UN – United Nations

The Kakuma refugee camp in Northern Kenya, one of the largest refugee camps in the region, is more than 20 years old and home to more than 100,000 people, mostly from Somalia and South Sudan. Women and children account for 84% of the population. Last month, I traveled to the Kakuma camp to see firsthand the life-saving work of the United Nations and its partners.     The day I visited, more than 1,500 people […]

On International Women’s Day, let’s remember that a crucial step to ending poverty comes through providing access to reliable and sustainable energy for girls and women. Providing clean energy solutions in homes and schools and equipping community health centers with the energy they need improves indoor air quality, supports girls getting an education, creates economic opportunity, and saves the lives of women, especially during childbirth. The United Nations Foundation’s Energy Access Practitioner Network  brings together

On March 8, the world will celebrate International Women’s Day. Here are five women who are driving progress and inspiring change for girls and women around the world. “When women participate in the economy, everyone benefits. When women participate in peace-making and peace-keeping, we are all safer and more secure. And when women participate in politics of their nations they can make a difference.” – Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, Women in the World

What do you want the world to look like for girls and women in 2030? We sat down with experts and leaders at the UN Foundation to hear what they have to say.   With less than 700 days to go until the target date for the Millennium Development Goals, eight global goals to alleviate poverty and suffering, conversations are already underway to determine the next development framework, which will outline our priorities through 2030.

Nearly 20,000 supporters from across the United States asked President Obama to request more funding for UN Peacekeeping in his FY’15 budget – and he listened! In his presidential budget request to Congress released last week, President Obama included over $2.5 billion for U.S. dues towards peacekeeping — a figure that would make real progress on getting the U.S. out of the red at the UN and back in good standing with our allies and

2014 presents a “perishable moment” in the effort to protect the world from catastrophic climate change.  The parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have promised to reach a new global agreement in 2015, and the steps taken this year will determine whether it is weak or strong. The UN Climate Summit called by the Secretary-General for September 23 in New York will be a major inflection point on this journey, setting

“Behind every single number is a person.” – Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator  More than 9 million people – including more than 5 million children – have been affected by the conflict in Syria, which enters its fourth year this month. Syrians are on track to become the world’s largest refugee population. Throughout the crisis, UN agencies have been working to provide aid – including food, shelter, vaccinations, education, water, and

Editor’s Note: To find out how you can get involved, read “How You Can Help” at the end of the post. Three years of conflict in Syria have devastated children throughout the country. More than 1 million Syrian children now live as refugees in surrounding countries, and more than 4 million children in Syria are living in “dire situations” according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). I spoke with Justin van Fleet, Chief of

There are a few things in this world that are truly global: One of them is that people want to be happy. Thursday, March 20 is the International Day of Happiness, and the United Nations Foundation and Grammy Award-winning musician Pharrell Williams have teamed up to encourage people to take action to support the UN and to create a happier world for people everywhere. You can join in by donating to UN humanitarian efforts, which