Three girls with their backpacks on sitting in a classroom

To support the Government of Iraq in its goals to achieve universal and equitable education – especially for forcibly displaced children and youth impacted by years of war and conflict – Education Cannot Wait (ECW) announced a new programme that will reach a total of 192,100 girls and boys. The initial US$12.5 million seed-funding grant will reach 36,500 children and youth, 60 per cent of whom are girls. The programme seeks to mobilize US$35.5 million in additional resources.  ECW is the United Nations global fund, administered by UNICEF, for education in emergencies and protracted crises.

An image of Peter Rabbit and his friends surrounded by fresh vegetables.

Peter Rabbit is teaming up with ActNow to bring awareness to sustainable food and promote individual action. You too can be a food hero, which is good for your health and for the planet!

a collage of portraits of women.

UN Women invites women’s and feminist organizations, government and private entities to make bold commitments for equality at the Generation Equality Forum, from 30 June to 2 July.

A woman in football uniform poses with a football.

With disposable cameras, participants capture the unfiltered realities of their football lives and communities, as UNHCR’s Goal Click Refugees campaign reveals the power of sport.

Portrait of Devishi Jha

Devishi Jha,18, is climate activist and Director of Partnerships at Zero Hour, an international youth-led climate justice organization. Jha speaks up for climate action because she wants a secure future for her generation and those to come after. UN Women introduces this young changemaker leading the way. Youth advocates are extremely conscious and are paving the way for future action in sustainability and climate justice, so it is imperative to collectively listen to those voices.

A man and a woman hold up an award on stage.

UN-Habitat is calling for nominations for the Scroll of Honour award. The award recognizes individuals and institutions which have made outstanding contributions to urban development.

Portrait of Maria Ressa

Investigative journalist and media executive Maria Ressa of the Philippines has been named as the 2021 laureate of the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, by an international jury of media professionals. The Award Ceremony will take place in Windhoek, Namibia, on the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, and be streamed  online. In her thirty-year career, Ressa has been a target of attacks, arrests and has been involved in many international initiatives to promote press freedom.

Portraits of three young people with the hashtag #FIGHTracism below.

Young people massively showed their support at the 2020 Black Lives Matter marches. On the streets, groundswells of youth came together to protest racial injustice. On social media, they mobilized participation, calling on their peers to speak out, and to stand up for equal rights of all. Their activism was all the more remarkable in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw restrictions on public gatherings. Together, let us #FIGHTracism to foster a global culture of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination. Let us stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes. 

The two organization leaders pose with a football portraying the Sustainable Development Goals.

FIFA teams up with WHO to promote the need for fair access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and diagnostics, to encourage life-saving measures and to stop the further spread of the virus.

Illustration of a child carrying a big bag reaching out for a microphone.

Musicians around the world are joining ILO’s Music Against Child Labour Initiative to join the fight for a better future by dedicating concerts and songs to raise awareness and drive change.

A woman inside a volcano crater with monitoring equipment.

UNEP calls for nominees for the Champions of the Earth award – the UN’s highest honour for individuals and organizations that are safeguarding our environment and transforming societies.

Illustration of a laptop screen showing the UN in Vienna and a bubble of a tour guide.

Virtual tours of the UN in Vienna, as well as virtual lecture programmes on topics ranging from nuclear safety to international organized crime, can now be booked online. #UNVienna #VisitUN

Many doves on the ground start to take flight.

On March 23rd, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued an urgent appeal for a global ceasefire to all corners of the world to focus together on defeating COVID-19. He repeated the call at the start of the 75th UN General Assembly session in September, to achieve the ceasefire by the end of the year. Since March, some 180 countries, the Security Council, regional organizations, civil society groups, peace advocates and millions of global citizens have endorsed the Secretary-General’s call. The clock is ticking and there is no time to waste.  Get involved and sign the urgent call to support!

A top-down view of a woman on a rustic rowboat serving food.

After partnering back in May for a campaign asking the world to be patient, responsible and “travel tomorrow”, UNWTO and CNN team up again as the restart of tourism gets underway.

A young African woman holding a brick in her hands.

The UN Environment Programme named seven young scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs and activists from across the globe as its 2020 Young Champions of the Earth. With solutions to harvest water from the air, recycle plastic into paving slabs, and motivate fishing boats to haul tonnes of plastic out of the ocean, these change-makers show how innovative ideas coupled with ambitious action can help solve some of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges. They’ll receive seed funding, mentoring and communications support to amplify their efforts.