New sarcophagus at Chernobyl nuclear reactor.
Disaster Relief

Remembering the Chernobyl disaster

An explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 spread a radioactive cloud over large parts of the Soviet Union, now the territories of Belarus, Ukraine and the Russian Federation. Nearly 8.4 million people in the three countries were exposed to the radiation. Since then, the UN, along with the Governments of Belarus, the Russian Federation and Ukraine, has been leading the recovery efforts to support the affected regions. Humanitarian assistance was provided in the immediate aftermath of the accident, followed by years of reconstruction to secure the area and protect the population.

Since 1986, UN and NGO initiatives have launched more than 230 health, nuclear safety, rehabilitation, environment and information projects.
Photo:Adobe Stock/ NickMo
A woman and child walk through the rubble of Gaza.

WFP runs out of food stocks in Gaza

25 April 2025 — The World Food Programme (WFP) has run out of food in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues to block the entry of all humanitarian aid into the enclave, home to over two million...

An informal sector worker eats by the roadside in Bangkok.

Trust collapsing as job fears surge worldwide, warns UN

24 April 2025 — Billions of people around the world are living in fear of job loss or struggling to find work, as economic instability, conflict, and climate shocks combine to erode global...

Rescue workers search through the rubble of a bombed building in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Outrage as Russian attacks on Ukraine cities kill at least nine civilians

24 April 2025 — Grim details continued to emerge on Thursday in the aftermath of a wave of Russian attacks on the Ukrainian capital and other cities overnight, with early reports indicating that...

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.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Goal of the month

 

Goal 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies.

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.

An illustration of a woman and a child running in different directions with ice blocks and the ocean in the background of the image. Water, UNDP

Sacred ice

Glaciers, which hold around 70% of the Earth's fresh water, are vital for regulating climate, sustaining ecosystems, and supporting nearly 2 billion people who rely on glacier meltwater. Found on every continent except Australia, they have deep cultural significance for Indigenous Peoples. However, glaciers are rapidly shrinking due to climate change, causing disruptions in the water cycle, altering river currents, and increasing competition for resources. As glaciers melt, they contribute to sea-level rise and fuel extreme weather events. The release of toxins from thawing permafrost further threatens water quality. Despite these challenges, we can act by combining scientific and Indigenous knowledge to protect glaciers, improve land-use practices, and engage local communities to ensure their preservation.

Medium shot portrait of Viany Nguemakoue Djouffa, a former domestic worker turned entrepreneur, activist, and community leader. Women and Gender Equality, OHCHR

From domestic worker to entrepreneur: A journey of empowerment

The journey of Viany Nguemakoue Djouffa — a former domestic worker turned entrepreneur, activist, and community leader - is one of defying expectations, reclaiming dignity, and building networks of support that transcend nationality and circumstance. Djouffa’s story began like many migrant workers’ in Lebanon. She arrived from Cameroon in 2015 seeking work to support her family, entering into Lebanon’s kafala system — a sponsorship-based labour structure that often leaves migrant workers vulnerable to exploitation and abuse. However, unlike many who remain trapped within the system, Djouffa found a way to carve out her independence. Drawing on her skills as a trained tailor, she launched her own workshop, creating a sustainable livelihood outside the confines of domestic work.

A woman working with soil in Nepal. Agriculture and Food, FAO

Transforming fire hazards into green gold

In Nawalpur District, Nepal, a group of women in Binayi Triveni, led by Meena Poudel, is transforming forest management into a thriving local economy. By clearing underbrush that previously contributed to wildfires, they have significantly reduced forest fire incidents by 70% over the past year. Meena serves as the Secretary of the Binayi Community Forest User Group, which focuses on responsible forest stewardship. Their efforts have led to the production of over 60,000 kilograms of organic fertilizer annually, with plans to more than double that output. This initiative represents a proactive approach to environmental challenges, turning risks into economic opportunities.

SDG 13: Climate Action, UN Women

The interconnected crisis

Climate change deepens gender inequality, disproportionately impacting women and girls—yet their leadership and knowledge are key to building resilient, sustainable solutions.

Natural Resources and the Environment, UNESCO

Tatakoto coral defy heat

Against all odds, fragile coral species in Tatakoto are thriving in extreme heat, offering new hope for reef resilience in a warming world.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, UNFPA

Unheard struggles of West Bank mothers

Pregnant women and new mothers in the West Bank are facing life-threatening risks as violence, displacement, and the collapse of healthcare services leave them without access to essential care.

Intellectual and Cultural Property, WIPO

Reinventing the pacifier

Matt Chiu, a Singaporean inventor, created the Hanabii pacifier with petal-like silicone wings that protect it from dirt and germs, offering a hygienic and aesthetic solution for parents.

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.

FAO 80th Anniversary

Since 1945 FAO has strived to increase food security, promote sustainable agriculture and innovation, build resilience and empower people for a better life and future. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations envisions a world where everyone has access to enough high-quality food to lead active healthy lives.

Gaza's children rebuild hope

UNRWA's psychosocial support is helping children in Gaza, like Amir, rediscover hope, laughter, and friendship amid the devastation of war.

Dengue warning signs

PAHO/WHO urges preparedness for potential DENV-3 outbreaks in the Americas, emphasizing early diagnosis, timely care, and preventing severe cases and deaths.

UN Podcasts

A smiling African woman stands in a doorway of a refugee camp.

Adolescent girls in Africa have a path to prosperity

According to Estelle Koussoube, a senior economist at the World Bank, and Kehinde Ajayi, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), investing in the economic success of adolescent girls in Africa can transform the continent. To learn more, listen to a new episode of the World Bank's Afronomics 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.

Portrait of a Sudanese woman seated in a tent.
Photo:IOM 2025/Omer Hagali

What the war couldn’t take: Stories of survival from Sudan’s displaced

In April 2023, conflict erupted in Sudan, displacing nearly 15 million people and creating the world's largest internal displacement crisis. Despite the profound devastation and dire humanitarian needs—where over 25 million people face hunger and funding is critically low—Sudanese people continue to display resilience and strength. They maintain their hopes and dreams amid their struggles for dignity, peace, and the possibility of returning home. The narrative emphasizes the importance of recognizing their humanity and the urgent need for global support to alleviate their suffering. Even in darkness, the people of Sudan persist in their search for light.

A child being examined in a clinic in Syria.
Photo:WFP/Hussam Al Saleh

Nourishing Syria’s future: Rethinking nutrition for a generation born into conflict

Since the Syrian conflict began in 2011, over 75% of the country's 10.5 million children have been born into a war-torn environment. Many now face severe consequences, including rising malnutrition rates and inadequate access to essential nutrients. Historically, Syria had no significant child malnutrition issues, but prolonged conflict, economic collapse, and recent crises have drastically changed this. Currently, 9.1 million people are food insecure, and the World Food Programme has significantly reduced assistance due to funding shortages. Child malnutrition rates have nearly tripled from 1.7% in 2019 to 4.8% today, with some coastal areas experiencing rates as high as 14%. Additionally, malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women has surged, posing serious health risks for both mothers and their children.

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