More than 1,000 people from 134 countries applied to pitch their innovative ideas at the third-annual United Nations Solutions Summit, an event co-hosted by the UN Foundation, shift7, Local 2030 and the Global Innovation Exchange to accelerate smart, bold actions to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For three days during this year’s UN General Assembly, this inspiring group of global innovators will give four-minute “lightning talks” about their breakthrough efforts to an audience of […]

Of the many challenging operations the United Nations undertakes across the world, peacekeeping missions are arguably the most complex. They are as varied as the four continents they span, as intricate as the conflicts that made 14 missions necessary, and as diverse as the 124 countries that contribute troops to the cause. Imagine then, reforming the system. That’s what UN Secretary-General António Guterres is working toward with his Action for Peacekeeping initiative, officially introduced during

While President Trump’s “America First” message dominated headlines at this year’s United Nations General Assembly, a different message echoed across the UN and New York City: a firm belief in global cooperation and a commitment to driving progress on global challenges. Last week, government leaders, businesses, young people, cities, celebrities, entrepreneurs, civil society, and more came together in New York to focus on urgent – and deeply interconnected – global issues. Five of the major

*Note from the Editor: this post was last updated October 5 The powerful earthquake and tsunami that struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi has left over 190,000 in urgent need of humanitarian aid. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), the 7.4 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami have displaced more than 70,000 people and damaged an estimated 66,000 homes. Support disaster response by donating to CERF The coastal city of

On October 1, the United States officially changed its visa policy to require diplomatic staff in same sex relationships to show proof of marriage in order for partners to be able to stay in the United States. Without proof of marriage, same sex partners face deportation within 30 days of December 31. This move, which reverses policies in place since 2009, has rightly spiked deep concern about the status, rights, and dignity of LGBTI professionals

With the world up against a growing list of problems without borders – from brutal conflicts to emerging health threats to rising hunger – the start of a new session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) provided a crucial forum for advancing progress for everyone, everywhere. As Secretary-General António Guterres said in his opening address to world leaders, despite falling levels of trust in global cooperation, “there is no way forward but collective, common-sense

If you care about women’s economic empowerment, we recommend paying close attention to the 20thInternational Conference on Labor Statisticians (ICLS). The 20thICLS kicks off this week in Geneva, Switzerland, and will run from October 10-19, bringing together 350 labor statisticians, policymakers, and researchers. To better understand why this gathering is so critical for women and their economic lives, we sat down with Emily Courey Pryor, Executive Director of Data2X– an alliance housed at the UN

Last week, Donna Strickland became the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in Physics in 55 years. While her well-deserved acknowledgement gives us a reason to celebrate her pioneering work in generating high-intensity laser pulses, a method used in modern LASIK eye surgery, her win also reflects a larger problem in society: women’s limited access to training in STEM fields, or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Strickland speaking at an Optical Society of America