Military personnel pack up a camp as a large sandstorm cloud approaches.
Land, Plants, and Soil, SDGs

Sand and dust storms and the SDGs

Sand and dust storms darken skies and carry their impacts across borders. While they are part of the Earth’s natural cycles, they are increasingly intensified by climate change, land degradation and unsustainable water use. They threaten health, food security, water, livelihoods, cities and ecosystems, and slow progress on sustainable development. Yet through responsible land, water and climate action, their impacts can be reduced. The International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms (12 July) calls for stronger international cooperation to reduce their risks and protect communities worldwide.

The impacts of sand and dust storms are felt in all regions of the world and pose severe challenges to achieving 11 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Photo:© UN Photo / Blagoje Grujic
A Palestinian Civil Defense team searching for the remains of victims under the rubble.

‘We face a new ordeal’: Gaza's search for the dead goes on

11 July 2026 — After thousands of buildings were destroyed in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war, local teams and civil defense personnel continue the arduous and delicate mission to...

Women access emergency relief in Afghanistan.

Aid cuts leave at least one million women and girls without vital support

10 July 2026 — At least one million women and girls have lost access to critical humanitarian support since January 2025 as unprecedented aid cuts push women's organizations in crisis zones to the...

A silhouette of a woman standing inside a makeshift tent in a refugee camp in Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan.

New cholera outbreak alert for Sudan’s war-weary communities

10 July 2026 — In war-torn Sudan, a deadly new cholera outbreak has already claimed more than 100 lives, heightening serious concerns for vulnerable communities including in besieged El-Obeid,...

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. 

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.

17 SDG goals

GOAL OF THE MONTH

Ten years after their adoption, the Sustainable Development Goals remain a universal call to action for all countries – developed and developing. Progress is being made, yet major challenges remain. At the High-level Political Forum, countries focus on accelerating action on five critical goals.

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.

girls playing soccer Women and Gender Equality, Sports

Women and girls: Celebrated on the field, sidelined off it

As women’s sport gains unprecedented recognition, many athletes still face unequal pay, limited opportunities, underrepresentation in leadership, and unsafe environments. Women and girls—especially those with disabilities, migrant backgrounds, or facing intersecting discrimination—continue to overcome systemic barriers both on and off the field. From fair wages and maternity protections to stronger safeguards against violence and greater inclusion in decision-making, achieving true equality requires more than celebrating success. It means ensuring every woman and girl can participate, compete, and thrive with dignity, safety, and equal rights.

woman holding cocoa fruit Agriculture and Food, FAO

More shade for more cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire

As climate change and deforestation threaten the future of cocoa farming, growers in Côte d’Ivoire are embracing agroforestry to restore productivity and protect their livelihoods. By planting shade, fruit and timber trees alongside cocoa, farmers are improving yields, enriching soils, boosting biodiversity and making their crops more resilient to extreme weather. Supported by training, cooperatives and sustainable farming practices, this shift is helping communities increase incomes while safeguarding the land for future generations—proving that growing more can go hand in hand with restoring nature.

drawing of football field sized rectangles with different land types of land, some of them empty Land, Plants, and Soil, UNEP

Every 4 seconds, we lose another playing field

The world has more than 20 billion football-pitch-sized parcels of land, but nearly 40% are already degraded by deforestation, unsustainable farming, urban expansion and climate change. Every second, the equivalent of four football fields is lost, threatening food security, biodiversity, livelihoods and the climate. Forests continue to shrink, and most farmland is already degraded or at risk of desertification. Yet there is hope: countries and communities are restoring ecosystems on a massive scale, with pledges to revive 1.4 billion football pitches of land—showing that collective action can restore nature, strengthen economies and secure a healthier future for people and the planet.

A group of men learning on computers.
Artificial Intelligence, ILO

GenAI reshapes ASEAN labour market

ILO reports generative AI could affect nearly 80 million ASEAN workers, though widespread job losses remain unlikely as adoption stays limited and uneven across sectors.

A woman works in an engine.
Women and Gender Equality, IMO

Women in maritime unite

Women in Maritime Association (WIMA) Europe launched in Batumi, strengthening women’s leadership, networking and professional development across Europe’s maritime sector, backed by IMO, Denmark and UNDP Georgia.

Economic Development, IMF

Global economic growth steady

Global growth is forecast at 3.0% in 2026 and 3.4% in 2027, while stalled disinflation and geopolitical risks continue to challenge policymakers. 

An industrial park
Finance, UNCTAD

Global FDI rebounds

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) rose 6% to $1.6 trillion in 2025, but growth remained concentrated, with developing economies seeing limited gains amid uncertainty.

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 dialogues with the candidates: Michelle Bachelet Jeria (21 April), Rafael Mariano Grossi (21 April), Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (22 April), Macky Sall (22 April), María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (15 June) and Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett (18 June).

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A group of people carrying their few belongings, walking in front of buildings in ruins, at sunset.

The Spotlight series

This series shines a light on communities facing conflict, displacement, public health emergencies and other humanitarian challenges around the world. Drawing on reporting from across the UN system, it amplifies voices from countries including Haiti, Gaza, DR Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar, to foster understanding, encourage engagement, and help mobilize support, assistance, and protection for the most vulnerable people.

Climate Change

Climate Change is one of the defining issues of our time and we are at a pivotal moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Taking decisive action today will make adapting to these impacts in the future more effective and less costly.

General Assembly hall with the Secretary-General at the podium

The Essential UN

The United Nations is the only place on Earth where all the world's nations come together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. Learn about the main areas of the UN’s activities; how it makes a difference to the world’s people; and how every citizen can get involved and make a contribution. 

Watch and Listen

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

Where hope turns into action for a sustainable future | HLPF 2026

The world faces overlapping crises, including climate shocks, geopolitical tensions, poverty, and economic uncertainty, making progress toward the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals increasingly urgent. The 2026 High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) will bring the international community together from 7–15 July to assess progress and develop solutions to accelerate action.

Celebrating ancient tea farming traditions

Six remarkable tea-producing regions have been recognized as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems for unique landscapes, traditions, and generations-old farming practices.

Breaking football barriers

From Cuba to the World Cup, women are increasingly making their mark as referees.

UN Podcasts

Jorge, along with a group of people, inspecting an area with destroyed buildings

Building the foundations for human dignity

Fighting for and believing in change is in Jorge Moreira da Silva’s blood. Now Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the former Portuguese minister is helping to improve lives. From restoring roads and repairing power plants to running health centres and constructing renewable energy mini-grids, UNOPS implements projects in more than 130 countries – often in fragile and conflict-affected settings.

“It's about providing social basic human needs. We have found a way to provide livelihoods to 15 million people in Afghanistan...rehabilitating roads, streets, water canals, paying men and women to do the job.”

In this episode of Awake at Night, Jorge Moreira da Silva reflects on the practical and political challenges of delivering projects in complex environments – from funding gaps to lack of political will. He also shares how releasing an Iberian lynx and earning his pilot’s license have to do with keeping hope alive through dark times.

Since this interview was recorded, the UN Secretary-General has appointed Jorge Moreira da Silva to lead the UN task force for the Strait of Hormuz. 

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.

David Beckham high-fiving a child football player
Photo:UNICEF/UNI907721/UNICEF India

More than a team: bringing athletes and fans together for children

From football clubs to global sports stars, the world of sport is helping create brighter futures for children. UNICEF partnerships are expanding access to education, digital skills, health, nutrition and safe spaces to play, while promoting children's rights on and off the field. Longtime UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham, who has worked with the organization for over 20 years, highlights the transformative power of education and sport to strengthen families and communities. By bringing together athletes, fans and organizations, these initiatives show that the greatest victories happen when sport creates opportunities, protection and hope for every child.

silhouettes of men walking through fields in a hazy light
Photo:IOM 2022/Alexander Bee

One of the world's most dangerous migration routes

Djibouti occupies a strategic position along the Eastern Route, serving as a key transit point for migrants seeking opportunities in the Gulf. Migration flows through Djibouti are rising sharply, driven by regional conflict, economic pressures, and increasingly organized smuggling networks along the Eastern Route linking the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. Migration along the Eastern Route remains extremely dangerous. In 2025 alone, at least 140 migrants have died and 33 others have been reported missing along migration routes in Djibouti. Migrants often travel long distances through remote and harsh terrain, facing hunger, dehydration, illness, and violence. Limited monitoring and insecurity along parts of the route further heighten the risks faced by migrants.

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