Behind 138 million child labourers are parents without decent wages, protection, or hope. The 2026 World Day Against Child Labour (12 June) cuts through the noise: you cannot protect children without supporting families. Under the Marrakech Global Framework, the “Red Card to Child Labour” campaign demands quality education, universal social protection, adult livelihoods, stronger laws and enforcement, better data and monitoring systems, and responsible action in agriculture and supply chains. On this day, join the campaign —and help send child labour off the field for good.
The Red Card to Child Labour campaign unites diverse organisations in support of one goal: to end child labour.
Photo:ESCAP/Joris Oele
The Goals can improve life for all of us. Cleaner air. Safer cities. Equality. Better jobs. These issues matter to everyone. But progress is too slow. We have to act, urgently, to accelerate changes that add up to better lives on a healthier planet. Find new inspiring actions on the app and at un.org/actnow.
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.
Featured stories from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
UNESCO, Natural Resources and the Environment
UNESCO’s biosphere reserves reverse the traditional conservation model by treating local communities as partners rather than obstacles. With more than 700 reserves in 142 countries, covering 7.5 million square kilometers, these “living laboratories” integrate biodiversity protection, scientific research, and sustainable livelihoods. Last week, 250 experts from 34 countries gathered in Paraguay for the Man and the Biosphere Programme’s International Coordinating Council. The host, Paraguay’s Itaipu Biosphere Reserve, protects the country’s largest remaining Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest corridor while supporting 250,000 residents. Through restoration efforts, nearly 4 million trees have been planted. The meeting also welcomed 14 new reserves, including the first in Montenegro and Timor-Leste.
World Bank, Artificial Intelligence
Good health underpins education, employment, and economic growth, yet 4.5 billion people still lack access to essential health services. AI offers practical solutions by expanding access through virtual triage, remote diagnostics, and clinical decision support, helping patients receive timely and appropriate care. Examples from Brazil, Ethiopia, and India show how low-cost “Small AI” tools can improve disease detection and maternal health in low-resource settings. AI can also strengthen health workers’ capacity, create jobs across the health ecosystem, and improve efficiency. However, realizing its potential requires investment, training, strong governance, privacy protections, and safeguards against bias. With responsible deployment, AI can help build stronger, more equitable health systems and expand quality care to millions.
Before dawn breaks over Nepal’s eastern highlands, 28-year-old Subita Rai tends her herd of 20 yaks and chauris, continuing a tradition many of her peers left behind in search of opportunities abroad. Defying gender norms in a male-dominated profession, she balances herding, family responsibilities, and the growing challenges of climate change. Through support from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations-hosted Mountain Partnership Secretariat and partners, Subita gained training and access to cheese-processing facilities, enabling her family to turn perishable yak milk into higher-value artisanal cheese. The shift has reduced losses, improved income stability, and strengthened local livelihoods. Now a cooperative board member, Subita represents a new generation of women pastoralists building resilient futures in Nepal’s mountain communities.
Families of people who were forcibly disappeared in Honduras have spent decades searching for their loved ones, demanding accountability, and preserving the memory of victims in the face of continued impunity.
New UNCTAD data show that services now account for most of the world’s $2.5 trillion ocean-related trade, overtaking goods and opening new opportunities for developing countries to create value from the ocean while protecting it.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
Climate Change is one of the defining issues of our time and we are at a pivotal moment. From shifting weather patterns that threaten food production, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, the impacts of climate change are global in scope and unprecedented in scale. Taking decisive action today will make adapting to these impacts in the future more effective and less costly.
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.
The United Nations is the only place on Earth where all the world's nations come together to discuss common problems and find shared solutions that benefit all of humanity. Learn about the main areas of the UN’s activities; how it makes a difference to the world’s people; and how every citizen can get involved and make a contribution.
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.
Video and audio from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
A new chapter. On and off the pitch. Today @LamineYamal becomes a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. From street games in his barrio to packed stadiums around the globe, play has been part of Lamine’s story throughout his life. Now he's using his voice to stand up for every child’s right to play. Because play isn’t a privilege. It's for everyone. No matter who you are, where you are from or what your life looks like. This International Day of Play, hear his message on why play matters.
Football teaches us that the greatest matches are played as a team. And the future is, too.
Despite being displaced herself by the war in Sudan, medical doctor Manasik dedicates herself to ensuring that women and girls who survived gender-based violence can find support.
With uneven growth and slowing productivity in many regions, can growth still be inclusive, sustainable and create decent jobs? In a new episode of ILO’s The Future of Work podcast looks at how responsible business practices shape firms, treatment of workers and the wider economy.
Podcast guests:
Mark Birrell, President, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)
Abdul-Moomin Gbana, General Secretary, Ghana Mine Workers Union
Githa Roelans, Head of the Multinational Enterprises and Responsible Business Conduct Unit, ILO
Images from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.
Photo:UNDP
Protecting ocean gold: The Pacific’s sustainable tuna success story
The ocean sustains life and livelihoods, producing at least half of Earth’s oxygen, supporting vast biodiversity, and providing food and jobs for millions. Yet overfishing and ecosystem decline threaten its future. In the Pacific, however, a different story has emerged. Through more than 20 years of collaboration among 14 Pacific Island nations, regional organizations, scientists, and development partners, Pacific tuna fisheries have become the world’s first major tuna fishery where all four key stocks are harvested sustainably. Science-based management, regional unity, and initiatives such as the Vessel Day Scheme have strengthened food security, generated billions in economic value, and supported thousands of jobs. The Pacific’s success demonstrates how cooperation, stewardship, and long-term investment can protect marine resources while advancing sustainable development.
Photo:IOM 2026/Kenny B.Irakoze
Young leaders driving climate resilience across East Africa
Across East Africa, climate change is driving displacement and disrupting livelihoods, from rising waters along Burundi’s Lake Tanganyika to recurrent flooding in Kenya’s informal settlements. As communities face growing climate pressures, young leaders are developing practical solutions to build resilience. In Burundi, ISHAKA 2250 supports flood-displaced families through reforestation, livestock distribution, and livelihood restoration. In Kenya, Dreams Redefined combines climate action with community development through improved waste management, environmental practices, and financial literacy. Supported by an IOM climate mobility programme and grants, these youth-led initiatives demonstrate how local action can help communities adapt, recover, and thrive. Their work highlights the vital role of young people in addressing climate-driven displacement and building a more resilient future.
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