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World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is celebrated every year on 19 August to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world.

Inclusive and sustainable industrialization, together with innovation and infrastructure, can unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces that generate employment and income and play a key role in introducing and promoting new technologies, facilitating international trade and enabling the efficient use of resources.

Worldwide consumption and production — a driving force of the global economy — rest on the use of the natural environment and resources in a way that continues to have destructive impacts on the planet. Economic and social progress over the last century have been accompanied by environmental degradation that is endangering the very systems on which our future development and our very survival depend.

The sustainable development agenda cannot succeed without partnerships with governments, civil society, scientists, academia and the private sector. These inclusive partnerships, built upon a shared vision and shared goals and values that place people at the center, are needed at the global, regional, national and local level.

We depend on our environment for the food we eat, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the climate that makes our planet habitable. For example, each year marine plants produce more than half of our atmosphere's oxygen, and a mature tree cleans our air, absorbing 22 kilos of carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen in exchange. Despite all the benefits we receive from nature, we’re not always good stewards of our environmental gifts; to care for ourselves we must care for nature. World Environment Day is the most renowned day for environmental action.

Cultural diversity is a driving force of development, not only with respect to economic growth, but also as a means of leading a more fulfilling intellectual, emotional, moral and spiritual life.

The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated economic and social disparities around the world. Even though the pandemic has affected all segments of the population, the impact is particularly detrimental to members of the most vulnerable social groups including older persons, persons with disabilities, youth and indigenous people.

Creativity and innovation, at both the individual and group levels, have become the true wealth of nations in the 21st century.  World Creativity and Innovation Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the role of creativity and innovation in problem solving and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Julia Gorlovetskaya describes her experience as an intern for United Nations Academic Impact and her journey developing the #Work4UN interview series.

Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being at all ages is essential to sustainable development. Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality, but more effort is needed to fully eradicate a wide range of diseases and address many persistent and emerging health issues.

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.

Jane Lee talks about her experience as an intern for United Nations Academic Impact and what motivated her to work on the Disarmament Education interview series.

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.

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.

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.