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After enlisting at 18, Cheryl Pearce battled rigid gender barriers to rise through the military ranks. Now the UN’s Acting Military Adviser for ɫ��TVkeeping Operations, the Australian-born Lieutenant General is the highest ranking woman in uniform within the United Nations.

“ɫ��TV for me, is seeing communities having food security, having water security, education, knowing, you know, as a mum myself, knowing that my children can grow up to feel like that. They can have a life and a future and fulfill their dreams and goals.”

Lieutenant General Pearce knows what it takes to serve in some of the most difficult places on earth, from East Timor to Afghanistan. In this episode, she reflects on the sources of her mental and physical resilience, on making a robust case for peacekeeping in an age of disinformation, and shares why her family wants her to show her chaotic side once in a while.

“I don't believe in a world without peacekeeping. I truly believe in what we do and that we do make a difference. There is so much good about who we are and what we do.”

Photo: ©CMDR Kylie Robson

Thousands of Haitians have been displaced by recent clashes. Most of them sought refuge with host families, while others have settled in two displacement sites. The escalating violence has significantly impacted humanitarian programmes in the area, yet more than half of the population needs . Members of the hear a on the latest developments by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). To keep informed, please visit the site “Spotlight on Haiti”.

As the catastrophic war in Sudan nears its , its devastating toll on civilians continues to grow, with suffering deepening across affected regions. Nearly 12 million people have been forcibly displaced within the country and beyond its borders. Famine has been confirmed in 10 areas, while the economy has shrunk by more than 30 percent in just two years. Humanitarian workers are also increasingly coming under attack, even as an overstretched aid system struggles under unprecedented strain but continues to deliver lifesaving assistance.

The latest developments in the world stress the imperative of full respect, by all states, for international law, including the Charter of the United Nations, which provides the foundation for the maintenance of international peace and security. Since the UN's creation on 24 October 1945 (the date its Charter came into force), the United Nations has often been called upon to prevent disputes from escalating into war, or to help restore peace following the outbreak of armed conflict, and to promote lasting peace in societies emerging from wars. Learn more about peace and security.

Through minimalist ceramics shaped by memory and displacement, Crimean Tatar artist Elvira Demerdzhi creates moments of calm and cultural continuity amid Kyiv’s ongoing war.

The term "unilateral coercive measures” usually refers to economic measures taken by one State to compel a change in the policy of another State. The International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures (4 December) serves as a part of global efforts to raise awareness about the negative impact of such measures not in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The observance emphasizes the need to promote dialogue, mutual respect, understanding, tolerance and multilateralism as the cornerstone of international relations and diplomacy.

The animated film highlights how technology can empower women and girls with disabilities while also being misused to perpetrate . It urges collective, intersectional action to ensure safe, inclusive digital spaces for all.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the that prohibits the use of chemical weapons in international armed conflicts. A century ago, after witnessing the terrible impact of chemical weapons during World War I, the international community came together to ban their use in war. On the Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare (30 November) we pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare over the decades. We also remember the global efforts to end the use of these abhorrent tactics.

UNMAS leads mine action efforts in Gaza, helping humanitarian partners assess explosive ordnance risks and enabling safe operations during and after hostilities. Since 2009, and especially after the October 2023 escalation, it has expanded its work to include early recovery support and risk education for civilians across Gaza and the West Bank.

COVID-19 showed how devastating pathogens can be, even in peacetime. Yet their impact is far greater when weaponized. With rapid technological advances increasing the risk of accidental or deliberate misuse, there is no margin for error and no time to waste. The  (Geneva, 28-30 October) brings together top minds in health-security, emerging technologies, and biothreat policy, to explore new strategies, challenges and innovations in combating biological threats to our interconnected ecosystems.

As hospitals lie in ruins and hunger spreads in Gaza, UNFPA’s mobile clinic offers critical maternal care to women giving birth in unimaginable conditions.

Despite , initiatives like UNESCO’s Virtual Campus and Temporary Learning Spaces are reconnect with learning, hope, and academic life.

For two years,  has urgently called for a as the humanitarian crisis deepens. Over 1.9 million people are displaced, with countless lives lost or shattered.

The world is witnessing a troubling erosion of our shared humanity: dialogue is giving way to violence, civilians are bearing the brunt of conflict, and international law is being disregarded. In this time of rising tensions and deepening divisions, Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy of truth and non-violence carries renewed urgency. On this International Day of Non-Violence (2 October, Gandhi’s birthday), Secretary-General António Guterres calls on all people to follow Gandhi’s example—end suffering, advance diplomacy, heal divisions, and strive for a just, sustainable, and peaceful future.

Nuclear weapons offer no security, only the threat of annihilation, with . The International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons (26 September) reminds us of the Cold War’s central lesson: humanity once risked its survival. Sadly, the shadow of nuclear annihilation is still with us and spreading fast, fueled by divisions and mistrust, along with rising military spending, growing stockpiles, and nations using nuclear threats as coercion. Humanity is headed in the wrong direction. It’s time to chart a new course for lasting peace through disarmament.