Beginning this week, inspectors are in Syria to oversee the destruction of the nation’s deadly chemical weapons stockpiles. Why? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry probably put it best last Friday, when the United Nations Security Council authorized the move: “We say with one voice that atrocities carried out with the world’s most heinous weapons will not be tolerated. And when institutions like the Security Council stand up to defend the principles and values that […]

As Chief Operating Officer of the UN Foundation, I am involved in every issue we work on – from U.S.-UN relations to climate change to malaria and the rights of girls.  This broad portfolio means I keep up with a lot of global news. The United Nations continues to be the platform to bring countries and sectors together to work on urgent global issues.  This was definitely the case during UN General Assembly week. There

As world leaders gathered in New York late last month for the United Nations General Assembly, top journalists gathered in the city for the UN Foundation’s 2013 Global Issues Press Fellowship.  The program provided the fellows with the latest information on pressing global issues, while also offering first-person access to high-level experts and policymakers. As the media landscape changes, one thing remains the same: Nothing can replace the insight and understanding that takes place when journalists

Athletes, celebrities, and comic book characters are often hailed as heroes.  But every day, courageous individuals who are taking on global problems fly under the radar.  I want to introduce you to two of them: Dr. Laura Stachel of WE CARE Solar and Nancy Hughes of StoveTeam International. They have been named as “CNN Heroes – Everyday People Changing the World.” Tomorrow, CNN will name its top 10 heroes out of a group of 23. 

As the parents of young girls and people who believe that girls can change the world, today we’re celebrating International Day of the Girl and the power of girls everywhere. One girl in the news right now embodies this strength: Malala Yousafzai. She’s only 16, but Malala is many things: a champion for girls’ right to education, a survivor, an inspiration, an older sister, and a role model. There are more than 600 million adolescent girls living

What do we need to do to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)? With 808 days until the target date to achieve the MDGs – eight goals embraced by governments and the UN in 2000 to reduce poverty, hunger, gender inequality, preventable deaths, and environmental degradation by 2015 – it’s a question at the top of many minds. We recently asked a group of leaders to share with us one critical action we should take

Today marks World Food Day – a day established by the United Nations to focus the world’s attention on hunger and food security. To get up to speed on where we are in the fight against hunger and how we can increase progress, the UN Foundation recently spoke to Zak Bleicher, a Partnership Officer in the UN’s International Fund for Agricultural Development. Jenni Lee: What is the state of hunger in the world? Zak Bleicher: