UN – United Nations

There is no place for rapists in peacekeeping. This was the title of my op-ed in the Los Angeles Times this week, which addressed sexual exploitation and abuse in United Nations Peacekeeping – a topic I will address today in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. In 2015 and 2016, a number of high-profile and disturbing cases of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN peacekeepers were brought to light, particularly in the Central African […]

Today, April 13, marks the one year anniversary of the official launch of a groundbreaking new U.S. State Department role, Special Envoy for Protection of the Human Rights of LGBTI persons. The announcement paralleled significant progress, but also challenges, regarding the advancement of the human rights of LGBTI people around the world.  At the United Nations, this includes: Passage of two successful LGBTI human rights resolutions at the UN’s top human rights organ, the UN

Being pregnant can be an uncertain and stressful time for anyone, but imagine being pregnant in the midst of the largest humanitarian crisis of our time. That’s the reality for the more than 16,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan who are pregnant at any one time. These women face a greatly increased risk of injury or death – 60% of preventable maternal deaths occur in humanitarian settings, often because they face barriers to accessing essential maternal

This Earth Day, on April 22, representatives from around the world will come together at the United Nations to sign the Paris Climate Agreement, which was adopted last December. This is expected to be the largest single-day signing in the history of international accords. Climate change affects all of us, and it’s up to all of us to take action to ensure a healthy planet for generations to come.  To learn more about the climate

Editor’s Note: This post is part of the blog series, “Her Goals: Our Future,” which highlights the connections between girls and women and the Sustainable Development Goals. Guest blogger views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the UN Foundation. A friend’s daughter recently returned to graduate school now that her youngest child is a toddler, and she remarked that it was the first time in years she felt and had been viewed

Video is one of the most compelling and immersive mediums of storytelling, and one that is powerful in stimulating people to act. Over the past several months, organizations such as UNICEF, GOOD Magazine, and the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life campaign have created moving, and motivating, videos that tell the story of global challenges and global solutions. Here are five inspirational videos. Shot@Life Supports United Nations’ Efforts to Provide Global Childhood Vaccines Often related to distance and

A massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake devastated Ecuador on April 16, 2016, causing hundreds of deaths, thousands of injuries, and significant damage to homes, buildings, and infrastructure. The United Nations is supporting the Government of Ecuador’s response to the earthquake, which was the largest to strike the region in decades.  As the death toll continues to rise in the wake of the disaster, UN humanitarian agencies have deployed additional aid to support the government’s relief efforts. Stephen

By Jordie Hannum, Executive Director of the Better World Campaign  “This is a moment when we need to deepen our involvement and engage [in the United Nations] in a more serious way. If we’re going to hope to see real progress, it will require U.S. leadership.” These were the words of U.S. Representative David Cicilline, Co-Chair of the Congressional Peacekeeping Caucus, before a congressional hearing last week that addressed sexual exploitation and abuse in UN

We are in the midst of the worst humanitarian crisis of our time: More than 125 million people are in need of aid. Conflict, violence, and disaster have forced millions of people to flee. In addition to losing their homes and their sense of security, too often, they’re also denied their human rights. This crisis belongs to all of us: Stopping human suffering and protecting human rights is foremost our moral duty; it’s also essential