man showing off vaccination record
Health

Building a fairer, healthier world for everyone

The COVID-19 pandemic has undercut recent health gains, pushed more people into poverty and food insecurity, and amplified gender, social and health inequities. COVID-19 has hit all countries hard, but its impact has been harshest on those communities that were already vulnerable and more likely to experience adverse consequences as a result of measures implemented to contain the pandemic. This World Health Day, we are calling for action to eliminate health inequities, as part of a year-long global campaign to bring people together to build a fairer, healthier world.

Anicet, a driver in Cotonou, Benin gets his COVID-19 vaccine.
Photo:©UN Benin
The impacts of COVID-19 have rendered one-in-eight young people, the majority of whom are girls, without access to education. Pictured are Ethiopian girls learning about the harmful practice of female genital mutilation (FMG).

Youth Forum: UN chief calls for ‘tangible improvements’ in the face of injustice, poor governance

7 April 2021 — Leaders across the world need to “move beyond platitudes” about young people, and deliver a better future for them all, Secretary-General António Guterres told the 10th Economic and...

The World Health Organization has urged countries to build a fairer, healthier world post-COVID-19.

COVID-19: WHO chief outlines five ‘vital changes’ to address inequities

7 April 2021 — Investing in equitable production and access to COVID-19 vaccines, tests and treatments, is among five “vital changes” the world needs to make this year to address the inequalities...

Elderly people at a remote village in Nepal hold up their vaccination cards after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. A sign behind them encourages everyone to receive the vaccines and highlights ways to protect oneself from the disease.

Dispelling misinformation, countering vaccine hesitancy vital to beat COVID-19, countries affirm

7 April 2021 — Addressing misinformation and countering vaccine hesitancy features prominently in a political declaration launched at the United Nations General Assembly, as countries pledged to “...

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

The ActNow campaign aims to trigger individual action on the defining issue of our time. People around the world have joined 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.

participants in SDG media zone

SDG Media Zone at the UN Youth Forum

The SDG Media Zone (6 to 8 April 2021) kicks off the 10th annual UN Youth Forum with conversations on advancing the Sustainable Development Goals as the world responds and recovers from the COVID-19 crisis. Under the theme, “The Future we Want,” the SDG Media Zone will look at some of the most defining issues affecting young people today—climate change, reducing inequalities and mental health.

SDG Goal 3: Good health and wellbeing with drawing of heart monitor line and heart

Goal of the month

 

Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

 

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.

people holding boxes of food supplies Economic Development, World Bank

One year into the COVID-19 pandemic, six stories that inspire hope

While the past year has been tremendously challenging, there have been remarkable stories of human resilience, ingenuity, and creativity. From helping small companies weather the pandemic, through supporting women firefighters, creating sustainable jobs for youth, connecting people to high-quality healthcare and vulnerable groups to food suplies, to kickstarting sanitizer production - the World Bank shares six stories of hope from around the globe. These are not billion-dollar projects, but the tales of everyday entrepreneurship and innovation happening on a small scale with a big impact.

two young boys from Syria Humanitarian Aid, UNDP

United Nations chiefs urge donors to support record appeals for Syrians and the region

On the eve of the fifth Brussels conference for Syria, the United Nations humanitarian, refugee and development chiefs have urged international donors to step up and stand with the millions of people in Syria and the region who depend on life-saving humanitarian aid and livelihood support after a decade of war. With the added impact of COVID-19, there is no respite for civilians in Syria. They face increasing hunger and poverty, continued displacement and ongoing attacks. Today 24 million people need humanitarian or other forms of assistance in Syria and the region, four million more than in 2020.

baby turtle hatching Wildlife, UNESCO

On 50th anniversary of Man and the Biosphere Programme, UN calls for a new relationship with nature

Following UNESCO’s Forum on Biodiversity on 24 March, the Organization has called for the mobilization of governments, citizens and civil society, including the private sector, in favour of biodiversity through the a multi-partner fund currently being set up. The aim of the mobilization is to counter the ongoing collapse affecting all living species. The United Nations is expected to invite Member States to implement a protection target of 30% of land and marine areas by 2030, at the COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to be held next October in Kunming (China).

illustration of people with speech bubble: What are your information needs
Communication and Mass Media

Answer 10 quick questions

UN News would like to check in with you to understand how we are meeting your needs, identify areas of improvement, as well as gauge how far we have come. Thanks for your feedback - you have until 12 April!

island lagoon
Tourism, UNWTO

Vaccinate people in island states to restart tourism

Given the relatively small size of the populations of the Small Island Developing States, the cost of mass vaccinations will be minimal compared to the potential benefits of restarting tourism, says the UN World Tourism Organization. 

men carrying light sources
Climate

New UNFCCC blog to highlight climate action

UN Climate Change has launched a new and exciting blog, which will highlight climate action being taken around the world: 1.5 Degrees: A Climate Action Blog.

children with portable digital devices
Children, Human Rights

Children’s rights in the digital world

A new guidance establishes that children have rights in the digital world, despite the Convention on the Rights of the Child not stating them explicitly.

forest Land, Plants, and Soil, UNEP

Protecting the forests of Mt. Kenya

The rangers of the Mt. Kenya Trust work tirelessly to protect the area's forests and wildlife from illegal activities such as logging and poaching. Their mission is to protect this incredible ecosystem and educate local communities about the benefits of conserving the forests of Mt. Kenya. Watch this film, shot by Joan Poggio for the United Nations Environment Programme Wild for Life campaign and explore the immersive journey on forests to discover how these precious ecosystems support humans and wildlife every day.

rainwater harvesting system Agriculture and Food, FAO

Harnessing the power of rain

Last September in Senegal, more rain fell in a single day than in the usual 3-month rainy season. Intense rain in shorter periods of time followed by a longer dry season are the effects of climate change and ultimately result in either too much or too little water for the farmers who rely on it for their survival. Close to 90 percent of farming households in Senegal practice rain-fed agriculture. An FAO project is working to introduce both rainwater harvesting systems and innovative water management techniques that build on traditional methods. 

cart transporting women Health, UNFPA

Mobile clinics deliver last-mile reproductive health care in Madagascar

Ambovombe is a landlocked district in southern Madagascar, where only about half of health facilities are accessible year-round because of poor roads and challenging terrain. And even if one could get there, the cost of transportation is too high, resulting in 61 percent of births taking place outside of a health facility. When COVID-19 struck, even more patients stopped going to health centres. For five months, two mobile clinics covered more than 10,000 kilometers to serve 59 remote localities in seven districts. 

Tourist boats cruising the Zambezi River Trade and Commerce, UNCTAD

Zambia’s e-commerce firms stay the course amid pandemic

Zambia’s coronavirus lockdown shut down some more traditional businesses, but for e-commerce firms this was their chance to scale up operations. AfriDelivery, a food delivery service with big dreams of becoming a business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce platform, recorded 100% growth in annual terms in 2020. Despite the opportunities, the pandemic also brought many challenges and unforeseen costs for e-commerce firms. UNCTAD is working to ensure e-commerce is mainstreamed into national development plans and development partners’ cooperation frameworks.

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

The UN’s 75th anniversary in 2020 arrived at a time of great upheaval and peril. To secure a world where everyone can thrive in peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet we need a multilateral system that is inclusive, networked and effective. "Our Common Agenda" will build on the 12 commitments contained in the UN75 Declaration.

Watch and Listen

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

Better prospects for Niger’s farmers

Food insecurity is a daily challenge for many people across Niger. UNOPS is supporting Niger to address agricultural challenges. Helping to improve irrigation, road, and market access and to promote climate-resilient agriculture. Greater support for farmers in Niger is helping to improve food security, boost local economies and make communities more resilient.

Three years of Action for Peacekeeping

Action for Peacekeeping, launched by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in 2018, reaches its third anniversary. Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) is a global partnership that enables peacekeeping to overcome complex challenges and make operations more effective, stronger, and safer. Significant strides through A4P have already been made. But there is further to go building on the gains we have made. 154 Member States and four international organizations have endorsed the Declaration of Shared Commitments on UN Peacekeeping, pledging to strengthen our operations.

Fukushima 10 years on

On March 2011, Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was hit by a powerful earthquake and huge tsunami. What progress has been made in nuclear safety since the accident? To minimize the risk of accidents in the future, the world quickly came together and agreed to strengthen nuclear safety. The IAEA can now independently assess such emergencies.

UN Podcasts

Two tugboats next to a big cargo ship full of containers.

Suez Canal cargo ship is afloat - but it’s not plain sailing for global economy

The gigantic cargo ship that ran aground and blocked the Suez Canal last week is afloat once again after a Herculean salvage operation, but the damage to global trade will take months to fix.

That’s the assessment of maritime expert Jan Hoffman at UN trade and development agency UNCTAD, who also explains why the cost of sending freight around the world has increased dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here he is, talking to UN News’s Daniel Johnson.

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.

Portrait of Malala Yousafzai
Photo:UN Women / Ryan Brown

Women leaders we admire

Malala Yousafzai began speaking up for girls’ right to education, and, because of her activism, she became a target for the Taliban. Yousafzai was shot as she returned home from school, yet she continued with her activism once again, becoming one of the most forceful advocates for girls’ education worldwide, and the youngest Nobel laureate at 17 years of age. UN Women qualifies women leaders as tenacious and diverse. Around the world, women leaders improve lives and inspire a better future for all.

A boy sits with his notebook next to a radio.
Photo:UNICEF/UN0430942/Keïta

Radio-based learning gets its day in the sun in Mali

Persistent insecurity in central and northern Mali has helped fuel a protracted humanitarian crisis, disrupting access to education, health, and other services, and displacing more than 300,000 people – more than half of them children. COVID-19 has compounded the problem. UNICEF has been distributing solar-powered radios in conflict-affected areas to vulnerable households and listening groups, where as many as 15 young people can make use of the same radio. The devices provide an educational lifeline.

A man laughs as he plays with a dog.
Photo:UNMAS/Omar Abdisalan

More than partners: The relationship between EDD and their handler

Often dogs are described as man’s best friend, but they are more than that in the context of peace and security operations. They work side by side with the women and men working and providing security in the most difficult of environments and places. Explosive Detection Dogs (EDD), play an important role in preventive security measures by providing explosive detection capability and deterrence. In Somalia, UNMAS Explosive Detection Dogs play a key role in mitigation against the threat of explosives.

Woman poses holding mushrooms.
Photo:WFP / Tatenda Macheka

Mushroom-growing means independence for women farmers

A sad consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic hitting Zimbabwe is the growing prevalence of urban hunger. According to Government estimates, around 2.2 million people go to bed hungry every night. In Zimbabwe, WFP complements its humanitarian assistance through cash grants to build skills within communities and ultimately to enhance people's food security over the longer term. In Epworth, in the outskirts of Harare, money received from WFP has enabled one group of women to set up a mushroom farm.

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