Editor’s Note: The World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that there is a risk of Ebola flare-ups in affected countries as the virus persists in survivors after their recovery, and as of January, 15, 2016, WHO confirmed a new case of Ebola in Sierra Leone. The Sierra Leone government, WHO, and partners are rapidly responding to this new case. Immediate action in responding to flare-ups and strong surveillance systems are needed to halt human-to-human transmission …

Big News on Ebola: The End of the Outbreak Read More »

On Tuesday, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced 17 advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals. This group, co-chaired by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, will help build support for the global goals and engage people from across sectors and across the world in achieving them. Advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals also include United Nations Foundation Board Member Muhammad Yunus and UN Foundation Board Member Emeritus Graça Machel. Last …

What do Shakira, Jack Ma, and Lionel Messi Have in Common? Read More »

On Thursday, the World Food Programme (WFP) recognized Hans Vestberg, the Chief Executive Officer of Ericsson and a United Nations Foundation Board Member, with its Hunger Hero award for Ericsson’s “pioneering work providing telecommunications solutions in support of humanitarian response.” This is a much-deserved recognition of Vestberg’s and Ericsson’s commitment – and results – in addressing global issues. Vestberg has been more than a strong partner to the UN on humanitarian and development issues; he’s …

Hans Vestberg, World Food Programme Hunger Hero Read More »

Last month in Paris, nearly 200 countries reached a new global agreement on climate change. Today, 500 investors have gathered at the United Nations in New York to talk about how to finance it. The historic agreement reached in Paris provides a new framework for action on climate change and calls on all sectors to act. Thanks to convenings like the Investor Summit on Climate Risk, which the United Nations Foundation organized with our partners …

The Economic Opportunity of Climate Action Read More »

The World Economic Forum – which brought together leaders from business, government, civil society, and the United Nations – just wrapped up, but the dialogue on pressing global issues will continue in the weeks and months ahead. The good news is that many of the discussions focused on how we can advance progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, the world’s shared agenda to end poverty, promote opportunity for all, and tackle environmental and climate challenges. …

6 Reports that Drove the Conversation at the World Economic Forum Read More »

Our news feeds are often filled with stories of serious global challenges, which rightly deserve our attention, yet it is important to remember that we also are making amazing progress on a number of efforts that will create a better world. When people from across sectors and across the world work with the United Nations and each other, we can make a difference in people’s lives. Here are four stories of progress you may have …

4 Good News Stories You May Have Missed in January Read More »

If the spread of the Zika virus does indeed reach epidemic levels, its impact will underscore once more the lethal intersection of class and gender in public health tragedies. The poor always suffer disproportionately when new forms of disease strike; when this poverty is also combined with other kinds of social marginalization, such as gender (or, for instance, sexual minority status in the case of HIV/AIDS) the assault is usually greater than the sum of …

Zika, Poverty, and Reproductive Health Read More »

This weekend, Santa Clara, California will have the honor of hosting Super Bowl 50. In its bid to host the big game, Santa Clara beat out four other cities, each vying for the approximately $500 million the NFL championship pumps into the host city’s economy. While hosting the Super Bowl is a big deal, hosting the United Nations is an even bigger deal. That’s according to a recent op-ed by New York City’s Office for …

Why Hosting the UN is Like Hosting 5 Super Bowls Read More »

(Photo credit: PAHO) Zika virus is all over the news, and rightly so. A disease with no easy and fool-proof prevention strategy, and no known cure, has people in the Americas and elsewhere nervous, especially due to the likely link between the virus and the neurological disorders in babies born to mothers infected during pregnancy. Although local and national governments and health organizations in Brazil and elsewhere have been focused on Zika since at least …

Zika Virus: What is the Global Community Doing to Respond? Read More »