A large block of ice breaking off from a glacier into the ocean near Maniitsoq in Greenland.
Natural Resources and the Environment

A global call for climate action

The Earth is sending clear warnings: record-breaking heat, wildfires, extreme storms, and melting glaciers. Scientists warn we are dangerously close to exceeding 1.5°C of global warming, a threshold beyond which climate impacts become far more severe. But there is still hope. Communities are restoring ecosystems, young people are driving change, and clean energy is building a more sustainable future. This World Environment Day (5 June), remember there is still time to act. The Earth is sending us a signal—what message will we send back? Join UNEP’s global campaign and act #ForClimateNow.

Global temperatures are likely to stay at record highs over the next five years due to accelerating climate change.
Photo:Lasse Kyed / Ocean Image Bank
Person holding a cardboard sign that reads 'PLANET over PROFIT' at a climate protest in Erlangen, Germany.

Killed for speaking up: UN sounds alarm over attacks on environmental defenders

4 June 2026 — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called on Thursday for greater protection for environmental and land defenders, noting that hundreds worldwide have been killed or...

A UNIFIL Indonesian peacekeeper uses binoculars to observe the Green Hill area near Naqoura headquarters in Lebanon.

Lebanon: Another peacekeeper dies in new attack

4 June 2026 — A Serbian peacekeeper serving in Lebanon died early Thursday after mortar fire on his position near Marjayoun in the country’s southeast, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has...

Delegation of Kyrgyzstan celebrates being elected as a non-permanent member of the Security Council at the United Nations in New York.

Kyrgyzstan wins seat on UN Security Council for first time ever

3 June 2026 — A closely watched Security Council election delivered a mix of continuity and change on Wednesday, as Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, Zimbabwe – and first-time member...

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.

hands holding megaphone and speech bubble

ActNow Campaign

The Goals can improve life for all of us. Cleaner air. Safer cities. Equality. Better jobs. These issues matter to everyone. But progress is too slow. We have to act, urgently, to accelerate changes that add up to better lives on a healthier planet. Find new inspiring actions on the app and at un.org/actnow.

Act Now for a Peaceful World

Today, half the world is under 30, and this generation is a powerful force for peace. The UN "Hear Us. Act Now for a Peaceful World" campaign, launched on the International Day of Peace, aims to include, invest in, and partner with young people to build lasting peace. 

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.

icon with fish swimming below waves

Goal of the month 14

 

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Healthy oceans and seas are essential to human existence and life on Earth.

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.

A woman selling her food at a market place. Finance, Economic Development, IFAD

Strengthening food systems through nutrition

Nutrition is a cornerstone of rural transformation, linking healthy populations, resilient food systems and stronger local economies. Malnutrition costs the global economy up to US$3.5 trillion each year, while every dollar invested in nutrition can generate about US$23 in returns. The International Fund for Agriculture and Development (IFAD) promotes nutrition-sensitive investments that address the causes of malnutrition and strengthen sustainable food systems. Home-grown school feeding programmes illustrate this approach by improving children’s diets while creating reliable markets for small-scale farmers. In Kenya, IFAD-supported cooperatives supply nutritious grains to schools, boosting food security and livelihoods. Through partnerships with governments, donors and international agencies, including Norway-funded initiatives in seven African countries, IFAD has improved nutrition and livelihoods for over 263,000 rural people. 

Picture of the earth with temperatures rising. Climate, WMO

Prepare for El Niño

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forecasts an 80% chance of El Niño developing between June and August 2026, with a more than 90% likelihood of persisting until at least November. Most climate models indicate a moderate to potentially strong event. Rising sea-surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, supported by unusually warm subsurface waters and atmospheric indicators, confirm the developing conditions. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that El Niño could intensify the impacts of climate change and called for urgent climate action and support for vulnerable communities. WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasized preparedness, noting increased risks of droughts, heavy rainfall and heatwaves. WMO will continue monitoring conditions and issuing early warnings globally.

A land with budding crops. Agriculture and Food, SDG 12: Sustainable Consumption and Production, FAO

Rethinking and rebuilding our agrifood systems

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Global Environment Facility are working across 140 countries to transform agrifood systems so they deliver food security, climate resilience, biodiversity protection and land restoration together. Their partnership supports solutions that improve incentives, policies and investments for farmers and rural communities. Examples include Indigenous-led forest restoration in Peru that strengthens biodiversity and livelihoods, conservation agriculture in Iraq that boosts yields and reduces water use, and regional cooperation in Central Asia to restore degraded river ecosystems. In Pakistan, banana waste is being converted into textile fibres, reducing pollution and creating new incomes. Since 2006, the partnership has combined science, funding and local knowledge to scale sustainable practices, for a more resilient and sustainable future globally.

An emergency health worker in full PPE gear.
Health, Crisis and emergency response, WFP

Ebola crisis in the DRC

WFP warns Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is spreading rapidly, worsening hunger, displacement, and overwhelming fragile humanitarian response systems.

A mud house in a refugee camp.
Displaced Persons and Refugees, IOM

Earth shelters in Somalia

Displaced Somali families in Doolow are building climate-resilient mudbrick shelters, improving safety, dignity, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability.

A crewman on a pipeline rig.
Economic Development, UNCTAD

Oil shock hits the vulnerable

UNCTAD warns oil price surges could add $20 billion yearly to import bills, hitting vulnerable economies and worsening poverty globally.

Tourism, UN Tourism

Global tourism slows in 2026

UN Tourism reports 307 million international arrivals in early 2026, with global conflict and increasing costs slowing growth and shifting travel demand.

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

Podium of the General Assembly Hall seen from below with the gold wall and the golden UN logo behind

Selecting the next Secretary-General

The United Nations process to appoint the next Secretary‑General continues with interactive dialogues guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity. Watch the interactive dialogues with the candidates: Michelle Bachelet Jeria (21 April), Rafael Mariano Grossi (21 April), Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (22 April), Macky Sall (22 April) and María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (15 June).

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.

Watch and Listen

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

Millie Bobby Brown talks parenting

"I don't understand how that much happens in my heart." Everyone experiences being a parent differently. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Millie Bobby Brown shares a glimpse of what that looks like for her. For expert tips to support your parenting journey, visit UNICEF Parenting.

Breaking the silence in the cocoa fields

Step inside Nigeria’s cocoa-growing communities through this immersive virtual reality film and hear directly from young women whose childhoods were shaped by hazardous child labour and tough daily realities.

Dance for our planet!

The limbo reimagined asks: How low can we go? How low can we keep global warming to safeguard our planet for future generations? In partnership with‪@alok‬, the track Deep Down asks us to get moving, to get real, to stand up.

UN Podcasts

older man instructing younger one

Lifelong learning and the future of work

In a world shaped by AI, the green transition, and demographic change, lifelong learning is key to supporting good jobs and more inclusive societies. But new International Labour Organization (ILO) research shows access to quality learning is still deeply unequal.

In this episode of ILO's The Future of Work podcast listen to a discussion with Pedro Moreno da Fonseca, Lifelong learning specialist at the ILO, Hannah Liepmann, Economist at the ILO, Chaudhry Saad Muhammad, General Secretary of the Pakistan United Workers Federation, and Josephine Andriamamonjiarison, Honorary President of the Employers’ Association of Madagascar and member of the ILO Governing Body.

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.

coral nursery
Photo:EcoMode Society/Nadeem Nazurally

The Ripple Effect

Coral reefs cover less than 1% of the ocean but support over 25% of all life in it—the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet. Protecting coral reefs is an existential imperative for Small Island Developing States like Mauritius, which depend heavily on these rich but delicate ecosystems for fisheries, tourism and coastal protection. Despite their immense value, coral reefs are at the brink of collapse. In 2020, an oil leak from a damaged ship caused the worst environmental disaster in Mauritius’ history. The local communities most affected by the disaster stepped up to lead the recovery and take their future into their own hands. The initiative supported by UNDP engaged local residents to collect pieces of broken coral from the reef hit by the ship and move them to a nursery. By May 2026, around 25,500 corals from over 3,400 mother colonies had been transplanted back to the affected area.

boy with parrot on shoulder
Photo:UNICEF/Ponce

A blueprint for success

Hansel and his brother grew up in a family determined to give their children the best possible future. Like many parents across Peru, their mother faced the daily challenge of ensuring her children received the nutrition and care they needed during the most important years of their development. With access to improved health and nutrition services, the family received support that helped both boys grow and thrive. Today, Hansel and his brother embody the impact of Peru’s efforts to reduce chronic child malnutrition. Their experience shows how informed parents, strong public services and sustained support can work together to help children reach their full potential.

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