A close-up view of a red coral.
Oceans and Marine Life

Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us

The ocean is our life source, producing over 50% of our oxygen, feeding billions, and regulating our climate. Yet, it's under threat from pollution, overfishing, and climate change. We are taking more from the ocean than can be replenished. This World Oceans Day (8 June), under the theme " Wonder: Sustaining what sustains us", we are invited to take action, protect the ocean, and be inspired by its beauty, mystery, and vital role on Earth. Let's restore balance together.

Around 50% of our coral reefs have been lost due to climate change, acidification, pollution, and overfishing.
Photo:Ramona Osche/Ocean Image Bank
Vincent Doumeizel, a senior adviser to the UN Global Compact, has become one of the faces of the so-called “seaweed revolution.”

Green gold beneath the waves: How seaweed – and one man’s obsession – could save the world

6 June 2025 — As world leaders gear up for the Third UN Ocean Conference in Nice, one policy expert is making waves with an ancient marine organism he believes could help feed the planet, clean...

People who have taken refuge in school run by the UN agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza are struggling to survive as they lack access to basic humanitarian needs.

In Gaza, daily food intake has fallen well below ‘survival’ level

5 June 2025 — The lack of food entering Gaza caused by ongoing Israeli aid restrictions is leaving increasing numbers of Palestinians “vulnerable to starvation”, with daily energy intake now well...

Over 50 per cent of marine species face the threat of extinction by 2100.

The world’s oceans are dying. Can a UN summit in Nice turn the tide?

4 June 2025 — As coral reefs bleach, fish stocks collapse, and sea temperatures break records, world leaders are heading to the French Riviera — not for leisure, but for one of the most urgent...

UN Sustainable Development Goals

17 Goals to transform our world

The Sustainable Development Goals are a call for action by all countries — poor, rich and middle-income — to promote prosperity while protecting the planet.

hands holding megaphone and speech bubble

ActNow Campaign

ActNow is the UN campaign to inspire people to act for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the lead up to the Summit of the Future, join the 1 Million Actions for our Common Future challenge to contribute to a more sustainable and peaceful world. Find new inspiring actions on the app and at un.org/actnow.

Thomas the Tank engine

Student Resources on the SDGs

Learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals! On our student resources page you will find plenty of materials for young people and adults alike. Share with your family and friends to help achieve a better world for all.

Save the date image for 2025 UN Ocean conference.

SDG Media Zone

Be part of the global conversation on ocean action and sustainable development at the UN Ocean Conference. From ocean science and biodiversity to pollution, maritime transport, and sustainable fishing, this pivotal event will spotlight the urgent solutions needed to achieve the SDGs. Don’t miss the SDG Media Zone, where global changemakers bring key issues to life through powerful interviews and thought-provoking discussions. Full programme

icon with fish swimming below waves

Goal of the month

 

Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources

Healthy oceans and seas are essential to human existence and life on Earth.

More about the UN Sustainable Development Goals

More from the
United Nations

Featured stories from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.

A person standing on a chair and writing on one of several large sheets of paper attached to a wall. Social Development, UNDP

Choosing tomorrow: The promise of a sustainable future

Our future isn't predetermined; we have choices amidst conflict, climate change, and inequality. By harnessing the creativity of 1.45 billion young people, we can pursue financially rewarding and transformative pathways. However, the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals is nearing, necessitating fresh approaches and global cooperation that are urgently needed due to escalating challenges like declining development assistance and a deepening debt crisis. The Hamburg Sustainability Conference serves as a vital platform for leaders to address interconnected crises, reaffirm commitments to inclusive systems, and protect future generations, especially in Africa and Asia.

A person in a suit pressing his index finger on a virtual fingerprint scanner. Science and Technology, World Bank

Code against corruption

Corruption hinders development, especially for the poor and vulnerable, by increasing costs and limiting access to essential services. For nearly three decades, the World Bank has been committed to combating corruption. Since President Wolfensohn's 1996 "Cancer of Corruption" speech, the international financial institution has spearheaded anti-corruption initiatives and efforts to strengthen institutions. The World Bank is using GovTech solutions to enhance transparency through digital innovations. This focus is driven by client countries’ demand for efficiency, the need to safeguard climate-related investments projected to reach $100 billion annually by 2030, intensified asset recovery efforts, and growing public demands for accountability.

A woman standing in an agricultural field with a structure made of bamboo poles and wires overhead. She is holding a yellow and green object. Agriculture and Food, FAO

A voice of reisilience

Khilamaya Nepali stands in her parcel of land, observing a fly trap among her bitter gourd plants. She confidently explains that the trap, using a specific chemical, captures male flies to control their population, a method learned in her farmer field school. She takes pride in her skills and her participation in this initiative. The farmer field schools are part of the Building a Resilient Churia Region in Nepal project, funded by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the Government of Nepal, aimed at empowering farmers to address climate-related agricultural challenges.

A shoreline lined with boats.
Oceans and Marine Life, UNCTAD

Ocean action summit

The 3rd UN Ocean Conference in Nice will unite global leaders to address urgent ocean challenges, drive sustainable use, and protect livelihoods dependent on marine ecosystems and trade.

A smiling man holding two large cabbages.
Displaced Persons and Refugees, UNHCR

Resilience through farming

After decades of displacement from violence in eastern DRC, refugees have built thriving farms in Zambia, providing food, income, and jobs for themselves and locals alike.

Three women looking down on a cooking pot.
Humanitarian Aid, WFP

Hunger crisis deepens

With funding cuts worsening food insecurity in Afghanistan, one in five people now needs emergency aid, as women and children face rising malnutrition and shrinking food assistance, warns WFP.

A healthcare worker handling a medical machine.
Health Interventions, UNOPS

Upgrading healthcare

With support from UNOPS and global partners, Uzbekistan is equipping hospitals with modern tools and training, ensuring safer, more effective care and building a stronger healthcare system for the future.

What we do

Due to the powers vested in its Charter and its unique international character, the United Nations can take action on the issues confronting humanity in the 21st century, including:

A UNIFIL peacekeeper from Spain on a regular patrol in the vicinity of Al Wazzani, south-eastern Lebanon as the sun sets in the horizon. Since 1948, more than a million women and men have served as UN peacekeepers.

Maintain International Peace and Security

The United Nations came into being in 1945, following the devastation of the Second World War, with one central mission: the maintenance of international peace and security. The UN does this by working to prevent conflict; helping parties in conflict make peace; peacekeeping; and creating the conditions to allow peace to hold and flourish. These activities often overlap and should reinforce one another, to be effective. The UN Security Council has the primary responsibility for international peace and security. The General Assembly and the Secretary-General play major, important, and complementary roles, along with other UN offices and bodies.

Students at Butkhak High School in Kabul, Afghanistan, cheer in unison on the last day of Global Action Week, an international campaign advocating free, quality education for all.

Protect Human Rights

The term “human rights” was mentioned seven times in the UN's founding Charter, making the promotion and protection of human rights a key purpose and guiding principle of the Organization.  In 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights brought human rights into the realm of international law.  Since then, the Organization has diligently protected human rights through legal instruments and on-the-ground activities.

A child has a meal at a food distribution centre in the Rwanda camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs), near Tawila, North Darfur. More than 8,000 women and children living in the camp benefit from nutrition programmes run by the World Food Programme

Deliver Humanitarian Aid

One of the purposes of the United Nations, as stated in its Charter, is "to achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character."  The UN first did this in the aftermath of the Second World War on the devastated continent of Europe, which it helped to rebuild.  The Organization is now relied upon by the international community to coordinate humanitarian relief operations due to natural and man-made disasters in areas beyond the relief capacity of national authorities alone.

Grace, a farmer from Kipilat village, and a leading member of the forest community in Ainabkoi, Kenya, planting a tree in 2012.

Promote Sustainable Development

From the start in 1945, one of the main priorities of the United Nations was to “achieve international co-operation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and for fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.”  Improving people’s well-being continues to be one of the main focuses of the UN. The global understanding of development has changed over the years, and countries now have agreed that sustainable development offers the best path forward for improving the lives of people everywhere.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivers its order on the request for the indication of provisional measures filed by Nicaragua on 11 October 2013 in the case concerning Construction of a Road in Costa Rica along the San Juan River.

Uphold International Law

The UN Charter, in its Preamble, set an objective: "to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained."  Ever since, the development of, and respect for international law has been a key part of the work of the Organization.  This work is carried out in many ways - by courts, tribunals, multilateral treaties - and by the Security Council, which can approve peacekeeping missions, impose sanctions, or authorize the use of force when there is a threat to international peace and security, if it deems this necessary.  These powers are given to it by the UN Charter, which is considered an international treaty.  As such, it is an instrument of international law, and UN Member States are bound by it.  The UN Charter codifies the major principles of international relations, from sovereign equality of States to the prohibition of the use of force in international relations.

Structure of the
United Nations

The main parts of the UN structure are the General Assembly, the
Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, the International Court of Justice, and the UN Secretariat. All were established in 1945 when the UN was founded.

General Assembly

The General Assembly is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN. All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation.

Security Council

The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the UN Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members (5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members). Each Member has one vote. Under the Charter, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.

Economic and Social Council

The Economic and Social Council is the principal body for coordination, policy review, policy dialogue and recommendations on economic, social and environmental issues, as well as implementation of internationally agreed development goals.

Trusteeship Council

The Trusteeship Council was established in 1945 by the UN Charter, under Chapter XIII, to provide international supervision for 11 Trust Territories that had been placed under the administration of seven Member States, and ensure that adequate steps were taken to prepare the Territories for self-government and independence.

International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Its seat is at the Peace Palace in the Hague (Netherlands). It is the only one of the six principal organs of the United Nations not located in New York (United States of America).

Secretariat

The Secretariat comprises the Secretary-General and tens of thousands of international UN staff members who carry out the day-to-day work of the UN as mandated by the General Assembly and the Organization's other principal organs.

More about the structure of the United Nations

Learn more

Climate Change

Climate change is the defining issue of our time and now is the defining moment to do something about it. There is still time to tackle climate change, but it will require an unprecedented effort from all sectors of society.

Women at UN CSW63 Side Event - “Take the Hot Seat”. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown

Gender Equality

Women and girls represent half of the world’s population and, therefore, also half of its potential. Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is greeted on his visit to the Central African Republic

Ending Poverty

While global poverty rates have been cut by more than half since 2000, one in ten people in developing regions still lives on less than US$1.90 a day — the internationally agreed poverty line, and millions of others live on slightly more than this daily amount.

A young girl holds a smiling infant at the Zaatari Refugee Camp

Our Common Agenda

Following up on a pledge made by UN Member States at the UN’s 75th anniversary, the report Our Common Agenda looks ahead to the next 25 years and represents the Secretary-General’s vision on the future of global cooperation. It calls for inclusive, networked, and effective multilateralism to better respond to humanity’s most pressing challenges.

Watch and Listen

Video and audio from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.

Killer robots: Can we stop autonomous weapons?

Lethal autonomous weapons, capable of selecting and killing targets without human control, pose grave threats to human rights and international law.

Featuring UN Under-Secretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu, Mary Wareham (Human Rights Watch), Nicole van Rooijen (Stop Killer Robots), and Thompson Chengeta (AI & Human Rights Expert) are urging a global ban before it's too late.

SIDS lead ocean protection

Small Island Developing States are taking bold action to safeguard ocean biodiversity, despite contributing less than 1% of global emissions.

Intelligence demands action now

From AI to ecosystems, intelligence surrounds us but solving plastic pollution requires action, not just innovation, as we observe World Environment Day.

UN Podcasts

A team of consultants implementing digital transformation strategies for businesses.

What Happens When Algorithms Manage People?

What happens when algorithms, rather than people, decide who gets hired, promoted, or assigned to the night shift? In the first episode of Work in Progress, a podcast from the International Labour Organization (ILO) Research Department, we speak with Nikolai Rogovsky, a senior economist at the ILO. We discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming human resource management and its implications for fairness, dignity, and the future of work. With nearly 30 years of experience at the ILO and a Ph.D. from Wharton, Nikolai discusses insights from ILO Working Paper No. 95. The docuemnt explores how companies use AI for hiring and workforce optimization and the risks this poses to decent work.

Latest Audio from UN News

The United Nations in Pictures

Images from across the United Nations and our world-wide family of agencies, funds, and programmes.

A hiker standing near a body of water surrounded by rocky mountains.
Photo:© Betul Simsek

Photography 4 Humanity: A Lens on Climate Justice

Launched in 2019, Photography 4 Humanity is a global initiative that uses powerful imagery to spotlight the fight for climate justice. As the photography platform of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance—with UN Human Rights as Global Partner and Fotografiska as Presenting Partner—it highlights climate change as a critical human rights issue. This online exhibition, held during the 2025 Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Summit, features winning images from the global contest. The photos illustrate the human impact of the climate crisis—climate displaced persons, at-risk communities, Indigenous peoples, and women disproportionately affected—while also celebrating resilience and the efforts of people working together for a sustainable future.

A woman placing plastic bottles into a green recycling bin.
Photo:UNDP

Action for the Ocean

Christina Perrine is a woman whose early environmental awareness led her to take action locally. In 2023, she became a Plastics Ambassador for the Mauritius Plastic Challenge. Using her solar-powered bicycle, she visited rural villages to collect discarded plastic bottles and educate the community on recycling and reducing plastic use. The initiative, supported by Mission Verte and the GEF Small Grants Programme, trained six ambassadors, engaged over 4,000 citizens, and collected more than five tonnes of plastic waste. The project also organized clean-up campaigns, assisted small businesses in minimizing single-use plastics, and reached nearly 1,800 students with educational programs.

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