Two and half years ago, Charlie Webster thought she was going to die. The British journalist had just completed a five-week, 3,000-mile charity bike ride from London to Rio de Janeiro to commemorate the 2016 Olympic Games when she came down with an illness that baffled local doctors and left her on life support. At one point, doctors told her family that she had less than 24 hours to live. Webster’s dire condition and the […]

When global leaders gather in New York later this year to address the climate crisis, they need to do more than give speeches. That’s the message from the person tasked by the Secretary-General to make September’s major United Nations Climate Summit a real breakthrough moment. Special Envoy Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba hopes powerful decision makers from all sectors will go beyond re-stating commitments already made, including under the Paris Agreement. The challenge he is

At the heart of the World Health Organization’s mission is universal health coverage — a basic principle that everyone everywhere should have access to the care they need, when they need it, in their own communities and without incurring undue financial burden. Yet half of the world’s population still lack comprehensive access to the health services they need to survive. That’s why universal health coverage is the focus for World Health Day on April 7th.

When asked what he remembers about the night almost exactly 25 years ago that violence erupted in his country of Rwanda, Cedric Habiyaremye recalls the panic on his father’s face as he came running into the house, saying the family had to leave right away. “I was only 7 years old, and I remember thinking, ‘What did my father do to get us in trouble?’ I didn’t understand what was going on.” He’ll never forget

The United Nations is home to more than diplomats; it’s a place for passionate advocates, doctors pushing new frontiers, and young people redefining leadership. As part of our series highlighting heroes of the UN, or, as we say (s)heroes, we’re bringing you the stories of women at the UN who are creating change. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has made gender equity – both within the UN and around the world – a key priority. Women

From investing in human capital and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGS) to tackling climate change, and addressing the promise and peril of new technologies, last week’s World Bank-IMF annual Spring meetings brought together hundreds of world leaders, government officials and representatives from the private sector and civil society to discuss global solutions for the planet’s most urgent challenges. Throughout the meetings, conversations emphasized the importance of international cooperation as the world reflects back on

“They were warned about the flood, but refused to vacate the area, fearing their sugar cane would be stolen.” – Radio host in Uganda Those words come from an actual radio broadcast following a flood in the small Ugandan town of Jinja, on the shores of Lake Victoria. More than half of Ugandan households rely on radio as their primary source of information, and as many as 25,000 Ugandans call into local programs on hundreds