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Around the world, 2.2 billion people live without access to safe water. As we mark World Water Day on 22 March, it is a moment to recognize the central role that water plays in accelerating the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN Resident Coordinators bring together UN country teams and partners to support the work of governments and communities in boosting access to safe water. They mobilize resources to tackle water scarcity challenges, ensuring that access to safe water remains a top policy priority. Their engagement focuses on several fronts, from tackling the impact of climate change on water resources to water conservation to boosting public health and community resilience.

Thirty years ago, the world pledged "equality for all" in Beijing. Yet, today, for many women and girls around the world, this remains elusive. Ahead of International Women’s Day, a new progress report of the UN Secretary-General released by the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), titled Women's Rights in Review 30 Years After Beijing, points to an uneven trajectory to secure women’s rights and full participation in all aspects of society. 

In the foothills of the Accursed Mountains in Kosovo, where nature and tradition intertwine, two women have turned their passions into resilient livelihoods.

From medical breakthroughs to new space discoveries, from advanced quantum computing research to new scientific methods to understand the natural world around us, women and girls are shattering glass ceilings. Yet structural barriers and social norms remain that limit women and girls from unlocking their full potential.

A joint programme led by the Joint SDG Fund and bringing together FAO and UNICEF is helping strengthen community ties and food security in Costa Rica by fostering sustainable agricultural practices.

With the aim to build communities' resilience and empowerment, a project implemented by the United Nations Development Programme is offering tools, skills, access to loans and other support to women farmers and entrepreneurs across four states, both in displacement areas and in the communities that host them. Even while the war continues, these women in Kessala, Gedaref, River Nile and Blue Nile, are using that support to grow their own food, set up their own small businesses and keep their children in school with money they earn themselves.

Communities in the Kavango West region of northern Namibia, particularly women and girls, are facing the worst drought in a hundred years. The UN in Namibia under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator has been leading the charge to ensure women and girls are not left behind in tackling the impacts of climate change.

Over the last two decades, Viet Nam has made remarkable strides in providing its population with access to quality education and paving the way for a more equitable and sustainable future. Learn how UN entities are joining hands to close the gaps and provide quality education for girls, ethnic minorities and students with disabilities.

In the vast expanses of Mongolia, where nomadic herders roam with their livestock, access to technology can be a game-changer.