A Reflection on the Role of the United Nations in Ensuring a Secure, Prosperous and Equitable World

The work of the United Nations impacts people around the world on issues related to peace and security, development and human rights; from disarmament to efforts to combat terrorism and extremism; from conflict prevention to peacekeeping and peacebuilding; from disease prevention to the promotion of gender equality and universal education; from refugee resettlement to humanitarian assistance; from the rule of law to the fight against transnational crime. ... As we mark 70 years of existence, we have every reason to celebrate all that our community of nations has achieved. In doing so, we should also look to the future and strive to transform the United Nations to ensure that it remains effective and relevant in a dynamic and globalized new world.

Young at 70: The Promise of the United Nations Work with and for Youth

The year 2015 is critical. We must continue to build upon the momentum to promote youth priorities and increase investment in young people worldwide.

Striving for Human Security

Since the United Nations was established, significant progress has occurred. When the Charter of the United Nations was ratified, most Asian and African countries were still European colonies. The United Nations started with 51 Member States, expanding over these 70 years to 193 Member States today. The evolving threats and challenges against which the Organization is tested may have outpaced the progress. Article 1 of the Charter proclaims that the first aim of the world Organization is to maintain international peace and security. If to be secure means to be free from being killed, persecuted or abused, free from extreme poverty that brings indignity and self-contempt, and free to make choices, then still too many people today cannot afford security.

Message on the 70th Anniversary of the United Nations

On this anniversary and on every single day, we must use our power and influence to do what is right and what is necessary to uphold the Charter. While we cannot prevent earthquakes and tsunamis, we can do much to address the disasters that arise from human folly and short-sightedness. This is a time of test but far more one of tremendous opportunity. As the distinctions between the national and the international continue to fall away, we can and must use the lessons of 70 years to come together as a single human family and chart a course towards a safer and more sustainable future for all.

Living Together

The protection of the environment affects the preservation of the entire planet. It is also a subject closely related to provisions of the Charter, since a sustainable environment decidedly contributes to the assurance of the well-being of its inhabitants. United Nations initiatives are thus critical to finding solutions to most environmental challenges. Over the years, this question has become increasingly important in General Assembly deliberations and has been featured in its resolutions.

The United Nations at 70: Working as One to Deliver a Healthy Future for All

Good health cannot be achieved in a vacuum, however. If we are to truly create a healthier world, we must employ a health for all mentality and work across sectors to fully understand and respond to all social and environmental determinants of health

Foreword

In the spring of 2014, we started preparations for the 70th anniversary of the United Nations in 2015 and began exploring options that, in addition to being celebratory, would also contribute to substantive discussions about our Organization. Producing this special double issue of the UN Chronicle was at the top of the list of platforms for such discussions.

Towards a More Secure, Just and Humane Future

There is no doubt that today, much depends on leadership. If leaders acknowledge their responsibility and overcome long-standing disagreements, including subjective grievances, it will be possible to find a way out of the impasse. Thirty years ago, we managed to do so under much more difficult circumstances, when the political stand-off seemed insuperable and the stockpiles of nuclear weapons were much larger than now. Today, we must not panic, nor cave in to pessimism. Figuratively speaking, it is possible to clear the skies over the United Nations Headquarters and create conditions for the global Organization to fulfil its mission.

Tender Care for Leprosy Patients

FIFA and the United Nations Educating the Most Underprivileged Through Sport

Academia and Aid Effectiveness in Global Health

What is the role of academia in promoting or hindering aid effectiveness? Thisarticle aims to address the crucial role played by academia in the past two decades especially after the Paris,Ghana and Busan high-level meetings on aid effectiveness.

The Role of the United Nations Ethics Office:The Ethics of International Civil Service in the Light of the Foundation and Mission of the United Nations

So what does the birth of the United Nations signify?How is the birth of the United Nations itself an ethical matter?To answer that question we must turn to the actual language of the United Nations itself and how it envisions its own ethical framework.

Is Democracy a Pre-Condition in Economic Growth? A Perspective from the Rise of Modern China

In recent years, many developing countries in Asia recorded high economic growth and have become global economic engines. China is no exception and has become the new powerhouse in global economic development during the pre- and post-global subprime financial crisis and eurozone debt crisis.

Goal 16—Ensuring Peace in the Post-2015 Framework: Adoption, Implementation and Monitoring

The global debate on what development framework will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is nearing its conclusion. After two years of discussions, the post-2015 development agenda is currently being negotiated at the United Nations Headquarters and will be formally adopted at a high-level summit in September 2015.

Goal 7—Ensure Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy for All

The four dimensions of SDG 7 are affordability, reliability, sustainability and modernity. These different dimensions are not mutually exclusive. They overlap, and in some cases even entail each other.