A Rohingya woman shares a bowl of food with her child.
Pollution and Waste

Towards zero waste in fashion and textiles

Humanity's unsustainable production and consumption practices are pushing the planet toward destruction. Households, small businesses, and public service providers generate more than 2.1 billion tons of solid waste annually, yet 2.7 billion people lack access to waste collection services, and only 61% of waste is properly managed. Urgent action is needed to tackle this crisis. This year's International Day of Zero Waste (30 March) focuses on the fashion and textile sector, highlighting the need for circular solutions. A zero-waste approach is key to this transition. Watch our celebration on UN Web TV.

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.
Photo:© UNICEF/UNI622146/Njiokiktjien
Girls wash at a water tap installed by UNICEF in a camp for displaced people in Bentiu, South Sudan.

‘Perfect storm’ in South Sudan demands urgent action, says Guterres

28 March 2025 — Secretary-General António Guterres warned on Friday of a rapidly deteriorating crisis in South Sudan, calling for urgent dialogue, the immediate release of detained officials and...

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake has caused significant damage to buildings in Mandalay region, in central Myanmar.

UN teams ramp up response to deadly quake in Myanmar and Thailand

28 March 2025 — Amid reports of hundreds dead or missing following a 7.7 magnitude earthquake with its epicentre in central Myanmar, UN teams in the region are “responding fast”, said UN relief...

A girl walks to school in Bangkok where pollution levels exceed the national safety standard.

47 million health workers and advocates call for cleaner air to curb pollution deaths

28 March 2025 — Over 50 countries, cities, and organizations pledged new commitments on Thursday to tackle air pollution, protect public health, and help halve its deadly impacts by 2040 – a goal...

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.

image of tank in dust cloud © REUTERS/Amir Cohen Human Rights

Arms transfers and human rights

States and private companies have obligations and responsibilities under international law and standards to prevent, address and mitigate the negative impact on human rights caused by arms transfers. However, there are several gaps between what States and the private sector should do and what they do in practice, with devastating consequences on civilians, rights activists say. As the world faces the highest number of conflicts since World War II, an increasing number of human rights advocates, lawyers and non-governmental organizations are turning to courts to compel States to prevent arms supplies that fuel human rights violations, and hold States and companies accountable.

man with asaí tree Agriculture and Food, FAO

The cultivation behind the trendy berry boost

On the global market, the asaí berry is widely promoted as a superfood, brimming with antioxidants that boost the immune system, protect cellular integrity and alleviate inflammation. However, for the Porvenir Indigenous Peoples’ community in Bolivia, the asaí palm is worth so much more than its fruits’ nutritional and health benefits. These trees are a precious natural resource that sustains their livelihoods and their environments. Before, the community harvested the asaí palm by chopping down entire trees for their fibrous cores, which were processed and sold as heart of palm. Now, thanks to asaí berry production, the community has eliminated the need to cut down palm trees, protecting both the species and their future earnings.

child being measured by medic Displaced Persons and Refugees, UNHCR

Funding cuts threaten Sudanese refugees

The lack of available funds and deep uncertainty over the level of donor contributions this year has forced the UN Refugee agency (UNHCR) to suspend all medical treatment for refugees in Egypt except emergency life-saving procedures. The suspensions include cancer surgery, chemotherapy, heart surgery and medication for chronic diseases. Among the worst affected will be the over 1.5 million Sudanese in Egypt, escaping what is now the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. At present, UNHCR is prioritizing critical life-saving activities and helping the most vulnerable groups, including unaccompanied children and survivors of sexual violence and torture. Yet without an urgent increase in funding, even these programmes are under threat.

Humanitarian Aid, WFP

Afghanistan hunger crisis

Funding cuts are putting lives at risk as the country faces a worsening nutrition and hunger crisis, leaving millions of people, especially children and pregnant women, vulnerable to malnutrition and death.

Social Development, UNDP

Breaking the gridlock

The 2023/24 Human Development Report calls for rethinking global institutions to make them more people-centered, inclusive, and future-oriented in response to the convergence of political, ecological, social, and economic crises.

Slavery and Human Trafficking

Gorée Island's legacy

Gorée Island, serves as a solemn reminder of the transatlantic slave trade, where heritage preservation and daily life coexist, highlighting its significance in preserving the painful history for future generations, with the Maison des Esclaves standing as a powerful testament to the past.

Peace and Security, UNOPS

A decade of resilience

As Yemen marks its eleventh year of conflict, the humanitarian crisis worsens, but amidst the destruction, stories of resilience and hope still to shine through.

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.

Plastic man – on a mission for a cleaner planet

In the vibrant community of Medina Gounass, Senegal, Modou Fall, also known as the Plastic Man, is dedicated to advocating for a cleaner planet. He raises awareness about the dangers of plastic pollution and educates children on the urgent need for sustainable action to protect the environment.

Children just want to play

UN experts warn that the unprecedented destruction in Gaza has left nearly all of the region's one million children suffering from severe psychological trauma and acute food shortages.

Lebanon conflict's impact on women

UNFPA Deputy Executive Director, Andrew Saberton, stresses that women and girls continue to bear the brunt of the conflict in Lebanon.

UN Podcasts

Wole Soyinka speaking at a podium in the GA

‘Reparations can’t be quantified’, says Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka

Reparations for the crimes of the transatlantic slave trade “can’t be quantified” given the vast historical sweep of human history, according to the first Black African to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, Wole Soyinka.

The longtime Nigerian democracy activist was at UN Headquarters in New York to take part in commemorations for the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery, telling the General Assembly that it remains crucial to confront centuries of wrongdoing.

Ana Carmo sat down with him in our UN News studio following the event and asked him to outline his main message to the international community.

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.

Peruvian woman in indigenous dress with alpacas
Photo:© SGP/UNDP Peru/Rosa Fernández

Weaving the future of women’s empowerment

At 4,000 metres above sea level and surrounded by mountains and vast meadows, the women of the Sumac Vicuñitas Artisans Association of Umpuco-Palca, are part of a long tradition that Andean communities have developed since pre-Inca times: the domestication and breeding of alpacas, a species of South American camelid mammal related to the llama. In this tradition, women have played a crucial role in preserving ancestral knowledge and promoting local economies through the production of alpaca wool fibres for yarns and weaving.Today, a sustainable value chain in the Peruvian department of Puno allows them to transform alpaca fibres into competitive products replete with added value, opening the way for Quechua women to have better opportunities from the sustainable use of agrobiodiversity.

group of women drumming and singing
Photo:© UNFPA/Karel Prinsloo

Boss moves in the Central African Republic

At a safe space in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, the atmosphere is upbeat, celebratory even. It’s a place where survivors of violence get the support they need to recover from trauma and begin to define their own – brighter and safer – futures. UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, supports 12 of these spaces across the country. We met with women and girls in two of them, showing how they are creating their own fresh starts, including starting their own businesses. The safe spaces are open to all women and girls; many are survivors of violence. The Central African Republic has alarming rates of rape, child marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic abuse and sexual violence, all exacerbated by long-running conflict.

Main Bodies

Departments / Offices

Resources / Services

Key Documents

News and Media

Issues / Campaigns