Security Council, Disarmament

Building a more secure world without nuclear weapons

Throughout history, countries have pursued disarmament to build a safer, more secure world and to protect people from harm. Since the foundation of the United Nations disarmament and arms control have played a critical role in preventing and ending crises and armed conflict. On 18 March Security Council members will gather for a briefing on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation - an issue of utmost importance - as achieving global nuclear disarmament is the highest arms reduction priority of the United Nations.

A view of "Good Defeats Evil," a sculpture depicting St. George slaying a dragon made from parts of Soviet SS-20 and American Pershin.g II nuclear missiles. The statue represents the specter of nuclear war and it is located in UN Headquarters in New York.
Photo:UN Photo/Manuel Elías
UN Secretary-General António Guterres (centre right) attends a Security Council meeting on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Guterres urges disarmament now as nuclear risk reaches ‘highest point in decades’

18 March 2024 — Almost 80 years after the incineration of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear weapons still represent a clear and present danger to global peace and security, UN...

Imminent famine in northern Gaza is ‘entirely man-made disaster’: Guterres

18 March 2024 — Amid reports that the Israeli military stormed Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City on Monday in search of Hamas fighters, UN humanitarians warned that new food insecurity data indicates...

UN chief condemns attack on peacekeepers in DR Congo

17 March 2024 — The UN chief on Saturday condemned an attack which saw eight peacekeepers from the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, or DRC, wounded during clashes between the...

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.

Thomas the Tank engine

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

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.

Act Now

ActNow is the United Nations campaign to inspire people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs can improve life for all of us and everyone can join the global movement for change. To log your actions, download the app.

 
Gender Equality

 

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

More from the
United Nations

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

A Yemeni woman in an accessory-making workshop. IOM, Migration, Women and Gender Equality

Gems of Resilience: Women Craft Hope in War-Torn Yemen

Tahani lived in a small village in Yemen and believed her role was limited to managing the household. After marrying, she left her village due to the country's decade-long conflict, and the new couple moved to a displacement site in central Yemen, where she became pregnant, but her daughter died due to lack of medical care. Shatha, who worked for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), met Tahani and encouraged her to join a workshop where she discovered her talent for making accessories. Tahani has built a small business and is now able to earn an income and support her family.

Image of a woman elevated by a balloon with the word peace written on it. She cuts the threads that hold a group of figures attached to a cloud. OHCHR, Human Rights, Women and Gender Equality

Women don’t need to get saved, they just need space

Three women human rights defenders and peacebuilders were honored by the UN Human Rights on International Women's Day. William Yuyada, Laila Alodaat, and Sara are supporting women and girls in their efforts for peace and have been working tirelessly to assist victims and their families and communities, identify the needs of women and marginalized groups, and much more. Their work is crucial in conflict settings, especially when women's voices are silenced or ignored.

Collage of images on the occasion of the We the Women Campaign. Women and Gender Equality

We The Women Campaign and Global Survey

We the Women is a global campaign that aims to engage women across the world in shaping solutions for the future. Through various channels, the campaign seeks to connect with women and understand their vision for the world and their expectations from the international community. Central to this initiative is the "We the Women" Global Survey, which serves as a platform for women to voice their perspectives on global priorities and how leaders can address them. You can take the survey until the end of March.

Agriculture and Food, IFAD

Women + investment = exponential returns

Investing in women in agriculture is the surest path to prosperity and food security, empowering communities and fostering a sustainable future.

Climate Change, UNESCO

Addressing gender equality and climate change

Empowering women in environmental initiatives is essential for addressing climate change, as their participation fosters innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.

Economic Development, UNDP

Empowering women through Yemeni coffee

Amira's coffee cupping initiative in Yemen not only preserves the nation's rich coffee heritage but also empowers women to become integral players in enhancing the industry's quality, economic growth, and global recognition.

Food, UNCTAD

Trends in processed foods trade

UNCTAD and WHO introduce a novel framework unveiling trends and health implications of processed food trade, crucial for promoting nutritious diets and enhancing food security worldwide.

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:

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.

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.

Learn more

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

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

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

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.

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Liam Neeson is urging for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the critical need to address children's urgent needs. Neeson highlights protection, safe access to life-saving supplies and services, and uninterrupted funding as essential elements in this endeavor. Expressing deep concern over the devastating toll on children's lives amidst the ongoing conflict, Neeson stresses the urgency of ending the fighting to mitigate the humanitarian catastrophe.

Gender equal economies

Women are paid less than men in the same jobs; they do most of the unpaid household and care work and often have difficulty accessing finance and other wealth-creating resources.

Emergency at Gaza's sole maternity hospital

UNFPA takes swift action in response to critical medical shortages in Northern Gaza, with Representative Dominic Allen emphasizing the urgent situation.

UN Podcasts

three smiling women outlined on an orange background

Women as peacebuilders

“Every day a woman's right is abused,” said Riya William Yuyada, who fled South Sudan when she was a baby, but decided to return more than 20 years later to create a women’s movement for peace, Crown the Woman. “When women are part of peace, it is more sustainable.”

Across the world, women and girls are leading the fight for peace and equality. Yet despite their essential role in peacebuilding, women human rights defenders still face challenges when it comes to getting a seat at the tables of power. This episode of the UN Human Rights Podcast explores how women are trying to bring peace to conflicts around the world, with grassroots activist Riya William Yuyada, Laila Alodaat, Deputy Secretary General at the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and Nicole Ameline, former chair of the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women.

 

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 Ukrainian man staring blankly at the Odesa shore.
Photo:UNFPA Moldova/Mihail Calarsan

Two years after Ukraine's war, love continues across borders

Due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Svetlana and her family had to leave their home in Odesa and seek refuge in the coastal town of Zatoka. When the bridge across the Dniester Estuary was attacked, they decided that Svetlana had to take the children to Moldova while her husband Ruslan stayed behind due to martial law. They have now been separated for 20 months and share how they maintain their family life and love across the border. Throughout Ukraine and neighboring countries, the United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) Safe Spaces provide expert psychosocial support to people coping with the effects of war and displacement.

A girl drinking from a water bucket
Photo:UNICEF/UN0469332/Dejongh

More and more children are at risk from heat stress caused by extreme temperatures

Climate change is causing more frequent and intense heat waves worldwide, which negatively impact the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, particularly children. UNICEF and partners urge governments to take urgent action and ensure that frontline health workers are trained to recognize and treat heat stress, health facilities are equipped to cool heat victims, and healthcare systems are connected to meteorological services in high-heat regions. Additionally, health facilities should have cool public spaces for people to safely seek refuge during heat waves.