Boy sits with a radio and a notebook.

Education and COVID-19: UN helps children continue their learning

While schools are reopening in some corners of the world after pandemic-induced closures, the United Nations and its partners are helping children continue their learning through all possible means, including the Internet, radio and television. Among those efforts, UNESCO has issued a call to support learning and knowledge-sharing through open educational resources – materials in any format and medium that reside in the public domain or under an open license that permits no-cost access, re-use, re-purpose, adaptation and redistribution by others.

In Rwanda, a boy listens to a radio.
Photo:UNICEF/UNI319836/Kanobana
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus addresses the opening session of the 73rd World Health Assembly in Geneva.

UN chief renews call for COVID-19 solidarity as WHO warns ‘majority’ of world still at risk

18 May 2020 — A “massive” and combined effort by all countries is needed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Monday, as UN health agency head, Tedros...

Children fill their cups at a water point built by UNICEF at Kanyosha III primary school in Bujumbura, Burundi.

AU and UN appeal for ‘stable and peaceful environment’ for Burundi elections

17 May 2020 — Ahead of presidential and local elections in Burundi on Wednesday, the African Union (AU) Commission and the United Nations (UN) urged the authorities to provide a safe and secure...

Félicien Kabuga, one of the world’s most wanted fugitives who is alleged to have been a leading figure in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda was arrested in Paris by French authorities.

UN welcomes arrest of top genocide suspect, Félicien Kabuga

16 May 2020 — UN Secretary-General António Guterres has welcomed the arrest on Saturday of one of the world’s most wanted fugitives, his Spokesperson said in a statement.

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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 Climate Campaign

The ActNow Climate Campaign aims to trigger individual action on the defining issue of our time. People around the world will be engaged to make a difference in all facets of their lives, from the food they eat to the clothes they wear.

Decade of Action

Decade of Action

With just 10 years to go, an ambitious global effort is underway to deliver the 2030 promise—by mobilizing more governments, civil society, businesses and calling on all people to make the Global Goals their own.

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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 10: Reduced Inequalities

Goal of the month

 

Goal 10: Reduced Inequalities

Reduce inequality within and among countries

 

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

children running towards staircase

New guidelines provide roadmap for safe reopening of schools

UNESCO, UNICEF, WFP and the World Bank have issued guidelines on the safe reopening of schools amidst ongoing closures affecting nearly 1.3 billion students worldwide. The guidelines caution that the widespread closures of educational facilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic present an unprecedented risk to children’s education and wellbeing, particularly for the most marginalized children who rely on school for their education, health, safety and nutrition. The guidelines offer practical advice for national and local authorities on how to keep children safe when they return to school.

Chinese worker with mask

Emerging from the great lockdown in Asia and Europe

Several countries in Asia and Europe, where the COVID-19 outbreak appears to have peaked, are gradually reopening their economies. Without a vaccine or effective treatment, policymakers will be balancing the benefits of resuming economic activity against the potential cost of another increase in infection rates. They face difficult choices, in part, because the costs of erring in either direction could be very large. Given this, authorities are adopting a gradual and sequenced approach to reopening, along with the adoption of further prevention and containment measures. 

 

desert locust

Five things you should know about an age-old pest: the Desert Locust

Desert Locust upsurges aren’t a new phenomenon. Locusts are one of the oldest migratory pests in the world and have wreaked havoc on crops across the globe for centuries. When huge swarms infest many countries and spread across several regions or continents, it becomes a plague. A plague of Desert Locusts, the most destructive locust species of all, can easily affect 20 percent of the Earth's land, potentially damaging the livelihoods of one tenth of the world's population and seriously affecting food security. 

plane flying into coronaviruses

New guidance on COVID-19 aviation safety risks

ICAO has developed a new publication aimed at helping countries to address the aviation safety risks arising due to the global effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

mother holding baby

Indoor play ideas for young children

Just because your children are stuck inside as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, doesn’t mean they can’t have fun and learn at the same time. 

illustration of island with different sized boats along shore

Unpaid care work: your load and why it matters

When it comes to unpaid work, not everyone is in the same boat. What does your boat look like? Let’s find out…

butterflies on flowers

Protecting the environment to reduce pandemic risks

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is stepping up its work on mapping zoonotic threat and protecting the environment to reduce the risk of future pandemics, such as the COVID-19 crisis.

Dr Estrada and his team

WHO Solidarity Trial: How a Spanish doctor joined the race for a COVID-19 treatment

Dr Vicente Estrada, a Spanish infectious disease doctor, has dedicated his career to studying and fighting HIV. But when Madrid, where he lives and works, became a hotspot for COVID-19, Dr Estrada and his colleagues pivoted their work to help find a treatment for the disease that is taking a devastating toll on many countries around the world. Through the leadership of the World Health Organization, Dr Estrada and hundreds of other doctors around the world are now working together to find an effective treatment for COVID-19 through WHO’s Solidarity Clinical Trial.

Victoria Muteti in one of her fields

Before and during COVID-19, an e-voucher initiative makes a difference for Kenyan farmers

Victoria Muteti, a 44-year old farmer living in Kenya’s Makueni County, has increased her harvest several times over. Luckily, she is able to keep farming during the COVID-19 pandemic, while observing all the necessary social distancing measures, and the extra income she’s made over the last two years has helped her improve her nutrition – along with many other facets of her life. Victoria owes these successes to her participation in an e-voucher initiative implemented by the Government of Kenya and jointly funded with IFAD and the European Union. 

Keoleboge Khumoetsile using sign language

Pandemic heightens vulnerabilities of persons with disabilities

Even under normal circumstances, persons with disabilities face discrimination, high rates of gender-based violence, and exclusion from services and decision-making. Today, as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the world, the vulnerabilities and barriers faced by people with disabilities are only growing. The pandemic and responses to it are projected to have a significant impact on women and girls, including higher incidence of gender-based violence and loss of access to life-saving health services. Protection from gender-based violence must be a priority for persons with disabilities. 

Silhouette of seafarer on a boat against the sunset

Critically ill seafarer rescued after swift intervention by UN agencies

When a 45-year-old Russian seafarer aboard a large cargo ship began to show signs of suffering a stroke, in mid-April, the ship’s captain was immediately alerted. Global Voyager Assistance, a remote medical assistance provider, confirmed the stroke diagnosis. But the ship was more than 220 km from the nearest port, and the port authorities rejected initial appeals for emergency medical assistance, due to COVID-19 restrictions in place. Despite repeated requests from the vessel’s captain, the seafarer’s national trade union and that of the country the ship was headed for, the ship could not enter port. The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) called on two UN agencies, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), to intervene urgently.

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

The Middelgrunden Off Shore Windturbines located in the Øresund Straight separating Denmark and Sweden. UN Photo

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.

young children smiling at camera

UN75: 2020 and Beyond

In 2020, the United Nations turns 75. UN75 aims to build a global vision for the year 2045, the UN's centenary; to increase understanding of the threats to that future; and to drive collective action to realize that vision.  #Join the Conversation #Be the Change

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.

No Pata Pata – Coronavirus is no touch time

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo’s Pata Pata, is a fresh take on Miriam Makeba’s 1967 hit song. Once called the “world’s most defiantly joyful song”, Pata Pata has been re-recorded by Kidjo to spread information about COVID-19, with a focus on hundreds of millions of people in remote communities around the world. UNICEF put out a call to the global public, asking people to submit videos of themselves dancing to the song in their homes and gardens, while observing various COVID-19 lockdown, containment and curfew rules. The response was overwhelming.

Why should I get vaccinated?

Without vaccines, we are at risk of serious illness and disability from diseases like measles, meningitis, tetanus and polio. In today' interconnected world, infectious diseases easily cross borders, infecting anyone who is not vaccinated. Get vaccinated on time, every time. #VaccinesWork for all is a campaign of the World Health Organization.

Information and communication technologies help achieve the SDGs

More and more of us are in touch via remote methods, including during times of crisis, to get informed and organize a response to COVID-19. ITU works to bring the benefits of technology to everyone and will not rest until the digital divide no longer exists. That is the essence of World Telecommunication and Information Day.

UN Podcasts

A child holding a toy musical keyboard.

Protecting kids’ mental health during COVID-19, as important as physical fitness

It may seem obvious to an adult, but to a child it may not be so clear that they aren’t to blame if they get sick with COVID-19.

That’s one of the key messages that the World Health Organization - WHO - wants to convey as part of the UN campaign to promote good mental health during this incredibly stressful pandemic, full of unknowns.

Just ahead of the UN’s major update on mental health during the crisis, Daniel Johnson, spoke to Dr Fahmy Hanna, from the WHO’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Use. 

More UN podcasts

The United Nations in Pictures

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

Girl reads a handout.
Photo:UNDP Sri Lanka

Prepare to Win: Tsunami Awareness and Preparedness in Sri Lanka

The United Nations Development Programme and partners implemented a regional initiative to strengthen tsunami awareness and preparedness in 18 Asia-Pacific countries including in Sri Lanka. Every year ‘tsunami drills' are conducted for schools in coastal areas to ensure better preparedness in the event of a tsunami. In 2004, at the time of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, there were no tsunami early-warning systems and the term ‘Tsunami’ was unheard of for most people in Sri Lanka. Schools were not aware and were barely equipped to face a natural disaster of this magnitude.

Profiles of people standing in front of a balcony
Photo:IOM/Muse Mohammed

Resettlement Offers a Vital Lifeline to Syrian Refugees

Ramadan was seven years old when he fell out of the second story window of his family’s apartment in Lebanon. In the last three years, his parents have centred their lives around helping him recover. But life as refugees in Lebanon has offered them few opportunities to work, leaving them unable afford steep medical fees. In June of 2019, they were resettled from Lebanon to France by the UN Migration Agency. They are among the 100,000 refugees resettled from Lebanon to another country. Many Syrians residing in Lebanon struggle to access services and opportunities.

Man harvesting seaweed from a small boat.
Photo:UNIDO

Impact of COVID-19 epidemic hits Indonesia’s small seaweed processors

The COVID-19 epidemic directly affects seaweed farmers as demand for raw materials has decreased and prices have fallen. The price of mainly exported Cottonii seaweed, used for producing carrageenan (an additive used to thicken, emulsify, and preserve foods and drinks), has declined by almost 50% since due to trade disruption with China, the biggest export market. More than 60 members of Indonesia’s Tropical Seaweed Innovation Network held a virtual consultation, organized by a UNIDO partnership, on the state of the seaweed industry in relation to the COVID-19 epidemic.

Woman holding a radio.
Photo:WFP/Badre Bahaji

How radio is lending Malawi’s farmers a hand in the fight against COVID-19

With safety measures fully enforced to contain the spread of the virus, gatherings are restricted and people are asked to observe social distancing. Yet, as with any epidemic, the greatest enemy is ignorance. Ignorance begets rumour, misinformation, the spread of fear and, nowadays, fake news. Radio can safely relay COVID-19 prevention messages to people in rural areas with no or limited access to newspapers, television and social media. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, WFP continues to partner with Farm Radio Trust to also share awareness messages with rural farmers.

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