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Natural Resources and the Environment


THE FUTURE BELONGS TO THE TROPICS

The Tropics host extraordinary biological and cultural diversity with a complex
history and challenges. Most people suffering from extreme poverty live in the
Tropics, and the exploitation of resources by colonial powers has shaped
economies with serious disadvantages. Despite that, there is a promising future
with a growing, more educated, and young population that can maintain its
economic growth. This International Day of the Tropics, let´s celebrate their
extraordinary diversity while highlighting not just their challenges but
opportunities.

The Tropics account for 40% of the world’s total surface area and are host to
approximately 80% of the world’s biodiversity.
Photo:Gustavo Frazao/Adobe Stock


GUTERRES CONDEMNS ISRAEL’S RECENT ADVANCEMENT OF PLANS TO BUILD IN OCCUPIED WEST
BANK



28 June 2023 — The Secretary-General condemned on Wednesday Israel’s recent
advancement of plans for over 5,500 housing units in settlements in the occupied
West Bank. He also denounced the...


‘DIRE YEAR’ FOR CHILDREN CAUGHT IN CONFLICT, AS HOSPITAL AND SCHOOL ATTACKS
DOUBLE



27 June 2023 — Violations of international law regarding children and armed
conflict continued to have a “devastating impact”, the UN’s top official on the
issue said on Tuesday, with a 112 per...


PREVENTING ‘CONTAGION OF ATROCITIES’ HINGES ON RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT



26 June 2023 — For “countless civilians” caught in current conflicts around the
world, taking responsibility for protecting them to prevent atrocities is more
critical than ever, a senior UN...


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.



ACTNOW CAMPAIGN

ActNow is the United Nations campaign for individual action on climate change.
Every one of us can help take care of our planet. Learn what you can do to be
part of the solution and influence change. To log your actions, download the
app.

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.



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.

GOAL OF THE MONTH

Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Goal 15: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse
land degradation, halt biodiversity loss




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.

Science and Technology, IAEA

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE NUCLEAR WORLD

As AI technologies become increasingly sophisticated, they will transform
industries, streamline processes and may even impact how we live our lives
including the nuclear sector. AI has shown its potential to benefit people who
use nuclear technology for peaceful ends. It will not replace the workforce
but rather it will establish resources and insights that will make early
detection and response in computer security realistically achievable. IAEA
highlights how to adopt AI technologies effectively and proactively by embracing
the benefits while addressing its risks.

UNCTAD, Economic Development

NEW INDEX TO MEASURE ECONOMIC POTENTIAL

The recently launched Productive Capacities Index will help countries make more
accurate diagnostics and measurements of their economic performance. By
measuring the economy from an input perspective across eight core components of
productive capacities, the PCI more fully captures economic potential and
highlights key areas for development policy focus. Stronger productive
capacities help countries move towards long-term national development goals and
achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. With UNCTAD’s support, more countries
are adopting the PCI to establish data-driven and evidence-based policies. 

Displaced Persons and Refugees, WHO

REFUGEE AND MIGRANT HEALTH

Refugees and migrants face significant threats to health, and significant
barriers to accessing the health services they need. The adoption of the Rabat
Declaration will strengthen and reaffirm the global commitment to improve the
health of refugees and migrants. One in eight people globally is either a
migrant or is forcibly displaced by factors including conflict, persecution,
environmental degradation, or the lack of human security and opportunity. WHO
emphasizes this goal cannot be realized without political commitment and a
whole-of-government approach.

Displaced Persons and Refugees, FAO

INCLUSION THROUGH AGRICULTURE

Refugees have long said that relying on emergency assistance is not a long-term
solution. FAO's RAVCESR project goal is to build sustainable livelihoods for
both refugees and locals.

Refugees, Economic Development, IFAD

LIFELONG HOBBIES BECOME LIFELINES

Syrians are laying down roots in their places of refuge and have valuable skills
and knowledge that they can use in their host communities. IFAD grants are
helping refugees fulfil their potential.

Philosophy and Religion

EID MUBARAK!

Eid al-Adha is the second and largest of the two main holidays in Islam and it
is celebrated on the third day of the annual pilgrimage Hajj – wishing everyone
celebrating, Eid Mubarak! 

Oceans and Marine Life, IMO

NEW OCEANS TREATY

IMO welcomes the new treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine
biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction - known as 'BBNJ' –
reinforcing efforts in line with the SDGs.

More from the United Nations


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:

 * Maintain international peace and security
 * Protect human rights
 * Deliver humanitarian aid
 * Promote sustainable development
 * Uphold international law



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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

prevnext



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.

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.



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.

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.






DID YOU KNOW?



As the world’s only truly universal global organization, the United Nations has
become the foremost forum to address issues that transcend national boundaries
and cannot be resolved by any one country acting alone.



THE ADVOCACY OF RACIAL OR RELIGIOUS HATRED IS PROHIBITED BY INTERNATIONAL LAW.



Find out more in

GLOBAL ISSUES:
HUMAN RIGHTS

THE FALLOUT FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC THREATENS TO PUSH OVER 70 MILLION PEOPLE
INTO EXTREME POVERTY.



Find out more in

GLOBAL ISSUES:
ENDING POVERTY



IN 2020, ALMOST 2 BILLION PEOPLE DEPENDED ON HEALTH CARE FACILITIES WITHOUT
BASIC WATER SERVICES.



Find out more in

GLOBAL ISSUES:
WATER



NATIONAL TERRITORIAL BOUNDARIES EXTEND 12 MILES (19 KILOMETRES) OFFSHORE.



Find out more in

GLOBAL ISSUES: OCEANS /
THE LAW OF THE SEA





WATCH AND LISTEN



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



REMEMBERING GENOCIDE: THE MOTHERS OF SREBRENICA

Amid the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a UN safe area was established in the
Bosnian town of Srebrenica in 1993. But in July 1995, the town was overrun by
Bosnian-Serb forces and over 8,000 Bosniak boys and men were killed within a
week. The Srebrenica genocide is considered the largest atrocity in Europe since
World War II. In June 2023, three Mothers of Srebrenica visited the United
Nations to meet with senior officials and see the exhibit “Stories of Survival
and Remembrance - A call to action for genocide prevention.”

LUST FOR LIFE

UNFPA helps us discover the real-life stories of three Ukrainian mothers who
each gave birth amidst the chaos of the war in Ukraine. Anna and her 2-month-old
baby trapped beneath the Azovstal Steel Plant. Maryana, a frontline medic
captured by Russian soldiers in Mariupol while pregnant. Ania who gave birth in
an occupied city without electricity or water and with limited medical care.

FLEEING A HUMAN RIGHTS DISASTER IN MYANMAR

Baby Riazur, living in a Rohingya refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh,
receives his routine vaccines from UNICEF-supported community health volunteers.
More than 952,000 Rohingya, half of whom are children, are living in refugee
camps in Cox’s Bazar after escaping violence that broke out in Myanmar in 2017.
Rohingya families often miss routine vaccines - it is critical that children
like Riazur receive them.


UN PODCASTS



AFGHANISTAN IS A GRAVEYARD OF DREAMS FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS, SAYS RIGHTS ACTIVIST

In the nearly two years since Afghanistan’s de-facto authorities seized power,
the “ambitions, dreams and potential” of girls and women have perished, a rights
activist has told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

And in an exclusive interview with UN News’s Nancy Sarkis, Afghan civil rights
activist Shaharzad Akbar explains that women and girls there talk of “being
buried alive, breathing, but not being able to do much else.”

Audio Credit: Nancy Sarkis, UN News - Geneva

Photo Credit: UN Photo/Srdjan Slavkovic

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Latest Audio from UN News
More live and on-demand videos from the UN


THE UNITED NATIONS IN PICTURES



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



Photo:UNHCR / Brian Sokol

The most important thing

What would you bring if violence or persecution forced you to flee your country?
The UN Refugee Agency has worked with photographer Brian Sokol on a refugee
portraiture project called The Most Important Thing. Through images and
interviews, it reveals some of the anguished decisions refugee families face
when they are forced to flee their homes. The most important object Dowla was
able to bring with her is the wooden pole balanced over her shoulder. She used
it to carry her six children during the 10-day journey to Doro refugee camp in
South Sudan.

Photo:OCHA / Liz Loh-Taylor

Six things to know about the humanitarian crisis in Cameroon

Cameroon is affected by three complex crises: the Lake Chad basin conflict, the
North-West and South-West (NWSW) crisis, and the Central African Republic (CAR)
refugee crisis. One in six people in Cameroon needs humanitarian assistance.
This year, an estimated 4.7 million people need humanitarian assistance and
protection. However, in recent years, much-needed funding for the humanitarian
response in Cameroon has barely reached half of the required amount. UN
Humanitarian presents six things you need to know about this often-forgotten
crisis.

See more UN photos

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