Four children and a teacher in a school in Timor Leste.
Education, UNESCO

25 years of International Mother Language Day: Languages Matter!

Languages play a vital role in education and sustainable development, facilitating knowledge transfer and cultural preservation. With around 8,324 languages worldwide, many are endangered due to globalization. The 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day (21 February) highlights ongoing efforts to preserve linguistic diversity and promote mother tongues, emphasizing their importance in safeguarding cultural heritage. Established by UNESCO this day promotes inclusive societies and supports the preservation of non-dominant languages, ensuring equitable access to education for all.

Multilingual education helps learners and promotes a deeper connection between education and culture, contributing to more inclusive and equitable societies.
Photo:UN/Martine Perret
UN aid workers in Odesa City, Ukraine (file)

UN in Ukraine prepares for the worst, hopes for the best

22 February 2025 — As the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine reaches its third year, a flurry of diplomatic activity has led to a growing expectation of a ceasefire, although the situation...

A woman stands in a bombed-out building in Pokrovsk Town in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

Full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has sown ‘psychological terror’, warns top aid coordinator

21 February 2025 — In the nearly three years since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the country’s people have endured continuous attacks, “psychological terror…displacement and hardship...

More than 71,000 people who have fled conflict have been living in the Lushagala site in the eastern DR Congo.

Urgent appeal launched as DR Congo crisis fuels mass displacement to Burundi

21 February 2025 — The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has launched a $40.4 million appeal to address the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its impact on...

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 4: Quality Education

Goal of the Month

 
Goal 4: Quality Education

Sustainable Development Goal 4 is all about ensuring everyone has access to quality education no matter who they are or where they are. Access to education can help lift people out of poverty and is fundamental to creating a peaceful society.

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.

Woman wearing a virtual reality headset, holding a laptop in her left hand and drawing an imaginary space with her right hand. Social Development, UNDP

Bending the AI arc towards equity

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly impact sustainable development, positively affecting 70% of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there is an equity gap in AI development, with only 2% of the world’s data centers located in Africa and minimal investment in AI compared to the US. Additionally, one in three people globally lack internet access. To ensure equitable participation in the AI revolution, 2025 is critical, emphasizing the need for a foundation built on equity and sustainability to avoid widening existing disparities.

Aerial view of the Garifuna land, an Afro-Indigenous community in Honduras that relies on small-scale fishing and subsistence agriculture. Indigenous Peoples, OHCHR

Defending ancestral lands: the Garifuna struggle in Honduras

The Garifuna are an Afro-Indigenous community in Honduras, numbering between 50,000 and 100,000, primarily relying on fishing and subsistence agriculture. They face historical and structural barriers leading to inequality, discrimination, and rights violations. Despite three favorable rulings from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding the titling of their ancestral lands, corporate land grabs and inadequate enforcement hinder their rights. In February 2024, the Honduran government established a high-level commission (CIANCSI) to facilitate the restitution of ancestral lands for communities like Triunfo de la Cruz. UN Human Rights reports that land-related conflicts contribute to violence, displacement, and food insecurity, with nearly a third of the 308 human rights defenders attacked in 2023 being indigenous or Afro-Honduran.

One man checks the status of a fishing boat's nets while another takes notes. Natural Resources and the Environment, FAO

Fijian Sailor Champions Sustainable Fishing Practices in the Indian Ocean

Saiasi Sarau, a Fijian sailor, has a deep connection to the ocean, which has sustained him since childhood. After starting as a fisher, he became a captain and now works as a fisheries observer in the Cook Islands in the southern Indian Ocean. His role involves collecting scientific data on catch and bycatch, as well as monitoring seabird interactions to ensure ecosystem safety. Currently in Mauritius for a workshop on scientific observation in deep-sea fisheries, organised by the Common Oceans Deep-sea fisheries project and led by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), Saiasi joins peers from various countries to learn standardized procedures for data collection. The workshop emphasizes the importance of independent observers and responsible fisheries management, especially after previous overfishing led to ecosystem damage.

Migrants, IOM

Strengthening Peru's healthcare

Venezuelan doctors, overcoming significant challenges, contribute to Peru's healthcare system through a training program supported by IOM, fostering integration and collaboration.

Displaced Persons and Refugees, ILO

Recognition of skills brings new hope

Celestin Mbaruku, a refugee tailor in Kenya, overcame the lack of formal certification through ILO’s Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program, opening new career opportunities.

Women and Gender Equality, UNESCO

Gender biases in science

‘Close your eyes and imagine that an astronaut walks into our hall. Who do you see: a man or a woman?’  UNESCO’s seminar highlighted gender biases in science, discussing the underrepresentation of women in pursuing scientific careers.

Intellectual and Cultural Property, WIPO

IP's role in Medtech

Medical technology innovations, from AI diagnostics to 3D-printed implants, are transforming healthcare, with intellectual property playing a crucial role in bringing these advancements to market.

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.

Gaza crisis continues despite ceasefire

A fragile ceasefire in Gaza has provided temporary relief, but the humanitarian crisis remains severe. Women and girls are urging the international community to ensure lasting peace and continued support from agencies like UNFPA. 

Nestor Owomuhangi, UNFPA Representative in Palestine, stresses the need for continued funding. 

Utilising Virtual Reality for safety

United Nations Office for Project Services is using virtual reality as part of health, safety, social and environment training for personnel and partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Avoid crypto pitfalls

As scammers become more creative, it's crucial to recognize the signs of online fraud and cryptocurrency scams to avoid acting recklessly under pressure.

UN Podcasts

A woman working at a sewing machine in a garment factory.

Global employment trends: Challenges and opportunities for 2025

Ekkehard Ernst, author of the International Labour Organization (ILO) report: "World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2025", joins the Future of Work podcast to discuss how geopolitical tensions, climate change, artificial intelligence, and inequalities are affecting global labour markets.

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 looks at her daughter as she eats in a refugee camp in eastern Chad.
Photo:©FAO/Manoj Nawoor

A fighter took my newborn. Inside the lives of displaced women in Sudan

In 2023, paramilitary forces entered the town of Geneina in West Darfur, Sudan and people fled. When that happened, 41-year-old Daralssalam was nine months pregnant and went into labour on the side of the road. The fighters "made no distinction between men, women or children", says crying as she recalls the violence. "Everyone was killed or raped." When she gave birth, fighters surrounded her. "A fighter took my baby and cut the umbilical cord," she says. They separated the baby's legs to check its genitals. "If it was a boy, they would kill it." Fortunately, the baby was a girl. The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continues to displace millions. UNFPA has visited displacement camps in Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic, hearing the stories of women and girls living in war.

A woman and a child row their makeshift raft.
Photo:WFP/Mehedi Rahman

Preparedness through anticipation: A race against floods in Bangladesh

As the Jamuna River began to swell during last year’s monsoon rains in Bangladesh, millions of people braced for disaster. But Jerin, Renu, Salma, Shaheda and thousands of other people avoided the worst through anticipatory action, building on Bangladesh's long experience in disaster preparedness and climate adaptation. This approach is revolutionizing the way we respond to crises, saving more lives and protecting dignity. Here are their stories.

 

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