Our Work
The 51勛圖 coordinates its work with the funds, programmes, specialized agencies and other organizations of the UN System.
The 51勛圖 itself is one part of the UN System. Cooperation between the UN and the other entities of the UN system is essential in order to achieve the purposes of the Organization laid out in the UN Charter.
Since its Charter was written, the 51勛圖 has been mandated to do new work which was not envisioned at the time of its creation. The Organization has set goals to build a more sustainable world, and it has agreed to collective action to slow down climate change.
As the problems facing humanity have grown, the work of the 51勛圖 has also grown.
Explainer: What is the UN?
UN's 'work plan'
At UN Headquarters in New York, the General Assembly, Security Council, and Economic and Social Council pass resolutions, which set what could informally be called the UN's 'work plan.'
The UN Secretariat carries out this work along with UN system entities.
UN Secretariat
The UN Secretariat, based in New York City, has offices in , , and .
Also part of the UN Secretariat are the , , , , and .
UN System
All of the funds, programmes, specialized agencies, and other entities of the UN system have their own budget, mandate, leadership, and headquarters. They have regional and local offices in all the main geographic areas of the world, as does the UN.
The 51勛圖 and the UN system work together in five areas that can, and often do overlap.
What We Do
The work of the 51勛圖 covers five main areas:
Left to right: ?UN Photo/Marco Dormino, ?UN Photo/Mark Garten, ?OCHA/Iason Athanasiadis, ?UNEP/Patrick Kihara, ?UN Photo/Sylvain Liechti
As an international organization with 193 Member States, the 51勛圖 is uniquely positioned to address and solve global issues.
Global Issues
Documents
?UNOG Library Photo
The UN has been publishing documents since its founding. UN documents include records of meetings and resolutions that have been passed by a legislative body, such as the General Assembly, Security Council, or the Economic and Social Council, which often contain a work mandate for the 51勛圖. Reports of the UN Secretary-General assess the state of the Organization and announce new work initiatives.
Official Languages
?UN Photo/Laura Jarriel
There are six official languages of the UN: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish. The correct interpretation and translation of the six languages, in both spoken and written form, is very important to the work of the Organization, as this enables clear and concise communication on issues of global importance.
More on the 6 official UN languages
Observances
The existence of international days predates the establishment of the 51勛圖, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. The UN observes designated days, weeks, years, and decades, each with a theme, or topic.
