The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis, with 25.4 million people needing assistance, including 6.9 million internally displaced persons. Ongoing armed conflicts exacerbate the situation, leading to displacement and human rights violations, while fighting restricts humanitarian access. Outbreaks of cholera and malaria threaten millions of people, who also suffer from acute malnutrition. Watch the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region brief the Security Council on the situation in the region.
16 April 2025 — The world economy is on a recessionary trajectory as global growth is expected to slow to 2.3 per cent this year due to escalating trade tensions and uncertainty, the UN trade and…
16 April 2025 — In the early hours of Wednesday morning in Geneva, countries finalized a draft global agreement aimed at improving how the world prepares for and responds to pandemics, marking a…
15 April 2025 — Recent severe flooding caused by torrential rains has displaced nearly 10,000 people in Tanganyika province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN refugee agency,…
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.
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.
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.
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.
Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies.
Featured stories from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
The conflict in Sudan, which started in April 2023, has caused the world’s largest displacement crisis. More than 11.5 million people have been displaced within the country, and an additional 3.5 million have fled across borders, including an estimated 930,000 people who have crossed into Chad. The ongoing war threatens to engulf the country and the region, unless a diplomatic way forward can be found. On 15 April 2025, global leaders are meeting in London at a high-level conference to address the escalating humanitarian needs. Find out more on the latest developments in the Sudan crisis.
“The so-called War on Drugs has destroyed countless lives and damaged entire communities. These policies are simply not working, and we are failing some of the most vulnerable groups in our societies,” UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk said at a recent speech on global drug policies. For decades, governments have adopted a largely punitive approach to control narcotic drugs. UN experts say the results have been catastrophic, and cite some of the harmful consequences: Mass incarceration rates, increased drug-related crimes and violence, record numbers of drug-related deaths, growing illegal production of drugs, and stigmatization and discrimination of entire communities. However, positive changes are emerging, as countries like the Philippines, Ghana, Pakistan, and Colombia shift towards drug policies that prioritize public health, dignity, and human rights over punishment.
Unprecedented cuts in global humanitarian funding are having severe impacts on Sudanese refugees in Chad, with clinics, schools and programmes to protect women and children from violence and exploitation forced to shut down. Reproductive health services have suffered significantly, with maternity wards closing, forcing women to give birth at home without medical care, leading to increased deaths. Over 8,500 displaced children may lose access to secondary education this year due to funding cuts, with the potential for over 155,000 refugee children to be left without education by 2026. Chad hosts 1.3 million displaced people, including over 760,000 Sudanese refugees fleeing the ongoing conflict. Families continue to arrive daily, adding pressure to an already impoverished nation facing extreme weather and instability.
After Hurricane Otis and Hurricane John devastated Acapulco, UNESCO organized workshops to rebuild communities through culture and empathy, while preserving the city’s rich Afro-descendant heritage.
Fleeing war-torn Ukraine, Olga and Eva found safety and healing in Moldova, where a local library became their sanctuary, nurturing friendship, learning, and a fresh start.
Jordanian designer Batoul Al-Rashdan transforms food waste into biodegradable fashion, challenging fashion’s wasteful practices on International Day of Zero Waste, and promoting sustainability and innovation.
UNCTAD’s 2025 report highlights Artificial Intelligence’s massive economic potential, urging investment in digital infrastructure and stronger international cooperation to ensure AI benefits are shared globally.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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Video and audio from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
Maternal health is a critical global issue, most of which are preventable with timely, skilled care. Although progress has been made, inequalities persist, particularly in fragile and humanitarian settings, requiring urgent action to ensure universal access to quality maternal health services as part of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Join UNESCO in celebrating linguistic diversity with the launch of the Hawaiian edition of What Makes Us Human, supporting the International Decade of Indigenous Languages.
Anandita Philipose, leading UNFPA’s work in Lebanon, addresses exploitation, violence, and protection risks, striving to safeguard women’s health and dignity.
Antibiotics save lives. But when the supplies run low or bacteria become resistant, the risks grow — especially in developing countries. On this episode of UNCTAD’s The Weekly Tradecast, economist Bruno Casella explores the challenges of securing essential antibiotics, the impact of limited local production, and how better investment and coordination can strengthen supply chains.
Images from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
How the hunger-fighting WFP supply chain works
A combination of poverty, conflict, and extreme weather has led to 1.9 million people facing starvation, with 343 million in 74 countries experiencing acute hunger, as reported by the World Food Programme (WFP). WFP’s fleet of trucks, ships, and planes delivers lifesaving food assistance daily to millions. Central to WFP’s mission is its supply chain, which plans, procures, and transports food to those in remote and challenging environments, including conflict zones like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Myanmar, Sudan, and the Gaza Strip. Data-driven decision-making is crucial for efficient planning and delivery. WFP collaborates with partners to enhance supply-chain excellence and respond swiftly to crises. In 2024, over 4,600 supply chain staff—90 percent in the field—worked tirelessly to assist 152 million people in need. But how does the supply chain work?
Rivers are our lifeline
“I love the river because I was born here. I want to take care of it even in small ways,” says Bakri, a 43-year-old river ranger volunteer in Depok City, Indonesia. He owns a small store along the riverbank, and his home borders Depok and Bogor, an area supported by the Ciliwung River, which flows over 100 kilometers to the Java Sea and serves over 3.8 million people. The Integrated River Basin Management (IRBM) Project aims to strengthen local governance for sustainable management of the Ciliwung River Basin, enhancing community engagement, especially among women and vulnerable groups. Financed by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme, the project focuses on reducing pollution and adapting to climate change in six countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
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