When you work in a war zone, the first thing you learn is where the nearest United Nations peacekeeping base is located. That’s what I found out when I lived in Sudan ten years ago working for a humanitarian NGO. If violence erupted, those bases could save your life. Since then, I have always seen UN Peacekeepers as a sign of hope. Over the last five years, I’ve traveled to six peacekeeping missions and have […]

People in the United States may seem divided, but when it comes to protecting the planet, 25 governors have joined forces to support the Paris Agreement on climate change. Two years ago on June 1, 2017, when the Trump administration announced its intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, the governors of California, Washington, and New York stepped up to support the international agreement. Since then, the U.S. Climate Alliance has grown to represent 24

What is a woman’s journey to power? What does she need to do — or change — to arrive at a place of equality of opportunity, where she is able to realize her full potential in the world? That’s what my United Nations Foundation colleagues and I will be examining during a wide range of activities and events that we’re hosting as part of Women Deliver 2019. More than 8,000 participants — from government leaders and researchers to

There is no such thing as a perfect father. All dads, including me, have moments that make us cringe in hindsight.  But I lucked out with my dad – he was ahead of his time. When the doctor said that my father wouldn’t be allowed in the delivery room for my birth – standard practice in the 1960s called for dads to be in the waiting room, ready to light up a cigar – my

What does gender equality and climate change have to do with health? Everything. At the end of May, the 72nd World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva brought together global health leaders to discuss pressing issues. The topics covered issues from mental health to eradicating polio and everything in between, but at the core of them all was one clear theme: leave no one behind, as promised by world leaders in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

As people across the planet celebrate Pride Month this June, we’re helping partners join the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) human rights by supporting Free & Equal, a global United Nations campaign to eliminate violence and discrimination against the LGBTI community. Launched and led by the UN Human Rights Office, the Free & Equal campaign has become one of the UN’s most powerful tools in the fight against homophobia, biphobia, transphobia,

It’s not often that you get together a world-leading philanthropist, a global business magnate, a Nobel prize winner, a former president, a Minister of the Future, a Forbes 30 under 30 entrepreneur, and a digital rights activist to share their thoughts about the future of new technologies. But on June 10, such a group, bolstered by experts on digital rights and cryptocurrency and a civil society leader, came forward to share its ideas for how

“All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” states the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948. Although progress has been made since then, much work remains to advance human rights for all, including LGBTI people. Today, more than one-third of the world’s countries still criminalize same-sex relationships. These laws put millions of people at risk of blackmail, arrest, and imprisonment – and in up to 12 countries, possibly the

As the world’s largest conference on the health, rights, and well-being of girls and women, the 2019 Women Deliver in Vancouver brought together more than 8,000 people from over 160 countries. There were conversations on everything from intersectional representation to climate change to women’s rights. What was top of mind for me? As we reflect on the week, here are five of my top takeaways: The world’s young people are sick of political talk. They