What works to empower women economically, for whom, and why? How do you measure this? Last week, we attempted to answer these questions at an event co-hosted by the ExxonMobil Foundation, the Center for Global Development (CGD), the World Bank, and Plan International on measurement and evaluation for women’s economic empowerment programs. Renowned experts spoke during two panels that included perspectives from academia as well as practitioners and funders. At the event, the United Nations […]

In our photo of the week, two girls study from the light of a solar-powered lantern in Ethiopia, where the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign provides refugee girls with materials for school, lamps to study at night, and scholarships to attend school. These lanterns allow girls to do homework at night and are safer than highly flammable kerosene lamps. Helping girls get an education is a priority for the United Nations because education empowers

The United Nations released its annual report on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) today, and it delivers a powerful message: When the international community takes action around a shared agenda, progress happens. Launched by world leaders and the UN in 2000, the MDGs provided eight concrete, measurable goals to alleviate poverty and improve lives around the world by the end of 2015. Governments, businesses, civil society groups, and individuals mobilized at local, regional, national, and

On July 13, the United Nations will convene a major international conference on Financing for Development in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The purpose of the conference is to discuss financing for sustainable development. This is the third of its kind, with the last one happening in 2002. World leaders are set to agree on a renewed global partnership to address the challenges of financing and creating an enabling environment for sustainable development. The conference is the

On July 13-16, leaders from around the world will gather in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to discuss a vital issue for our future: financing for development. The conference marks an important first milestone in a historic year for international cooperation and sustainable development – development in which everyone has opportunity, no one is left behind, and the environment is protected. In September, world leaders will gather in New York to adopt a new set of global

The UN Refugee Agency released sobering news today: The number of refugees fleeing their homes because of conflict in Syria has hit a record high of more than 4 million. Additionally, at least 7.6 million people are displaced inside the country. “This is the biggest refugee population from a single conflict in a generation. It is a population that deserves the support of the world but is instead living in dire conditions and sinking deeper

July 11 marks World Population Day, a moment to reflect on the rights, needs, and well-being of the planet’s 7 billion people. For World Population Day this year, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is focusing on the needs of vulnerable girls and women in emergency settings – an important topic since nearly 60 million people around the world have had to flee their homes because of violence and persecution. UNFPA notes that during conflict,

Heads of State, ministers, and United Nations ambassadors will meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia next week to talk about financing the next set of global goals. The meeting comes at a critical juncture for the UN, which has a packed agenda in 2015 – from the Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan, in March to the Climate Summit in Paris this December. For the public at large, past meetings of this type have

Anne Geddes is famous for her photographs of children, but around the United Nations Foundation office, she’s known as a passionate global advocate for our Shot@Life campaign, which helps provide life-saving vaccines to children who need them most. We recently had the chance to talk to her about her involvement: Jenni Lee: What inspired you to get involved with Shot@Life? Anne Geddes: Shot@Life approached me to be a global advocate, and it was a no