The UN at 75: Now Is the Time to "Build Back Better"
We need international cooperation to galvanize action and to harness the opportunities the future holds, whether that’s leveraging the benefits of new technologies or building a zero-carbon world.
What Learning Spanish as a Second Language Has Meant to Me
The act of learning a second language transformed me, and for more than fifty years I have seen the same impact in thousands of students around the world. Investing thousands of hours in learning a language well is an act of faith and “conscience”.
Women and Girls in Sport Can Change the Global Game
Women and girls in sport have made important contributions to the shifts we see on and off the field. When we play, we challenge gender stereotypes and make people question the false idea that some activities are only for men.
The Tangible Contributions of Sport to the SDGs
Sport plays an important advocacy role in combating the spread of diseases and highlighting the importance of international solidarity. In times of crisis, fear and anxiety can consume us. Alone, it seems, we can do very little, but working together, we can do so much.
Maintaining Inspiration and Motivation to Build a Peaceful and Sustainable World
The International Day of Conscience (5 April) provides another opportunity to focus single-mindedly on the vision and mission of the United Nations.
Chronicle Conversation: Ambassador William vanden Heuvel, 28 February 2020
Former US Ambassador William vanden Heuvel, Chair Emeritus and founder of the Roosevelt Institute, discusses the legacy of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the United Nations in the context of the Organization's upcoming 75th Anniversary. Drawing on decades of scholarship and diplomatic experience, Ambassador vanden Heuvel recalls the founding principles and enduring objectives of the United Nations, and Roosevelt's role in the creation of this indispensable international body.
Improving Water Resource Management to Address the Climate Emergency
Embracing adaptation and mitigation measures through water is a win-win-win proposal. It benefits sustainable water resources management and the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation.
Reducing Single-Use Plastic Pollution: A Unified Approach
Organizations, partnered with the corporate sector and individual citizens at the local level, can significantly reduce plastic pollution around the world.
The Creative Dynamism of the Sahel
Sahel: Art and Empires on the Shores of the Sahara, an exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, examines—indeed celebrates—an important and relatively unfamiliar artistic legacy.
The Problem of Lagging Data for Development—and What to Do About It
The promise of the data revolution has not been oversold, but the investment needed to build robust, validated models tends to be glossed over.
How Wildlife Conservation Can Benefit Sustainable Human Development
The work of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and other major wildlife and biodiversity conventions shows that implementing a global framework for conservation can yield results for human development.
SDG 11 and the Crucible of Sustainable Development Success
One of the most overlooked drivers of sustainable development is local finance, particularly in the context of developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs). When you consider the actual practice or mechanics behind the achievement of sustainable development, it becomes immediately clear that local governance is essential.
Closing the Gender Gap in Science and Technology
When I founded Girls Who Code, it was because I understood that STEM jobs had the power to lift entire families into the middle class and transform our modern-day technologies and economies.
Connecting Innovation and Culture for Cities of Opportunity
Ultimately, the Tenth Session of the World Urban Forum will be an important milestone event in the lead-up to 2030. We intend to establish as its most lasting legacy the opportunity to transform advocates into participants and policy into practice.
Building Urban Development Strategies for a Sustainable Future
Today, we see a great opportunity in the World Urban Forum to refocus priorities and exchange knowledge about innovative practices to advance the sustainable development of cities, not just locally but around the world.