All articles starting with U
6,146 articles
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), held 20–22 June 2012 in Rio de Janeiro; adopted "The Future We Want", launched the SDG process, created the HLPF, and registered over 700 voluntary commitments.
United Nations Conference on the Human Environment
The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, also called the Stockholm Conference (5–16 June 1972), was the first world conference on the environment; it adopted the 26-principle Stockholm Declaration and 109-recommendation Action Plan and created UNEP.
United Nations Convention Against Torture
United Nations Convention Against Torture (CAT, 1984): multilateral human rights treaty adopted by General Assembly resolution 39/46, in force 26 June 1987, defining torture, requiring criminalization and non-refoulement, and creating the ten-member Committee against Torture; distinct from its 2002 Optional Protocol (OPCAT).
United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods
The CISG (Vienna, 1980) is the UNCITRAL treaty providing uniform substantive rules for international sale-of-goods contracts between businesses; adopted by 94 States, in force since 1 January 1988, successor to the 1964 Hague ULIS/ULF.
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
UNCLOS, adopted 10 December 1982 and in force since 1994 with 168 parties, is the treaty defining maritime zones (12 nm territorial sea, 200 nm EEZ and continental shelf), navigation rules, the seabed regime, and dispute settlement; the BBNJ implementing agreement entered into force in 2026.
United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration
The United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration, informally the Mauritius Convention, adopted in 2014, lets states apply the UNCITRAL Transparency Rules to pre-2014 investment treaties.
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
The UNCCD, adopted 17 June 1994 and in force since December 1996, is the sole legally binding treaty on desertification and drought, with 197 Parties, national action programmes, and the Land Degradation Neutrality framework.
United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN's lead development agency, formed 1965 by merging EPTA and the Special Fund; works in about 170 countries, funded by voluntary contributions, led by Administrator Alexander De Croo.
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force
United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), established 1974, is a UN peacekeeping mission monitoring the Israel-Syria ceasefire and buffer zone on the Golan Heights; its mandate runs to 31 December 2026 under resolution 2824.
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the UN's regional arm for Asia and the Pacific, headquartered in Bangkok.
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) is one of five UN regional commissions, founded in 1973 to promote development in the Arab region.
United Nations Economic and Social Council
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), a principal UN organ founded 1946, coordinates economic, social and environmental work with 54 members, subsidiary bodies, and NGO consultative status.
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa is a UN regional commission established in 1958, headquartered in Addis Ababa, promoting the economic development of its 54 member states.
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the five UN regional commissions, with 56 member states promoting economic integration across Europe and Central Asia.
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Inland Transport Committee
The Inland Transport Committee (ITC) is the highest transport policy body of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, created in 1947 to negotiate international transport agreements.
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC, known as CEPAL) is a UN regional commission headquartered in Santiago, Chile, founded in 1948.
United Nations Environment Programme
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is the UN body responsible for global environmental coordination, established in 1972 and headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the first UN agency based in the Global South.
United Nations Force Intervention Brigade
The UN Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) is an offensive combat unit created within MONUSCO by Security Council resolution 2098 on 28 March 2013, with three infantry battalions, artillery, and special and reconnaissance companies, mandated to neutralize armed groups in eastern DRC.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a 1992 international treaty requiring countries to report greenhouse gas emissions, with heavier duties on industrialized ones.
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is the UN's main deliberative and policymaking organ: all 193 member states hold one equal vote, it approves the budget and elects the Secretary-General, and its resolutions are non-binding except budgetary ones.
United Nations General Assembly observers
United Nations General Assembly observers are non-member states, intergovernmental organizations, and other entities invited to participate without voting rights. The Holy See and the State of Palestine are the two non-member observer states; status is granted by Assembly decision, notably 49/426 of 1994.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379
UNGA Resolution 3379 (XXX), adopted 10 November 1975 by 72-35-32, determined "Zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination"; it was revoked by resolution 46/86 on 16 December 1991 after the PLO agreed to rescind it for the Oslo process.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262
UNGA Resolution 68/262, "Territorial integrity of Ukraine" (A/RES/68/262), adopted 27 March 2014 by a 100-11-58 vote, declared the 16 March 2014 Crimea referendum invalid and called on states not to recognize changes to Crimea's status.
United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/1
UNGA Resolution ES-11/1, "Aggression against Ukraine", adopted 2 March 2022 at the eleventh emergency special session under Uniting for Peace; passed 141-5-35, demanding Russia cease force and withdraw.
United Nations geoscheme
The United Nations geoscheme, also known as the UN geoscheme, is the system used by the UN Statistics Division to assign every country to one statistical region.
United Nations Global Compact
The United Nations Global Compact, also called the Global Compact, is a voluntary UN initiative launched in 2000 asking companies to follow ten principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.
United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan
UNGOMAP, the United Nations Good Offices Mission in Afghanistan and Pakistan (1988-1990), was a 50-observer peacekeeping mission monitoring the Geneva Accords, the Soviet troop withdrawal, and refugee return.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNHCR, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, founded 14 December 1950, protects refugees, IDPs and stateless people in 122 countries as guardian of the 1951 Refugee Convention.
United Nations Human Rights Council
The UN Human Rights Council (HRC, Human Rights Council) is a 47-member Geneva-based UN body created by General Assembly resolution 60/251 on 15 March 2006 to replace the Commission on Human Rights, running the Universal Periodic Review and special procedures.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is the UN specialized agency promoting industrial development in developing countries through technical cooperation projects, with 173 member states.