On the margins of this year’s United Nations General Assembly, there are two key events focused on refugees that we’ll be watching closely as the world continues to grapple with the largest refugee crisis ever. The first is the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants hosted by the President of the General Assembly on September 19 at UN Headquarters in New York City. The summit will bring the international community together to come up with …

What We Can Expect President Obama to Say at the Leaders’ Summit on Refugees Read More »

In August, I joined the United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council, a group of leading entrepreneurs committed to finding innovative solutions to global problems, on a trip to Sweden and Jordan to learn how these countries are addressing the rising number of refugees coming into their borders and how private sector leaders can support refugees. Right now, more than 65 million people around the world have been forcibly displaced – the highest number ever recorded. …

5 Things I Learned about the Refugee Crisis from a Trip to Jordan and Sweden Read More »

The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) in Washington, D.C. recently released its latest population size and population growth estimates. The global levels and trends that the fact sheet presents are a bit dizzying, as any figures with so many zeroes are. PRB estimates that there are 7.4 billion (that is, 7,400,000,000) people in the world today and this is projected to rise to 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.9 billion in 2050. But it is the …

Women in Africa Need Family Planning Access Now More Than Ever Read More »

In August, the United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council visited Sweden and Jordan to learn more about how those countries are handling the refugee crisis and how entrepreneurs and private sector leaders can help support refugees. A major challenge for many refugees in Sweden is the absence of a social network – the friends, mentors, and acquaintances who can help them find jobs, provide support, and navigate life in a new country. This is an …

How An Innovative Program is Connecting Refugees in Sweden to Social Networks Read More »

The last 15 years saw significant progress in reducing childhood deaths – globally, the number of deaths fell from 12.7 million in 1990 to 6.3 million in 2013. Promisingly, this progress accelerated in recent years – from 1.2% per year during 1990–1995 to 4% during 2005–2013. The reduction of measles deaths by 79% since 2000 has been the single most important contributor to child mortality reduction under Millennium Development Goal 4. Despite these impressive gains, …

Saluting Progress and Racing to the Finish Line on Polio Read More »

On September 21, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is convening a special event at UN headquarters in New York to encourage countries to officially join the Paris Agreement on climate change, the first-ever universal international accord for climate change. You may recall that the Paris Agreement was first adopted by 195 nations in December of last year. The agreement was then signed at the UN on Earth Day this year by 175 countries at a ceremony that saw the …

Paris Agreement on Climate Change 101: Your September Guide Read More »

Every September, world leaders convene at the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the opening of the next session of the UN General Assembly to discuss the most pressing global challenges and ways to address them. Some refer to the week as “UNGA week” because many people love a good acronym. If you have ever wondered what the General Assembly is and why it is important, here is a short Q&A to inform and …

What is the United Nations General Assembly? Read More »

One year ago, world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly and agreed on 17 Sustainable Development Goals to guide global development efforts for the next 15 years. Through these goals, they made a bold promise: To leave no one behind. One year later, as a new session of the UN General Assembly begins and as we celebrate the first birthday of the Sustainable Development Goals, we are turning to the hard work of …

4 Reasons to Stay Focused on Gender Data as the UN General Assembly Begins Read More »

Next week, world leaders are gathering in New York City for the United Nations General Assembly, where they’ll discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the world today. But how will these conversations impact the real lives of girls and women? It’s hard to imagine an issue more pressing than the Syrian crisis. More than five years into the conflict, Syria continues to experience a grave and enormous humanitarian crisis, with more than 11 …

An Issue that Must Be on the UN General Assembly Agenda Read More »