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Science and Technology

World Science Day: Common ground through science diplomacy

In a rapidly digitalizing world, science shapes our lives and drives solutions to the most pressing global challenges. World Science Day for Peace and Development (10 November) invites people of all backgrounds to explore the transformative power of discovery and innovation. Science helps us understand our shared challenges, while diplomacy helps us navigate our differences. By bringing the two together, we stand a better chance of turning shared risks into shared action. Join the conversation with #ScienceDay.

Science reveals truths about our world, while diplomacy builds common ground and shared understanding. Together, they create opportunities for nations to cooperate on shared challenges.
Photo:Alexandra_Koch/Pixabay
Three migrants sitting on rocks by the sea in Lesbos, Greece, looking out at the water at dusk.

At least 56 migrants die in weekend shipwrecks off Senegal and Greece

9 November 2026 — At least 56 people died in a series of shipwrecks off Senegal and Greece over the weekend, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday, calling it a stark...

UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell holds up a copy of the Paris Agreement while speaking at a podium during the opening of COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye.

COP31 opens in Antalya: Can climate promises finally deliver results?

9 November 2026 — Nearly 200 countries have arrived on Türkiye's Mediterranean coast for a climate summit with a different ambition: fewer grand declarations and more concrete decisions. With a...

Two young Thai girls stand on cracked, dry earth in a field in Ban Phai district, Khon Kaen province, Thailand, where locals dig up salty soil to make salt for sale.

‘Exceptional’ extreme temperatures to continue into next year, UN reports

9 November 2026 — In April this year, roughly 146.5 million Indians were exposed to an extreme heatwave with temperatures hitting a sweltering 47℃.  

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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

The Goals can improve life for all of us. Cleaner air. Safer cities. Equality. Better jobs. These issues matter to everyone. But progress is too slow. We have to act, urgently, to accelerate changes that add up to better lives on a healthier planet. 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.

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2026 UN Water Conference

Coming up in December! The 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by the UAE and the Republic of Senegal, takes place 8 to 10 December in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The Conference is an opportunity to strengthen investment, foster innovation, and galvanize political will to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.

SDG Goal 13: Climate Action

Goal of the Month

 
Climate Action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

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 man using a smartphone, with a laptop in the background and a high-speed Wi Fi hotspot visual superimposed over the image. ITU, Communication and Mass Media

A connected world, but not for everyone

The digital world is expanding, but billions are still locked out of its opportunities. According to the International Telecommunication Union’s Facts and Figures 2026, 6.3 billion people—76% of the global population—now use the Internet, while 2 billion remain offline. Stark inequalities persist: Internet use reaches 93% in high-income countries but just 32% in low-income nations. Gaps in affordability, access and digital skills risk deepening exclusion as artificial intelligence transforms societies. Closing these divides is essential to ensuring everyone benefits from the digital future.

A narrow, winding road alongside a body of water, with cars on it. World Bank, Economic Development

Climate action that works for people and economies

What if tackling climate change could also create jobs, strengthen economies and improve lives? Drawing on reports covering 100 economies, the World Bank reveals how climate action and development can go hand in hand. From renewable energy and resilient infrastructure to workforce training and nature protection, the lessons highlight the importance of aligning investments with national priorities. The next challenge is turning these insights into action through stronger policies, private-sector partnerships and financing that deliver lasting benefits for people and the planet.

A closeup of a branch covered in coffee beans. FAO, Agriculture and Food

Mapping a sustainable future for Kenya’s coffee farmers

What if the future of coffee depended on knowing exactly where every bean was grown? In Kenya, smallholder farmers are using digital mapping to protect their livelihoods and prove their coffee comes from deforestation-free land. With support from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a cooperative in Nandi County mapped 1,621 coffee plots in just six weeks, using free digital tools. The data helps farmers meet international trade requirements, improve farming practices and maintain access to markets, showing how technology can make agriculture more sustainable and inclusive.

Abstract illustration showing silhouetted people surrounded by glowing digital networks, data connections and futuristic technology in blue and orange tones.
Human Rights, Science and Technology, OHCHR

Protecting online freedoms

UN report warns that surveillance, internet shutdowns and online attacks threaten human rights defenders, urging stronger digital protections, accountability and international solidarity.

Illustration showing climate change impacts, with storm clouds, lightning, heavy rain, industrial pollution and a magnified drug-resistant bacterium above a cityscape.
Health, Climate Change, UNEP

Climate change and superbugs

Climate change may accelerate antimicrobial resistance by helping drug-resistant microbes emerge, spread and multiply, increasing global health risks and threatening effective infection treatments.

An ariel view of a data center in Milan.
Science and Technology, UNCTAD

Beyond data centres

UNCTAD urges countries to expand AI investment beyond data centres, strengthening skills, connectivity, governance and local innovation to ensure inclusive economic growth.

WFP humanitarian helicopter lands at a rural airstrip in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, delivering essential medical supplies and humanitarian aid to Ebola-affected communities.
Humanitarian Aid, WFP

Supporting Ebola survivors

WFP food assistance supports Ebola-affected communities in eastern DRC, helping families access nutrition, rebuild trust in healthcare workers and strengthen efforts to contain the outbreak.

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

Podium of the General Assembly Hall seen from below with the gold wall and the golden UN logo behind

Selecting the next Secretary-General

The United Nations process to appoint the next Secretary‑General continues with interactive dialogues guided by the principles of transparency and inclusivity. Watch the dialogues: Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu (6 Nov) Lana Zaki Nusseibeh (27 Oct), Ivonne A-Baki (20 Aug), Olara Otunnu (19 Aug), Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett (18 Jun), María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (15 Jun), Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (22 Apr), Macky Sall (22 Apr), Michelle Bachelet Jeria (21 Apr), and Rafael Mariano Grossi (21 Apr).

 

A group of people carrying their few belongings, walking in front of buildings in ruins, at sunset.

The Spotlight series

This series shines a light on communities facing conflict, displacement, public health emergencies and other humanitarian challenges around the world. Drawing on reporting from across the UN system, it amplifies voices from countries including Haiti, Gaza, DR Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan and Myanmar, to foster understanding, encourage engagement, and help mobilize support, assistance, and protection for the most vulnerable people.

Climate Change

Climate Change is one of the defining issues of our time and we are at a pivotal moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Taking decisive action today will make adapting to these impacts in the future more effective and less costly.

General Assembly hall with the Secretary-General at the podium

The Essential UN

The United Nations is the only place on Earth where all the world's nations come together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. Learn about the main areas of the UN’s activities; how it makes a difference to the world’s people; and how every citizen can get involved and make a contribution. 

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.

A growing gap between adaptation finance and climate impacts

International public finance for climate adaptation in developing countries reached US$28.2–31.7 billion in 2024, increasing by US$1 billion from the previous year.

UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report 2026 highlights the growing financing gap for climate adaptation and loss and damage, as vulnerable countries struggle to access sufficient support. Despite these challenges, increased multilateral development bank financing, South-South cooperation and private sector investment offer positive signs for strengthening global adaptation efforts.

AGROVOC: A global resource

FAO’s AGROVOC multilingual thesaurus connects agricultural concepts across languages, helping researchers organize, share and discover scientific knowledge across disciplines and linguistic boundaries.

Space technology for disaster preparedness

UNOOSA and UNIDO use satellite imagery and 3D digital twins in Brazil to improve flood forecasting, emergency response and disaster preparedness.

UN Podcasts

A young female worker pours freshly harvested coffee beans from a red container into a collection trough on a coffee farm in Vietnam.

Is it harder for young people to find a job?

Global youth unemployment is rising and AI is reshaping entry-level roles. In a new episode of the Future of Work podcast, we analyze the 2026 trends with Sara Elder, the lead author of the 2026 ILO Global Employment Trends for Youth report. Joined by youth Scout leaders from Romania, Mexico, and Zimbabwe, we explore why this is a structural crisis and what institutions must do to support the next generation.

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 weighing and measuring a young girl in Guatemala.
Photo:WFP/Nelson Pacheco

A race against time in Guatemala

For families in Guatemala, the race against time begins with an empty plate. The country's worst El Niño-induced drought in a decade has devastated crops, deepened hunger and claimed the lives of 32 children. As food reserves dwindle, UN-supported humanitarian teams are reaching remote communities with nutrition screenings, medical care, cash assistance and safe drinking water. Through the Guatemala Humanitarian Fund, aid has already reached 406,000 people, offering a lifeline to families facing malnutrition, disease and an uncertain future.

A man seated in a canoe travelling down a river in Pahang, Malaysia.
Photo:Mohd Fazlin Mohd Effendy ooi/CC By 2.0

Rooted in nature, powered by communities

What if the strongest defence against climate change came from the communities facing it? Across Asia and the Pacific, local people are combining traditional knowledge with innovative solutions to protect their homes, livelihoods and ecosystems. In Tonga, villagers are planting trees to shield coastlines; in Viet Nam, salt farmers are preserving their heritage while boosting incomes; and in Malaysia, Indigenous communities are restoring forests and farmland. Supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), these initiatives show how local action can build resilience and inspire global change.

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