Things You Need To Know

4 things you need to know about groundwater

The human family and our planet all depend on water for our survival. Yet, 2 billion people lack safe water today. To raise awareness about this critical resource, the world comes together every year on 22 March to celebrate World Water Day. This year is all about groundwater - making the invisible, visible. Here are 4 things you need to know about groundwater and the Day:

1. Core focus is to achieve water and sanitation for all 

4 ways you can shape the global agenda

The days of multilateralism as a closed club of governments are over. The UN is spearheading a new approach to international cooperation that is more networked, inclusive and effective in addressing the challenges of the 21st century. Here are 4 ways you can join in this effort and have your voice heard:

1. Register for the ECOSOC Partnership Forum

Meet the UN Public Service Award winners

Effective public service delivery is often taken for granted until a major crisis like COVID-19 puts a strain on the system. The pandemic showed the key role public institutions play in our daily lives. Recognizing the importance of these institutions is something the UN Public Service Awards does every year. Here are 4 things you should know about the winners of this prestigious award.

1. The winners come from all corners of the world

4 things you need to know about SDGs data

We cannot achieve our goals and targets if we cannot measure our progress, yet many official national statistics producers remain under-resourced and ill-equipped for the historic task of measuring the world’s progress across all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and beyond. The Data For Now initiative, launched in 2019 is working to change that.

1. Countries need data relevant to them

4 things you need to know about your toilet

Who really cares about toilets? 3.6 billion people do. Because they don’t have one. Today, nearly half the world’s population live without access to this important sanitary facility that many of us take for granted. As we are gearing up for World Toilet Day on 19 November, here are four things you should know about your toilet.

1. We should all care more about toilets

4 things you need to know about data for people and planet

As the world continues to recover from COVID-19, we need quality data more than ever to support the decisions we make to improve people’s lives. Understanding the data that surrounds us is understanding how to use data to get back on track to achieve the global goals. Ahead of the UN World Data Forum this month, here are four things you need know about data:

1. Better data helps us recover better from COVID-19

Four things you should know about food systems

Billions of people, from farmers to supermarket cashiers, to those who monitor food safety or install irrigation technologies contribute to the world’s food systems. This web of connected people and processes is at the heart of food security and nutrition for the world’s growing population. As the global community prepares for the Food Systems Summit this month, here are four things you should know about the world’s food systems:

1. Food systems are an entry point for achieving all 17 SDGs

Six things you should know about the state of the SDGs

As we enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, how devastating is its impacts on the global goals? Can the SDGs guide the global community to a brighter future? We are at a critical juncture, where the tragedy of COVID-19 must serve as the wake-up call for the world to work together to achieve the global goals. As UN DESA prepares to launch the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2021 at the High-level Political Forum, here are 6 things you need to know about the state of the SDGs.

5 things you should know about persons with disabilities

Roughly 15% of the world’s population, around 1 billion people, live with a disability. It can be a physical, developmental, emotional or a sensory impairment. Each condition requires its own special attention to fulfil the needs of the individual. Here are five things you should know about persons who live with a disability today.

1. Independence is key

5 things you should know about the state of the economy

Is this the year we overcome the global economic crisis caused by the pandemic? Are our jobs in danger? Who has lost the most in the crisis and what can be done to recover? As UN DESA prepares to launch the mid-year update of the 2021 World Economic Situation and Prospects report, here are five things you need to know about the state of the global economy.