ÎÛÎÛÂþ®‹

A grassy park with trees and people sitting on benches.
Natural Resources and the Environment, Climate Change

Invest in clean air now

Air pollution is the biggest environmental health risk of our time. It worsens climate change and causes economic losses. It knows no borders ¨C everyone has a responsibility to protect our atmosphere and ensure healthy air for all. By collaborating across borders, sectors, and silos, we can reduce air pollution through collective investments of time, resources and efforts. This International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies (7 September), we call upon everyone to Invest in #CleanAirNow. By tackling air pollution proactively, we can achieve transformative change and secure healthy air for all.

A view of a park in Chi?in?u, the capital of the Republic of Moldova.
Photo:UN /Mark Garten

6 September 2024 ¡ª Continued Russian attacks across Ukraine this week made for a tragic start to the new school year, a senior official with the UN Children¡¯s Fund (UNICEF) said in a statement on...

6 September 2024 ¡ª More than 160,000 children were vaccinated in southern Gaza on Thursday, the first day of a polio vaccination campaign there, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)...

6 September 2024 ¡ª Top human rights investigators into Sudan¡¯s brutal war called on Friday for a country-wide arms embargo as they recounted harrowing testimony of victims of horrific sexual...

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 and at .

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.

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.

SDG Media Zone

Join us on 23-27 September and hear about the transformation and solutions needed to accelerate action on the SDGs. This year¡¯s sessions will highlight the tracks of the Summit of the Future, including the new agenda for peace, global governance, financing for development, digital cooperation, and future generations, along with staple SDG issues. 

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.

Health, ILO, UNAIDS

Meet Reena Mistry a 23-year-old woman from Surat, India, who aspires to a career in the civil service. She also holds an orange belt in Karate, writes content and lives with HIV. She has managed to become financially independent, thanks to a skills development and livelihood project of the International Labour Organization () implemented by the Gujarat State Network of Positive People, with support from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (). Reena has faced stigma from society because of her status. But she wants people to understand that this is a manageable condition, and that we can lead the same lives as everyone else.

Human Rights

The will hold its (9 September-11 October) at the United Nations in Geneva.?On its opening day, the session will be addressed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker T¨¹rk, with reflections on pressing human rights issues from around the world. During the session, the Council will hold around 30 interactions with special rapporteurs, expert mechanisms and investigative probes, and with Mr. T¨¹rk on Nicaragua, Myanmar, Ukraine, Honduras, and Haiti. The 47-member Council will also hold discussions on Afghanistan, Sudan, racial justice and equality in law enforcement, the nuclear legacy in the Marshall Islands, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, among other topics. 

Agriculture and Food, Economic Development

Deep in his heart, La Xayyavieng has ¡°always known that agriculture is the lifeline (¡­) to survive and to grow.¡± The 46-year-old father of three has long harboured the wish for his children to bring knowledge and experience back from neighbouring Vietnam to the family¡¯s land in Attapeu province in the southeast of the Lao People¡¯s Democratic Republic. La's participation in the "Building Climate-Resilient and Eco-friendly Agriculture Systems and Livelihoods" project implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations () has led to a 160 percent increase in the family¡¯s income through a successful watermelon crop. This change has successfully allowed La to grow vegetables in both the rainy and dry seasons.

Sports, Refugees, UNHCR

Guillaume Junior Atangana's historic third-place finish in the men¡¯s 400m at the Paris Paralympics, exemplifies the resilience and triumph of the and the power of sport to inspire hope among refugees.

Economic Development, UNCTAD

UNCTAD's new "" reveals the global debt crisis, providing critical data on how rising debt and interest payments are straining budgets and impacting development.

Pollution and Waste, UNEP

Urgent action on air pollution

Ahead of the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, UNEP warns of severe air pollution in East and Southeast Asia, urging immediate action to address the crisis and save lives.

Migrants, Sports, IOM

Four Rohingya boys¡ªMuhammed, Riyad, Ahmed, and Sultan¡ªfind solace in football and the support of shelter staff in Thailand as they prepare for resettlement in Canada, holding on to dreams of education and brighter futures.

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

ÎÛÎÛÂþ®‹ 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 , 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 , the
Security Council, the , the Trusteeship Council, the , 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.

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.

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 Ant¨®nio 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 ¡ª 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 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.

Watch and Listen

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

Support Official Streams: Protect Sports Integrity

International sports events attract millions of fans worldwide, who eagerly tune in to watch their favorite teams and athletes compete. However, not only harms athletes and broadcasters but also undermines the experience for fans. By choosing to watch through official channels, you help ensure that everyone involved¡ªfrom the athletes who dedicate their lives to the sport to the broadcasters who bring the games to you¡ªcan benefit fairly.

Respecting copyright and supporting legitimate streams ensures that the excitement and integrity of the sport are preserved for all to enjoy.

Giving birth in Gaza (Part 2): Labor

After months of being repeatedly displaced around Gaza, Malak, 22, faced an uncertain three hour drive to reach the hospital when she went into labor.

Barbados turns fish waste into wealth

The "" initiative transforms fish waste into valuable livestock feed and soil amendments, supporting local farmers and processors while advancing sustainable development and fisheries policy.

UN Podcasts

Various drawings of the cerebral cortex along with the program title, Science in 5.

Mpox: what you need to know

The World Health Organization () has declared the current outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. How is this outbreak different from previous ones, and why has it been declared a public health emergency? What does this mean for countries and for you? Who is at risk? And what about vaccines? Dr Abdou Salam Gueye, from WHO Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo, gives you all the keys to what you need to know about this disease.

Photo: WHO

ÎÛÎÛÂþ®‹ in Pictures

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

Photo:?UNOCHA/Liz Loh-Taylor

Climate change, conflict, political instability, disease and economic shocks are driving humanitarian needs in the Southern and Eastern Africa region. At least 74 million people in the region need humanitarian assistance - that's the highest number of people in need in the world. This number is expected to increase by the end of the year due to climate change and conflict. Displacement and food crises, a high incidence of cholera and a growing number of violent sexual assaults are among the most serious challenges facing this area of the African continent.

Photo:? UNFPA Bangladesh

Sexual health is not just about being free of disease. Positive relationships grounded in mutual respect, empathy and understanding are a keystone of sexual health and well-being. This applies not only to relationships with partners but also to relationships with educators and providers of sexual health services. When these relationships are safe and respectful, people are more able to fulfill their rights and choices. As we celebrate , here¡¯s a look at some of the relationships and initiatives from around the world that contribute to empowering and protecting women and girls.

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