Poster depicting hands holding trees with a heart-shape tops.
Natural Resources and the Environment

A path to well-being through forest restoration

Our lives are linked to forests in so many ways: when we drink a glass of water, write in a notebook, take medicine for a fever or build a house. Forests produce goods and services, fostering economic activity that creates jobs and improves lives. Therefore, they also play a crucial role in poverty alleviation and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year International Day of Forest (21 March) focuses on how restoration and sustainable management of forests help address the climate change and biodiversity crises.

Restoring forest ecosystems involves returning trees to former forest land and improving the condition of degraded forests.
Photo:FAO
A woman in Madagascar walks for up to 14km a day to find clean water.

Billions without clean water and sanitation a ‘moral failure’: UN General Assembly President

18 March 2021 — Access to water is not just about “liquid in a bottle” but instead touches on universal issues such as dignity, opportunity and equality, the UN General Assembly President said on...

Shipping containers at a port in the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

No winners but fewer losers in global economy from COVID than expected

18 March 2021 — The COVID-19 pandemic seriously impacted all economies around the world last year, with trillions of dollars of lost earnings, UN trade and development experts UNCTAD said on...

A woman and her baby stand in the rubble of Cyclone Idai, that struck central Mozambique in 2019.

Natural disasters occurring three times more often than 50 years ago: new FAO report

18 March 2021 — New and unprecedented forms of natural disasters are most heavily felt in the agricultural industry, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on Thursday.

...

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.

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.

Goal of the Month

 
Gender Equality

 

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

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.

mother and newborn lying on hospital bed Children, WHO

Risks of separating newborns from mothers during COVID-19 pandemic

New research from WHO and partners shows that the COVID-19 pandemic is severely affecting the quality of care given to small and sick newborns, resulting in unnecessary suffering and deaths. A study published in the Lancet EclinicalMedicine highlights the critical importance of ensuring newborn babies have close contact with parents after birth, especially for those born too small (at low birthweight) or too soon (preterm). However, in many countries, if COVID-19 infections are confirmed or suspected, newborn babies are being routinely separated from their mothers, putting them at higher risk of death and lifelong health complications.

girl standing behind other children wearing protective gear Children, UNICEF

COVID-19 pandemic has scarred the world’s children

Across virtually every key measure of childhood, progress has gone backward in the 12 months since the pandemic was declared, leaving children confronting a devastating and distorted new normal.The past year has seen an increase in children who have been left hungry, isolated, abused and anxious. The education of hundreds of millions of children has been disrupted. Access to protection services and health services – including routine vaccinations – has been severely impacted. The pandemic is also affecting young people’s mental health and pushing their families into poverty.

Syrian family outside their home Displaced Persons and Refugees, UNHCR

Inside Syria, millions face destitution after a decade of pain

Over the past decade, millions of Syrians have been forced to flee their homes in what remains the world’s largest displacement crisis. Over 5.5 million Syrians are living as refugees in neighbouring countries, and 6.7 million are still displaced inside the country, including an estimated 2.5 million children. Syria is also currently experiencing one of the worst socio-economic downturns since the start of the crisis. In the past year alone, the Syrian pound has lost three quarters of its value while the cost of food and other essential items has rocketed by more than 200 per cent. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has made an already dire situation worse.

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 5 April!

Forests and mountains
Land, Plants, and Soil

Things you need to know

Find out four things you need to know about forests and health.

girl doing math on chalkboard
Science and Technology, UNESCO

Mathematics for a Better World

UNESCO marked the International Day of Mathematics, 14 March, under the theme “Mathematics for a Better World."  Celebrating the beauty and relevance of mathematics, the Day highlights the essential role played by this discipline in reaching the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

two children, one with hearing aid
Disabled persons, WHO

Deafness and hearing loss

Globally, 1.5 billion people live with some degree of hearing loss. Get the key facts on this condition.

woman holding plant Agriculture and Food, IFAD

The power of options

Like other women on Santiago, the largest island of Cabo Verde, Maria Lizita Varela used to rely on sand extraction as a source of income. It was thankless, dangerous work. The negative environmental impact of sand extraction is palpable, too. Now, an IFAD-funded project on the islands of Santiago and Maio is offering women opportunities for better incomes through safer and less time-consuming activities. 

portrait of young man on 50 for Freedom campaign poster Employment, ILO

50 for Freedom reaches target

Fifty countries have shown their commitment to eradicate contemporary forms of slavery by ratifying the ILO Forced Labour Protocol. The ratifications have met an initial target set by the 50 for Freedom campaign, which urges governments to take action on forced labour. Sudan became the fiftieth country to ratify.

Khowlá Mohamed mediates a dispute with elders Women and Gender Equality, UNDP

A young woman leads in dispute resolution

Everyone is impressed by Khowla Mohamed Abdow. She’s competent, helpful and hardworking. At 25 years old, she’s the coordinator of Baidoa’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre in South West Somalia, a Ministry of Justice facility supported by UNDP, where local people can come for help solving arguments ranging from land theft to domestic abuse.

high rise buildings Trade and Commerce, Finance, IMF

Rising market power—a threat to the recovery?

The crisis has hit small and medium enterprises especially hard, causing massive job losses and other economic scars. Among these—less noticeable, but also serious—is rising market power among dominant firms as they emerge even stronger while smaller rivals fall away.

 

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 turned 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

Watch and Listen

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

International Day of Forests 2021: Forest restoration – a path to recovery and well-being

Restoring forests helps build a healthier world for ourselves and for future generations. By replanting and managing forests sustainably, we can help preserve our planet’s biodiversity and combat climate change while fostering economic activity that creates jobs and improves lives. As we enter the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), join us in celebrating the International Day of Forests on 21 March.

#ActForEqual​ - Join Generation Equality

Act For Equal! Join Generation Equality and show people everywhere that, together, we’re standing up for gender equality.

The Letters

Women play a major role in shaping climate-resilient societies. Their needs and capacities can lay the foundation for solutions that not only address the climate crisis but also pave the way for a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

UN Podcasts

Dr. Soumya stands for a photo op surrounded by health workers

There is Hope

In this latest episode of Awake at Night, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organisation (WHO), shares her insights on how lessons from other infectious diseases like tuberculosis and HIV have shaped our response to the current COVID-19 pandemic. The clinical scientist also discusses how new technologies have given us the possibility to control diseases in ways we’ve never had before.

"When it comes to a pandemic, it really needs global collaboration and solidarity because the pathogens and viruses do not respect borders."

During the early ‘90s, Soumya successfully raised funds to get antiretroviral drugs to families affected by the HIV epidemic. Many of their children are still alive today thanks to her work. In this fascinating interview, she explains her hopes for future generations who are now exposed to the intricacies and power of science to affect change.

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.

women working with electrical components
Photo:UNIDO/Barefoot Photographers of Tilonia

The sky is the limit: Sierra Leone’s ‘barefoot’ women solar engineers

The ‘Barefoot story’ is an engrossing tale: women battling the odds to better themselves in order to help their families and their communities by way of solar energy. The first Barefoot College was established in India in 1972 to train illiterate or semi-illiterate women, and to provide them with the basic skills to be solution-providers in their rural communities. The initiative has now spread to ninety-three countries around the world. The ‘Barefoot’ Solar engineers of Sierra Leone, supported by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) are part of it.

young Syrian children warming themselves over a fire
Photo:© UNOCHA

Syria: a 10-year crisis in 10 figures

As the conflict in Syria reaches its tenth year this month, the losses and effects are staggering. Almost 5 million children born in Syria since the conflict began have never known peaceful times, and a million more Syrian children were born as refugees in neighbouring countries. The pandemic is exacerbating humanitarian needs, affecting an already depleted workforce and stretching the country’s debilitated health system beyond capacity. These 10 numbers provide a snapshot of the 10-year Syria conflict.

boy with jars holding growing seeds
Photo:WFP/Sophie Smeulders

Seeds of hope: Hydroponics tech in Zambia boosts school meals

David is learning to grow avocado, green peppers, chillies, rapeseed leaves and potatoes using hydroponics techniques. “My dream is to become a hydroponics expert,” he says.  Hydroponics is a soilless cultivation technique that enables plant growth all year round. It uses up to 90 percent less water and 75 percent less space than traditional agriculture, while growing crops 100 percent faster. The 13-year-old lives in Kitwe, Zambia — a country of 18 million people whose food security is threatened by extreme weather caused by climate change.

youth planting trees
Photo:UNDP Seychelles/EBA/Dean Rose

Farming for Life: How climate action in the Seychelles is improving access to water and protecting against flooding

The project, Ecosystem-Based Adaptation to Climate Change in Seychelles, is working to reduce the vulnerability of the Seychelles to climate change. Supporting communities to adapt to life in a less predictable climate system, this approach to managing climate risk will secure critical water access and bolster resilience to flooding. Through pipes connected to the wetland by the Department of Agriculture, the farming community now benefits from a year-round water supply from the Bougainville wetland, building the resilience of the farming community to climate-induced drought. 

Main Bodies

Departments / Offices

Resources / Services

Key Documents

News and Media

Issues / Campaigns