UN – United Nations

Leaders from around the world and across sectors came together last week at the United Nations General Assembly to reaffirm their commitment to Every Woman Every Child, a movement launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in 2010 to mobilize global action on women’s and children’s health. Through this movement, governments, businesses, and other organizations make commitments and work off of a common framework to support women’s and children’s health. Why is this issue so important?  Most […]

By Amanda Kennedy, Girl Up intern Christine has faced many challenges in her 16 years of life in Malawi, but her drive to complete her education has helped her through it all. Christine lives in a community where tradition says that education is valuable only for males. She didn’t want to get married at age 12 or 14, like many other girls were forced to do in her community. Instead, she dreamed of going to secondary school

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