Last week, the United Nations Statistical Commission agreed to the indicators for the Sustainable Development Goals. So what exactly is an indicator, and why does it matter? To learn more, I talked to Jenna Slotin, the United Nations Foundation’s Post-2015 Initiative Director and Interim Program Manager for the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.  Our conversation covered a lot of ground, but one thing became clear: the importance of data to achieving the global goals and […]

March 15 marks a tragic milestone: five years of conflict in Syria, which has left more than 13 million people in need of humanitarian assistance and forced more than half of Syrians to flee their homes. Behind these numbers are real people who have had to leave everything behind. United Nations agencies and other humanitarian aid organizations are working to provide food, shelter, medicine, clean water, and other vital aid to families in need. These

Five years of conflict in Syria have devastated families across the country, and more than half of Syrians have fled their homes. Earlier this month, the United Nations Foundation visited Zaatari camp in Jordan, where more than 80,000 refugees reside. There we saw the life-saving and life-changing work of United Nations humanitarian agencies that provide vital aid, including the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). UNFPA supports the Women and Girls’ Comprehensive Center, a clinic that provides

Six years ago, it was hard to imagine that women could receive vital health information via mobile phones and that ministries of health could have access to real time data for decision-making. There was no evidence base, the technology was constantly shifting and not in the hands of those who would benefit most, and government officials were skeptical. How were mobile phones going to improve lives? Could they actually enhance and potentially save the lives

Complete this sentence: “If we want women and men to have equal opportunities, we need to _______.” Ensure equal access to education? Guarantee equal access to economic resources? End violence against women in all its forms? There is one response that probably did not come to mind: Promote collection and use of gender data. But don’t dismiss it. Gender data will have a real and powerful impact on achieving all of the above. Realizing the

Fortunately for our planet, many people are filled with optimism. “I am going to change the world” is a phrase I often hear from advocates on every issue. It is a great sentiment, and one I wholeheartedly support. But it must be paired with a realistic understanding of the challenges facing our planet. I am inspired by people who have this special blend of optimism and a clear view of what it means to face adversity and

I’m an Angry Bird, but I can’t help but be happy today. I am being designated by the United Nations Secretary-General as the Honorary Ambassador for Green on the International Day of Happiness, which is Sunday, March 20. It’s enough to warm my little Red heart! On this day, we are celebrating the planet that serves as our home. Everyone knows how much I love my home. Chuck, Bomb, Matilda, and I won’t let any

A former UN official, Anthony Banbury, recently wrote an op-ed on the United Nations that has sparked a conversation on the UN’s value and challenges. Banbury’s critique of the UN system highlights a lot of the UN’s important strengths and weaknesses. He is right that the UN personnel system – as with any major institution or government – is in need of dramatic improvement. The UN and its leader Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are working to

In the plethora of UN declared international days of this and that, perhaps the most all-embracing, aspirational, and eventually the most ultimate is March 20 – the International Day of Happiness! In 2011, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which recognized happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable, and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples;” and in 2012, it decreed that