A sculpture at UN headquarters in New York depicting a white colored flame symbolizes the resilience and courage of the Rwandan people since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Génocide, Human Rights

A tribute to the victims, a reflection on the survivors

Thirty-one years ago, the world witnessed one of the most tragic events in recent human history. More than one million people – overwhelmingly Tutsi, but also Hutu and others who opposed the genocide – were systematically killed in less than three months. On the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda (7 April), we honour those who were murdered and reflect on the suffering of those who survived. To mark the anniversary, the Department of Global Communications and the Permanent Mission of Rwanda to the United Nations are hosting a commemorative event.

The statue “Kwibuka Flame of Hope” symbolizes the resilience and courage of Rwandans since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Photo:UN/Manuel Elías
A deminer for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine sweeps the ground for unexploded ordnance and landmines.

Ukraine: Mine contamination is lethal legacy of Russia’s invasion

7 April 2025 — An estimated 100 million people in more than 60 countries and territories live under the threat of landmines and explosive ordnance – with war-torn Ukraine now the most heavily...

UN peacekeepers patrol Bouar, in western Central African Republic.

UN peacekeeping challenged as conflicts and ceasefires grow more complex

7 April 2025 — As ceasefires grow more fragile and conflicts more unpredictable, UN peacekeeping is having to adapt faster amid rising political tensions, disinformation and confusion over...

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.

UN rights chief urges probe into Russian attack that killed nine children in Ukraine

6 April 2025 — The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights called on Sunday for an investigation into the Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Kryvyi Rih which reportedly killed 18 people,...

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.

Photomontage of people associated with racial discrimination. Racism and Xenophobia, OHCHR

Fighting for change: A world without racism

Sanela Bešić, a Roma woman from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Irma Velásquez Nimatuj, a K’iche’ Maya woman from Guatemala, were both born into communities facing systemic racism. Despite their differing backgrounds, their experiences with racial discrimination were parallel. Bešić recalls being the only Roma child in her elementary school, facing exclusion and mistreatment, while Velásquez Nimatuj felt out of place in a private school environment, aware of the discrimination around her. The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle against racism. Despite progress over the past six decades, racial inequalities continue to affect many lives worldwide.

A group of women talking and weaving. Migrants, IOM

Weaving Resilience for Displaced Women and Girls in Ethiopia

As the sun rises over the Maidimu internally displaced persons site, women and girls gather in a safe space shelter created for them. Among them is Tsige Mebrthatom, a mother of six who has faced immense hardship but finds strength in these weekly gatherings. Tsige fled her home in Kefta Humera after losing her husband during the conflict in Northern Ethiopia, traveling on foot for five days to reach the Endabaguna camp. Once a thriving merchant in Addis Ababa, her hopes for a fresh start were shattered by the outbreak of conflict in Tigray. Now living in Maidimu, Tsige is one of over 5,000 displaced individuals. Learning traditional crafts has helped Tsige reclaim her identity and serve as a source of strength and inspiration for her children.

A view of a glacier in Bolivia. FAO, Water

Glaciers on borrowed time

At 5,100 meters above sea level, Bolivia's Huayna Potosí glacier faces thinning and retreating at an annual rate of about 24 meters. The landscape, once filled with thick blue ice, now reveals bare rock and a newly formed meltwater lake. A team of scientists ascends the glacier to install equipment that measures water accumulation in the form of snow, vital for the glacier's survival. Their work provides crucial data on the impacts of ice loss on ecosystems and communities relying on glacier water. This research aids in raising awareness among decision-makers and establishing an international monitoring network to understand how climate change affects the cryosphere. As glaciers retreat faster than expected, efforts in Bolivia focus on conserving remaining water by creating reservoirs and developing collaborative water usage arrangements to prevent future conflicts.

Humanitarian Aid, UNHCR

UNHCR response in emergencies

United Nations Refugee Agency swiftly provides lifesaving aid to displaced people worldwide, mobilizing staff and supplies for 1 million individuals within 72 hours. Please donate today to help us reach the most vulnerable.

Disaster Relief, WFP

Myanmar earthquake

World Food Programme is swiftly mobilizing emergency food aid and logistical support to assist earthquake-affected communities in Myanmar, despite ongoing humanitarian challenges.

Torture and Other Cruel Treatment, UNFPA

“I witnessed unimaginable horrors”

Reports of sexual violence as a weapon of terror in Sudan are rising alarmingly, with over 12 million women, girls, and increasingly men and boys at risk—an 80% surge from last year.

Health Interventions, UN Women

War’s hidden toll

Conflict is driving a growing mental health crisis for women, yet access to care remains scarce despite soaring needs and alarming statistics.

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.

This glass is radioactive

This type of glass has been produced for nearly 200 years, and it contains the first ever discovered radioactive element.

Can you guess what it is? 

Transforming agriculture in Benin

Mireille, Eloi, and Daniel transformed their agricultural businesses in Benin by utilizing RuralInvest for growth and funding.

Glacier grafting: A Climate solution

Glacier grafting in Gilgit-Baltistan transplants ice to shaded valleys, creating glaciers that sustainably store and release water, combating climate change.

UN Podcasts

Various drawings of the cerebral cortex along with the program title, Science in 5.

Facing the TB crisis

Severe resource shortages are threatening the global response to end tuberculosis. Is the world on the brink of a global TB crisis? A quarter of the world’s population could be infected with TB and not even know it. Is there a cure?  What is the treatment? How do we diagnose TB? Listen to Dr Tereza Kasaeva in a new episode of the World Health Organization’s Science in 5 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.

A woman sitting in a chair outside her house in the DRC.
Photo:OCHA

From despair to resilience in the DRC

Tantine Moba's once vibrant eyes now stare vacantly as her husband stirs a small pot over a modest fire outside their hut. The family's meal consists of a simple stew made from cassava leaves and a sliver of salted fish. Their children sit on the ground, learning alongside other displaced kids, soon to clamor for their share of the meal.  At 38, Tantine, a mother of seven, laments, “This stew has neither salt nor oil. We are living a difficult life; we have nothing.” Since being forced to flee their village in August 2022 after a brutal attack, her life has been marked by hardship. Despite recovering from abdominal surgery, she endured a long and painful journey that worsened her infection, leaving her wound still open and her psychological scars deeply present after two years.

A close up of a large tray of Mongolian cheese.
Photo:UNDP/Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation

Got cheese?

Tsendsuren Byambaa, born in Mongolia's Khovd Province in 1970, is a herder and mother of six. She moves her family’s camps seasonally, residing in winter on the slopes of Mt Khairkhan. In 2009, she joined the Snow Leopard Enterprises (SLE) programme, which supports rural herders with income opportunities while promoting conservation. Trained in wool processing and handicrafts, she is now collaborating with the Snow Leopard Conservation Foundation to develop a local cheese production industry in her province and six surrounding communities.

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