Because Only Together We Can

Build a World Where All Youth Are Safe, Strong & Valued

Who We Are

The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945. Currently made up of 193 Member States, the UN and its work are guided by the purposes and principles contained in its founding Charter.

The UN has evolved over the years to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

But one thing has stayed the same: it remains the one place on Earth where all the world’s nations can gather together, discuss common problems, and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity.

01.

— Human development

Human development is about expanding the richness of human life, rather than simply the richness of the economy in which human beings live. It is an approach that is focused on people and their opportunities and choices.

02.

— We Build Networks

To meet the objectives of the Strategic Plan in line with the 2030 Agenda, UNDP is implementing six cross-cutting approaches to development, known as Signature Solutions. A strong, integrated way of putting our best work, or ‘distinctive’ skill set, to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

03.

— Peacebuilding

United Nations peacebuilding activities are aimed at assisting countries emerging from conflict, reducing the risk of relapsing into conflict and laying the foundation for sustainable peace and development.

04.

— Countering Terrorism

The United Nations is being increasingly called upon to coordinate the global fight against terrorism. Eighteen universal instruments against international terrorism have been elaborated within the framework of the United Nations system relating to specific terrorist activities. In September 2006, UN Member States adopted the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.

05.

— Disarmament

The General Assembly and other bodies of the United Nations, supported by the Office for Disarmament Affairs, work to advance international peace and security through the pursuit of the elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and the regulation of conventional arms.

06.

— Climate Action

The United Nations launched its sustainable development agenda in 2015, reflecting the growing understanding by Member States that a development model that is sustainable for this and future generations offers the best path forward for reducing poverty and improving the lives of people everywhere.

COVID 19 Pandemic

The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic is the defining global health crisis of our time and the greatest challenge we have faced since World War Two.

The virus has infected more than 230 million people and continues to evolve and spread. We are now approaching the tragic milestone of 5 million deaths, and the human family is suffering under an almost intolerable burden of loss.

The pandemic is also a devastating socio-economic crisis. Stressing every one of the countries it touches, it is laying the groundwork for social, economic and political ramifications that could leave deep and long-lasting scars.

The World Bank says 97 million people were pushed into poverty in 2020, an unprecedented increase.

The International Labour Organization estimates that 205 million people will be unemployed in 2022, up from 187 million on 2019.

Peace and Security

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.

Impact Stories

Jane’s Been A Migrant Worker Since She Was Just 12

The United Nations provides summaries of its meetings and events, in addition to press releases, news, and features. We offer live-feeds for broadcasters and live-coverage on our streaming channel, YouTube channel, and on various social media outlets.

Our feature programmes, including interviews, special videos, and documentaries, can be viewed online.

Find the latest stories and radio programmes in the 6-official languages plus Hindi, Kiswahili, and Portuguese. If you are interested in the history of the UN, the Audiovisual Library has archived content from the 1920s to the present. UN Photo also has archival, as well as current pictures. If you are on the go, our News app and our Audio app are available for free download on iOS and Android devices.

Coronavirus global health emergency

WHO: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

The World Health Organization (WHO) is working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus, to track the spread and virulence of the virus, and to provide advice to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.

With large sections of the population unvaccinated, new variants, like Omicron, are likely to keep emerging. These new variants spread like wildfire and put everyone at increased risk. To end this destructive cycle, the UN says we must vaccinate at least 70% of the population in every country. The UN’s vaccine strategy is to achieve this goal by mid-2022. This will require at least 11 billion vaccine doses – but the task is doable.