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Drugs and Crime

Illicit drug markets continue to expand, and the harms caused by drug trafficking and illicit drug economies are contributing to many threats, from instability and violence to environmental devastation. On 10-14 March in Vienna, the high-level segment of the (CND) will review the implementation of all international drug policy commitments. The CND analyzes the global drug situation, considering the interrelated issues of prevention of drug abuse, rehabilitation of drug users and supply and trafficking of illicit drugs.

The CND reviews and analyzes the global drug situation, including supply and demand reduction.
Photo:UN Photo/Staton Winter

10 March 2025 ¡ª The top UN envoy for Afghanistan on Monday underscored the need for realistic engagement with the country as humanitarian and human rights crises deepen amid growing international...

10 March 2025 ¡ª Children are feared to be among more than 1,000 people reportedly killed in fierce fighting over the weekend in Syria¡¯s coastal northwest, the UN Children¡¯s Fund (UNICEF) has said...

7 March 2025 ¡ª The aid response in Burundi to the crisis in neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) ¡°is literally buckling¡±, the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, warned on Friday, as it...

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 and at .

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.

Women and Gender Equality, UN Women

Equal rights, equal opportunities and equal power is Un Women¡¯s call to action for all women and girls worldwide on International Women¡¯s Day (8 March). As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the , the world is deeply unequal.  International Women¡¯s Day is an opportunity to stand up and demand action and to deliver on the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action to make the world equal and better for everyone. The of the International Women¡¯s Day will take place on 7 March at the UN General Assembly Hall in New York.

IOM, Migrants

Around the world, Ramadan is a time to come together as a family. It represents the warmth of home, sharing a good meal and enjoying a variety of food. But for millions of Syrians still displaced 14 years after the conflict began, this Ramadan comes with the heavy burden of poverty and hunger. Mixed feelings of hope and wariness pervade their war-torn nation as it embarks on its path to peace. Over 7 million people remain internally displaced, most of them women and children. For years, humanitarian aid has been their only lifeline. Yet, dwindling resources make access to even basic needs a daily struggle, let alone the joyful Iftars they remember. This is especially challenging for women-led households. 

FAO, Wildlife

Chipo Munsaka explains her first name means "a gift for conserving wildlife," which sums up her commitment to addressing conflicts between humans and wildlife. Chipo works as a Resource Monitor in northern Zimbabwe with the Mucheni Community Conservancy, which is being established by the Sustainable Wildlife Management () Programme. Populations of many wildlife species in Zimbabwe have been declining over the last 30 years due to droughts, habitat loss, poaching, and the sale of wildlife products. The SWM Programme supports community conservancies to improve land use planning and promote wildlife corridors to reduce conflict and create benefits for communities that coexist with wildlife.

Gender Equality, OHCHR

Hawa Ba, Mauritanian journalist, advocates for women's rights, challenges gender stereotypes, and raises awareness about gender-based violence, collaborating with the Mauritanian Journalists¡¯ Network and UN Human Rights.

Natural Resources and the Environment

The Dind¨¦f¨¦lo Community Nature Reserve in southeastern Senegal, established by 12 villages, blends conservation, sustainable agriculture, and community development, while supporting biodiversity and indigenous livelihoods.

Oceans and Marine Life, UNEP

The Mesoamerican Reef, spanning 1,000 km across four countries, is under threat from climate change and pollution, prompting initiatives like , which supports local businesses and conservation efforts to preserve this vital ecosystem.

SDG 5: Gender Equality, UNESCO

The for women in science awardees, including Dr. Anyanee Kamkaew, Dr. Pongkarn Chakthranont, and Dr. Waleeporn Donphai, , advocating for support networks to empower more women in science.

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 , 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 , the
Security Council, the , the Trusteeship Council, the , 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.

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.

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 Ant¨®nio 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 ¡ª 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 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.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

 (FGM), a practice that involves altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons, is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights. Unfortunately, a lot of myths and misinformation about FGM still exist that perpetuate the practice. So, where is it practiced? What are the consequences? And are men against it? .

Let , tell you the facts as she reacts to real online comments about . 

Encouraging family farming

is crucial for global food security, producing over 80% of the world¡¯s food, with FAO working to strengthen policies and support sustainable agricultural development.

Languages matter

report provides guidance on implementing multilingual education policies to overcome language barriers and support inclusive education for all learners.

UN Podcasts

A view of United Nations peacekeepers of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).

More women peacekeepers means better UN missions

According to the Under-Secretary-General of Peace Operations, there are many good reasons for increasing the number of women peacekeepers in UN Missions. UN News¡¯s Anshu Sharma spoke to Mr. Lacroix at the first-ever Conference for Women Peacekeepers, held in the Indian capital New Delhi on 24 and 25 February, where he was representing the United Nations. The Under-Secretary-General argued that changing the gender balance benefits the work environment in Peacekeeping Missions, improving conduct and discipline. Ms. Sharma began by asking him why it was important to make the trip to New Delhi, and what was achieved.

The United Nations in Pictures

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

Photo:OCHA

Calixta is a 51-year-old community leader in Tornab¨¦, an Afro-Honduran Gar¨ªfuna community in Atl¨¢ntida¡¯s Tela municipality, where even just an hour of rain can wreak havoc. For people like Calixta, Tropical Storm Sara and a subsequent cold front in November 2024, which caused severe flooding and landslides and affected nearly a third of the country, weren¡¯t just another event; they were a reminder that storms don¡¯t end ¨C they return. The storms led to health concerns, particularly with a rise in dengue fever, prompting a national health emergency in May 2024. The recently launched  aims to assist 800,000 people. It requires US$138 million for the National Humanitarian Forum¡¯s efforts in support of Government-led relief and recovery operations.

Photo:?UNFPA/Celia D. Luna

¡°I am now that annoying friend who goes to parties and hands condoms to my friends,¡± Jennifer, 22, says with a laugh. An intern with ,  a partner of , the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, Jennifer says she doesn¡¯t want her friends to get sexually transmitted infections. She also encourages people to get sexual health checks and shares information about health, rights and choices. Jennifer, who lives in Mexico City, learned about such issues from a UNFPA programme called SAFETEEN First ¨C a initiative supported by and taught in workshops by Mexico Vivo. Here, UNFPA goes behind the scenes with Jennifer and other young leaders to illustrate how they¡¯re making a difference in their communities in Mexico.

 

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