World Science Day for Peace and Development is 10 November! The day underlines the importance and relevance of science in our daily lives and highlights the need to engage the wider public in debates on emerging scientific issues. It also underscores the role scientists play in broadening our understanding of the remarkable, fragile planet we call home and in making our societies more sustainable.

Did you know that 60% of the world’s population, or 4.5 billion people, live without a toilet or have one that doesn’t adequately dispose of waste? Or that 892 million people still practice open defecation? Exposure to human feces on this scale has a devastating impact upon public health, living and working conditions, nutrition, education and economic productivity across the world.

This essay is by De Montfort University (DMU) PhD student Nabeelah Ahmed Omarjee. Nabeelah ran a workshop at this year’s UN Civil Society conference in Salt Lake City, United States, as part of a DMU delegation.

World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16 October, promoting worldwide action to promote food security and nutritious diets for all.

Over 820 million people in the world suffer chronic undernourishment, 60 per cent of them women, and each day 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes, a child every second. But amidst this hunger, there is also an epidemic of obesity due to a lack of access to nutritious, healthy food.

The annual General Debate of the United Nations General Assembly has been called the World Cup of diplomacy, where world leaders gather at UN Headquarters in New York to discuss global issues. Established in 1945 under the Charter of the United Nations, the General Assembly occupies a central position as the chief deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the United Nations.

Whether you are starting the first day of the academic year or returning from winter holidays, UNAI would like to welcome you back to school! During your time away from June to August, the UN has published tens of reports on issues ranging from climate change, to the global fight against AIDS, food and agriculture, youth participation in peace processes, and rural youth development. To bring you up to date on these pivotal reports, take a look at the following summaries of important findings and test your knowledge with our UNAI quiz below!