A storm hitting major cities in the Arabian Peninsula as seen from Earth-observing satellites.
Space, Climate Change

Space and climate change

World Space Week is an international celebration of science and technology, and their contribution to the betterment of the human condition. The United Nations General Assembly declared in 1999 that World Space Week would be held each year from October 4-10. For the year 2024, the chosen theme is “Space and Climate Change.” This theme emphasizes the critical role of space exploration and technology in understanding and addressing the challenges posed by climate change.

A powerful storm system strikes major cities in the Arabian Peninsula.
Photo:Wanmei Liang/NASA Earth Observatory
A man climbs over a destroyed building in the southern suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon.

Victims of deadly Lebanon escalation describe fleeing ‘total destruction’

3 October 2024 — People in Lebanon uprooted by Israeli airstrikes including in central Beirut have described being forced to flee “total destruction”, amid fresh reports of Hezbollah projectile...

Residents survey the damage in a suburb of southern Beirut left in ruins after being targeted by airstrikes.

SECURITY COUNCIL LIVE: End ‘sickening cycle’ of escalation across the Middle East, Guterres urges

2 October 2024 — Security Council members met in emergency session on Tuesday morning in New York with the Middle East on the brink of all-out war. App users can reprise our live coverage here....

A suburb of southern Beirut lies in ruins after being targeted by airstrikes.

Lebanon crisis: UN launches $426 million aid appeal with ‘limited’ Israeli ground incursion underway

1 October 2024 — UN humanitarians launched a $426 million appeal for Lebanon on Tuesday to support one million people uprooted by widespread Israeli shelling amid what Israel has described as a “...

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

ActNow is the UN campaign to inspire people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the lead up to the Summit of the Future, join the 1 Million Actions for our Common Future challenge to contribute to a more sustainable and peaceful world. Find new inspiring actions on the app and at un.org/actnow.

summit of the future

Summit of the Future

The Summit is a high-level event on 22-23 September in New York, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future. This once-in-a-generation opportunity serves as a moment to mend eroded trust and demonstrate that international cooperation can effectively achieve agreed goals and tackle emerging threats and opportunities.

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.

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

Goal of the Month

 
Zero Hunger

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.

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 making notes in her notebook. She raises awareness in her community about gender-based violence and harmful practices. Gender Equality, UNFPA

Why are gender equality and reproductive rights essential for peace?

The consequences of crises disproportionately affect women. Even though most combatants are male, over two-thirds of civilians killed in conflict are women and children. Women and girls also make up the majority of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence. However, male-dominated fighting forces and majority-male policymakers often lead peacebuilding processes. What role do women and young people play in promoting peace, and how does the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) empower them to participate?

Woman's face behind freshly made noodles. Economic Development, IOM

The inspiring journey of a woman-owned noodle business in Afghanistan

Nisa is a mother of four from Bamyan, Afghanistan. She faced challenges in accessing education and later migrated to Iran. Like many Afghan women facing challenges in their migration journey, her priorities shifted to supporting her family. After a few daily-wage jobs, Nisa found stable work at a noodle-making factory in Iran. After 20 years, her family returned to Afghanistan. Nisa started a noodle business using her experience in Iran. With support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), she expanded her business and now plans to hire women and open a restaurant.

A man carrying a heavy basket of vegetables on his back. Agriculture and Food, Transport and Communications, FAO

Why we need to rethink transport systems to reduce food loss

The transportation process, a critical point in fresh fruit and vegetable supply chains, contributes significantly to the 13 percent of the world’s food losses that occur between harvesting and retail. To address this challenge, we need to approach the whole system of transportation and come up with tailored solutions. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) works to promote the development of organized transport systems critical for assuring the efficient transfer of perishable fresh produce from farms to markets with minimal food loss in low- and middle-income countries. 

Food, IFAD

Cut waste, boost food security

Reducing food loss is vital for enhancing food security and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, as a large portion of agricultural costs is tied to uneaten food.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, World Bank

Unlocking infrastructure potential

Investing an extra $500 million annually in developing countries could enhance infrastructure, but strong regulatory frameworks are essential for attracting private investment.

Health, Communication and Mass Media, WHO

WHO and TikTok collaborate for health

The World Health Organisation has partnered with TikTok to promote health literacy and combat misinformation through engaging, science-based content on the platform.

Communication and Mass Media, Employment, WIPO

Yakwetu fights piracy in Kenya

Yakwetu is transforming Kenya's film industry by disrupting piracy through a legitimate pay-as-you-go streaming model that supports local creators and combats the illegal copying of content.

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

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.

A young girl holds a smiling infant at the Zaatari Refugee Camp

Our Common Agenda

Following up on a pledge made by UN Member States at the UN’s 75th anniversary, the report Our Common Agenda looks ahead to the next 25 years and represents the Secretary-General’s vision on the future of global cooperation. It calls for inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism to better respond to humanity’s most pressing challenges.

Did you know?

As the world’s only truly universal global organization, the United Nations has become the foremost forum to address issues that transcend national boundaries and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.

Watch and Listen

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

Lebanon's Crisis: UNHCR addresses displacement needs

The ongoing airstrikes in Lebanon have forced tens of thousands of individuals to flee from the southern regions, including the southern suburbs of Beirut and the Bekaa Valley, seeking safety in areas like Beirut, Mount Lebanon, and the North. 

As many continue to search for housing and shelter, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is actively responding to the crisis, focusing on the needs of both affected Lebanese communities and refugees. Key priorities include providing safe shelter, core relief items, healthcare, cash assistance, and protection services to ensure the well-being of those impacted by the violence.

Five decades of empowering communities

IFAD-supported projects enhance prosperity, food security, and resilience by connecting rural communities to essential finance, markets, technology, and knowledge.

The impact of super pollutants

Ugly, annoying, and destructive, super pollutants are invisible yet pervasive, contributing to 45% of global warming and causing significant harm to our health and the environment. 

UN Podcasts

arrow in orange going to the right with the words Global Call Summit of the Future above it

Focus on the Future: Peace, out

The risk of the world’s major powers engaging in conflict is at its highest level since the Cold War, and the possibility of nuclear war breaking out is greater today than it has been for several decades. On the final episode of Focus on the Future podcast, Conor Lennon and Ben Malor from UN News concentrate on international peace and security, and how the Pact for the Future could help to reduce tensions. We’ll hear from the UN’s heads of Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (and explain the difference between the two concepts), and the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, who warns against “normalizing” the idea of using nuclear weapons.

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.

A woman and her daughter walking on extremely dry ground.
Photo:Ab Rashid/UNDP Bangladesh

What can be done to protect people, places and nature?

Climate change affects people differently, with the poorest and most vulnerable bearing the brunt. Developing countries suffered economic loss and damage of US$425 billion in 2020 due to climate change.  One of the best ways to address loss and damage linked to climate change is to make funding available directly to local communities, Indigenous peoples, and civil society organizations so that they can design, implement, and deliver their innovative solutions that are culturally appropriate and context-specific. The Global Environment Facility Small Grants Programme, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), provides support to local organizations to tackle environmental issues like climate change.

Four women holding SDG banners at a coffee factory.
Photo:UNDP Ecuador

Ecuador launches world's first 'deforestation-free' coffee 

Ecuador is pioneering sustainable agriculture with innovative practices to enhance productivity while preserving its rich biodiversity and forest ecosystems. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Lavazza have teamed up to produce the world's first certified 'deforestation-free' coffee. The initiative aims to improve the quality of coffee beans and protect nature and forests, working with farmers in the 23 provinces bordering Ecuador's Amazon rainforest. The initiative is part of the PROAmazonía program, a government-led initiative supported by UNDP, which has restored 15,023 hectares of Amazonian land.

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