnes of edible food is lost, leaving people hungry and small-scale farmers in poverty, temperature-controlled storage and transport of food is a solution. FAO, the Ozone Secretariat of UNEP, UNEP and the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy are working with countries to find solutions to sustainably expand cold chain infrastructure, where viable, using renewable energy to power cooling.

Refugee and migrant kids baseball club in Peru

UNHCR gives young Venezuelans a second chance at their baseball dreams of one day going professional through providing uniforms, equipment and other needed support. 

Work is for all human beings

Meet Alma Gladys, a beneficiary of the Rural Employment Services Model under the ILO PROSPECTS project which is implemented in partnership with AVSI Foundation.

UN Podcasts

two people smiling

The health worker initiative easing stress of COVID-19 burnout

Latest data shared by the UN World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that one in two frontline health workers suffered burnout during COVID-19.

To help protect these key staff in the event of another pandemic, the WHO has convened its Fifth Global Forum on Human Resources for Health, in Geneva.

Participants include Dr Emma O’Brien from The Royal Melbourne Hospital, whose celebrated music therapy ensemble known as the Scrub Choir, most recently provided comfort to 1,000 under-pressure health workers, as she tells UN News’s Daniel Johnson.

First, though, we’ll hear from the WHO’s Workforce Director Jim Campbell, who explains why an action plan is needed so urgently to strengthen the global health workforce.

Photo: © J. Campbell

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 carrying a camera tripod
Photo:UNDP Somalia

Somalia women journalists

When Shukri Mohamed Abdi decided to work in the media, she and her family had to overcome fierce resistance and physical threats from groups opposed to her reporting, where the concept of being a journalist does not exist. The fact that Somalia’s only all-women media house, Bilan, is still in business a year after it was created with support from UNDP is a human rights achievement in itself. By freeing up a space for women to report on what they believe is important, Bilan has opened up a different Somalia to local and international audiences.

Father, mother and two girls standing in a doorway
Photo:IOM 2021

Migrant returnees in Bangladesh rebuilding their lives

Despite several attempts at searching for a better future for his family, Moharaj, he ran into one problem after another resulting in failure. After being smuggled into Syria he hoped to make it to Italy. One year later, he boarded an overloaded boat to seek refuge on an island in Greece. He eventually discovered that IOM provided support to migrants who voluntarily chose to return home. Due to an injury that left him permanently disabled, IOM extended much needed support through the Prottasha project, which has rekindled hope in his family.

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