Jane Lee describes her experience as an intern for United Nations Academic Impact in the Department of Global Communications.

World Water Day, celebrated on 22 March every year since 1993, draws the world’s attention to the importance of freshwater and the sustainable management of freshwater resources. Led by UN Water, the coordination mechanism of the United Nations system on water and sanitation issues, the 2020 World Water Day focuses on the inextricable link between water and climate change. The theme highlights how our use of water will help reduce floods, droughts, scarcity and pollution, and will help fight climate change itself.

The United Nations, with offices in 193 countries and 37,000 employees, is the world’s largest universal international multilateral organization. It inspires people from around the world to join its mission of maintaining peace, advancing human rights and promoting justice, equality and development. 

Twenty years ago, the United Nations proclaimed 21 February as International Mother Language Day in recognition of the importance of promoting and preserving linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism. The day encourages UN Member States to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world and to promote unity in diversity and international understanding through multilingualism and multiculturalism.

This year marks the beginning of the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The Global Goals, adopted by all countries in 2015, are our shared vision to end poverty, safeguard the environment and build a peaceful world. With only 10 years left to achieve the Goals, there is an urgent need to step up action.

A continued lack of decent work opportunities, insufficient investments and under-consumption lead to an erosion of the basic social contract underlying democratic societies: that all must share in progress. Even though the average annual growth rate of real GDP per capita worldwide is increasing year on year, there are still many countries in the developing world that are decelerating in their growth rates and moving farther from the 7% growth rate target set for 2030. As labor productivity decreases and unemployment rates rise, standards of living begin to decline due to lower wages.