School children play on a swing during a UN Day outreach event organized by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in Monrovia, Liberia.
Observances, People

International Day of Happiness: spotlighting the importance of caring and sharing

Happiness is a fundamental human goal recognized by the United Nations General Assembly, and its pursuit is recognized in many national constitutions around the world. To foster happiness, the United Nations, by upholding human rights and advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, encourages governments and organizations to invest in conditions that foster this emotion. To promote this goal, the World Happiness Report 2025 is being released on 20 March, the International Day of Happiness. It features a ranking of countries based on life satisfaction and the theme of "caring and sharing."

UN/Staton Winter
Photo:
Russian attacks on thermal power plants like this one in Ukraine last year have caused immense suffering to vulnerable communities, UN humanitarians have warned.

Guterres welcomes deals to halt energy attacks in Ukraine, Russia

20 March 2025 — UN chief António Guterres on Thursday hailed positive announcements from the White House, Kremlin and Kyiv aimed at stopping crippling attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine...

Possessions litter the floor of a bombed residential building in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Ukrainians tortured, raped, executed by Russian captors, Human Rights Council hears

19 March 2025 — The Human Rights Council on Wednesday heard gruesome testimony of torture, rape and execution of Ukrainian detainees and soldiers allegedly committed by Russian forces, as a high-...

At least one UN staff member has been killed in an explosion at a UNOPS premises in central Gaza.

UN staff member killed in central Gaza blast, five others injured

19 March 2025 — At least one UN staffer has been killed and at least five others injured – several very severely – following an explosion at two UN guesthouses in Deir al Balah in the central Gaza...

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.

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.

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 of the Month

 
Gender Equality

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

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 seated on the floor surrounded by other women. Women and Gender Equality, UNDP

What we gain by choosing equality for women and girls

It’s been 30 years since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action established a global roadmap for advancing the rights of women and girls. Despite some progress, economic inequalities remain deeply entrenched in societies, exacerbating issues like domestic violence. Insufficient social protections, such as paid parental leave and childcare, along with higher tax rates for female earners, negatively impact women’s lives. The UNDP's Gender Equality Seal for Public Institutions is a voluntary program in over 100 institutions across 30 countries, aimed at enhancing policy reforms to better address the diverse needs of women.

Close-up of a rope with a rose attached and a group of demonstrators in the background of the image. Human Rights, International Law and Justice

Abolition of the death penalty is gaining momentum worldwide

The death penalty has no place in the 21st century, affirms the UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk citing its contribution to wrongful executions. Speaking at the Human Rights Council panel in Geneva, he highlighted the Global South's leadership in the movement to abolish capital punishment, driven by legal reforms and judicial interventions. Despite this progress, 2023 saw a 31% increase in executions, with 1,153 recorded in sixteen countries, primarily in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and the U.S. Türk noted that over 40% of executions were for drug-related offenses, mostly in Iran. He stressed the judiciary's critical role in interpreting the law to favor abolition, referencing Malawi's and Malaysia's recent reforms.

Many different colored hot peppers from Jamaica. Agriculture and Food, FAO

Breaking boundaries in hot pepper production in Jamaica

Alex Sybron, 33, transitioned from a budding cricket career to becoming the Chief Plant Breeding Officer at Jamaica's Bodles Research Station, focusing on improving seed quality for the agricultural sector. Encouraged by his mother to pursue education after a potential injury, he discovered a passion for plants. Collaborating with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Sybron’s team works to ensure disease- and pest-free seeds, which are vital for enhancing crop productivity. Jamaican hot peppers, known for their unique heat and flavor, are a primary export, but issues like low seed quality and poor planting practices challenge production. Training sessions for farmers emphasize best practices to improve yield and combat plant diseases.

Displaced Persons and Refugees, UNHCR

Syrians struggle to return home

Sana Khaled’s family, displaced for six years, returns home amid challenges faced by over 7.4 million displaced Syrians, highlighting the urgent need for international support.

Science and Technology, World Bank

Driving inclusive digital transformation

Initiatives like the Accelerating Digitalization Global Challenge aim to bridge the digital divide and promote inclusive access to digital services in developing countries.

Economic Development, UNCTAD

Time for bold action

At the 14th International Debt Management Conference, UNCTAD called for urgent reforms to global debt management to prevent the current debt crisis from hindering long-term development and stability.

Éducation, UNOPS

Enhancing digital education in Argentina

For over 20 years, UNOPS has assisted the Argentinian government in advancing educational outcomes and ensuring inclusive learning opportunities through technical support, fund management, and transparent procurement processes.

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.

Watch and Listen

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

Ocean ccience in action: Exploring the unknown deep sea

Over half of our planet lies in the ocean's depths, a vast and mysterious world that remains largely unexplored. As part of the #OceanDecade, scientists worldwide are accelerating efforts to discover and understand the deep sea, crucial for its protection and sustainability.

Struggles faced by women in CAR

The Central African Republic is one of the worst places for women, marked with widespread illiteracy, poverty and gender-based violence.

Art across the African diaspora

The "Stories of Us" sculpture exhibition at the United Nations features five "talking drums" celebrating resistance, unity, and Afro-descendant communities' journey from roots to emancipation.

UN Podcasts

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

Disease be gone!

Did you know that diseases are being eliminated by countries all over the world. In the last five years alone, 44 eliminations have been confirmed by the World Health Organization (WHO). What does it take to eliminate a disease? What needs to happen before WHO can certify an elimination? Once eliminated, can these diseases come back?  Dr. Jérôme Salomon explains in a new episode of the Science in 5 podcast.

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 Rohingya woman shares a bowl of food with her child.
Photo:© UNICEF/UNI622146/Njiokiktjien

Rohingya children face an emergency within an emergency

Seven years after hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fled horrific violence and persecution in Myanmar, refugee children and their families are still living in the sprawling, overcrowded camps. With little to no opportunity to earn a livelihood, families living in the camps rely almost entirely on humanitarian assistance. As a result, Rohingya living in the camps have limited access to diverse and nutrient-rich foods. A combination of an unusually long monsoon season in 2024, further displacement, intermittent reductions in food rations, and now a global aid funding crisis have contributed to a deepening malnutrition crisis that saw a 27 per cent spike in severe acute malnutrition cases in February 2025 compared with a year earlier.

A woman separates and processes coffee beans.
Photo:ProAmazonia

How forests support the future of food

Forests are vital for biodiversity, climate regulation, and agriculture. They help maintain soil fertility, regulate water cycles, and support biodiversity, which are essential for productive farming. Sustainable practices like agroforestry and crop rotation can reduce deforestation and land degradation. However, the growing demand for food can lead to unsustainable farming practices that harm forests. This interdependence underscores the importance of balancing forest conservation, food production, and ecosystem health for long-term sustainability. Addressing these connections is key to combating climate change, ensuring food security, and protecting forests. Innovative projects can help maintain this balance. On the occasion of the International Day of Forests (21 March) here are three examples of how food products and forests intersect to promote sustainable land use and community benefits worldwide.

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