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While global poverty rates have been cut by more than half since 2000, one in ten people in developing regions are still living with their families on less than the international poverty line of US$1.90 a day, and there are millions more who make little more than this daily amount. Significant progress has been made in many countries within Eastern and Southeastern Asia, but up to 42 per cent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa continues to live below the poverty line.

International Women’s Day is 8 March!   The day is an opportunity to reflect on progress made, advocate for change and celebrate acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.

On 4 April 2018, the CMR University (India) students orchestrated a workshop with the goal to raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations from the grass root level, which could be relatable to all the sections of society.

The impact of the Silk Way regional collaboration on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals was discussed by the students of Al Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) and about 300 guest-participants from Central and South Asia (CSA).

The last interview in our series on Emotional Intelligence is with Motaz Malla. Motaz is a 25-year-old Syrian refugee who left his country seven years ago alone and without his family due to the war. He now studies Sports Science and Physiotherapy at Camilo Jose Cela University in Spain and hopes to become a football coach one day.

The fourth interview in our series on Emotional Intelligence is with Alan Seid, a trainer in Nonviolent Communication who has worked with individuals, couples, families, and nonprofit, government, business, and academic organizations for more than 30 years.

UNAI is proud to announce the launch of the “Summer of Solutions” a call for applications from young people around the world to create innovative technology-based solutions to global challenges. This is a new initiative launched by the Office of the United Nations Secretary-General's Envoy on Youth, in partnership with the United Nations Technology and Innovation Labs, and the United Nations Development Programme.

Teaching children and adolescents coping mechanisms for dealing with stress and anxiety is increasingly seen as an important part of education. In the third interview in our series on Emotional Intelligence, we speak with Dr. Megan Sweet, Director of Training at Mindful Schools, an organization that trains teachers in integrating mindfulness into their classrooms in schools all over the world.

While the world has achieved progress towards gender equality and women’s empowerment, including equal access to primary education between girls and boys, women and girls continue to suffer discrimination and violence in every part of the world.

Mindfulness is the practice of purposefully focusing your attention on the present moment and shifting your mind away from your usual preoccupations toward an appreciation of the moment and a larger perspective on life, helping to reduce stress, blood pressure and anxiety, promote emotional health, enhance self-awareness and improve sleep. Today’s interview is with Dr. Danny Penman and Chris Ruane, who will talk about this tool and how to implement it into governments.

In this week-long series, UNAI will explore the many aspects of Emotional Intelligence and how it can be applied in diverse settings and taught to anyone to help build empathy and achieve a better world. The first interview in our series on Emotional Intelligence is with Dr. Goleman is a pioneer in the field of Emotional Intelligence and his 1995 book of the same name is considered a foundational text in the field.

In May, the UN Department of Global Communications focuses on Sustainable Development Goal 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. 

On 25 April 2019, a panel discussion entitled South-South Cooperation and the UN Development System, organized by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), brought together prominent scholars of the International Studies Association (ISA) and experts from the United Nations system, to discuss the role of the Global South in the UN development reform.

The International Peace Institute held a policy forum panel discussion on “Meaningful Inclusion of Young People as Drivers of Peace” on the margins of the 2019 ECOSOC Youth Forum to highlight the need for young people to have a seat at the table in all policy discussions. The event was cosponsored by the Office of the President of the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Peacebuilding Support Office, the UN Population Fund, Peace Direct, and Interpeace.

Obtaining a quality education is the foundation to creating sustainable development. In addition to improving quality of life, access to inclusive education can help equip locals with the tools required to develop innovative solutions to the world’s greatest problems.

Member of the 2018 Class of Millennium Fellows, Chloe Quigley, has empowered women living with trauma through her organization Oso. Her Millennium Fellowship Project advances SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 5: Gender Equality and SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth.

Asia-based innovators filed more than half of all international patent applications via WIPO for the first time in 2018 on significant growth from China, India and the Republic of Korea, capping another record-setting year for WIPO’s global intellectual property (IP) services.

Emotional Intelligence, or EI, is broadly defined as the ability to identify, use, understand, and manage emotions in an effective and positive way. On Friday, 17 May UN Academic Impact will host a half-day conference on using Emotional Intelligence to achieve the SDGs from 10am-2pm in the ECOSOC Chamber at UNHQ in New York. We’ll hear from experts in the field of Emotional Intelligence as well as representatives from UN Member States and civil society who will discuss the need for these skills if we hope to achieve a more peaceful and prosperous world.

Young people understand that their future is at stake with climate change. Clara Fang, Higher Education Outreach Coordinator of Citizens' Climate Lobby, introduces the organizations working with young people to advance carbon pricing.

A joint initiative of the Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs at Fordham University and the International Organization for Migration, Design for Humanity (D4H) aims to drive humanitarian response in a more dignified, inclusive, and sustainable direction through bridging the expertise of humanitarian and design professionals.