United Nations Visitors Centre

Discarded fabrics are carrying messages of peace at .

The Global Peace Flag brings together pieces of repurposed fabric on which people from around the world have shared messages of peace. For this exhibition, the canvases have been transformed into dresses, giving the messages a new form through fashion.

The project connects textile reuse with peace, sustainability, and the Sustainable Development Goals, while keeping discarded materials out of landfills.

On view at United Nations Headquarters until 9 September 2026.

The exhibition is organized by Runa Ray on behalf of Fashioning for Social Environmental Justice and endorsed by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health.

Watch an interview with the organizer:

EN: youtu.be/S_Ynlqjr2Ec�FR: youtube.com/watch?v=mLHWi5XjxH0

Visiting ? Come see the United Nations Headquarters.

During a one-hour guided tour, one of our multilingual Tour Guides will introduce you to the history and work of the and explain how international diplomacy takes place at .
The tour may include visits to the General Assembly Hall and the Security Council Chamber, depending on the meeting schedule.

Book your ticket 🎟️ 👉 un.org/visit

Can artificial intelligence help accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals ( ) and who gets to shape how it is used?

During a briefing at SUNIA, a UN speaker invited students to examine the opportunities and difficult questions surrounding , sustainable development and Africa’s future.

The need for new solutions is urgent. According to the United Nations’ 2025 SDG Report, only 35 per cent of targets with available data are on track or showing moderate progress, while 18 per cent have regressed.

The central message was clear: AI is a tool, not a goal. Its value should be measured by whether it improves people’s lives, protects human rights and helps close inequalities rather than deepen them. Responsible AI requires transparency, meaningful human oversight and the full participation of developing countries in shaping global rules.

For students, these questions are not about a distant future. Decisions being made today will influence their education, employment opportunities, rights and communities.

Interested in giving your students an opportunity to explore global issues directly with speakers? Contact us to explore arranging a briefing for your group.

Our Black History Tour offers you a chance to learn about the Transatlantic Slave Trade (1500-1900), the victory over , and about the , a permanent memorial in honour of the victims of slavery, located on the Visitors Plaza. Through the lens of the United Nations and its work, the tour is a source of inspiration for the fight against all forms of prejudice, racial discrimination and social injustice.

Book the Black History Tour: un.org/en/visit/tour

How does the United Nations turn global challenges into collective action, and where do young people fit in?

At SUNIA this week, a speaker from the Office of the President of the General Assembly engaged students in a wide-ranging conversation about the history and structure of the United Nations and its work across human rights, sustainable development, and peace and security.

The discussion explored the appointment of the Secretary-General, progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and the UN’s role in helping countries address shared global challenges. Students also asked candid questions about the Organization’s strengths, limitations, and career opportunities.

Drawing on experience in journalism and international communications, the speaker shared insights from a career spanning several UN duty stations around the world.

Through exchanges like this, young people are not simply learning about international affairs, they are engaging directly with those working to address global challenges.

Interested in giving your students an opportunity to learn directly from UN speakers? Contact us to explore booking a briefing for your group.

Now through 25 August, “Animals for Social Justice” is on view at United Nations Headquarters in New York. This multimedia art project and journalistic campaign invites visitors to reflect on animal protection, biodiversity loss, and the health of our ecosystems.

Visitors are also invited to answer a playful question: “Which animal are you?” 🦓🦒🦛🐊 Their colorful, creative, and multilingual responses have brought the exhibit’s interactive board to life.

A few days ago, two young sisters from western 🇪🇸 visited for the first time with their parents. Sophia, who is studying filmmaking, and Paola, who is studying medicine, explored the exhibits in the General Assembly lobby before joining a guided tour, and they couldn’t leave without adding their own drawings to the board.

Holding up her drawing with a big smile, Sophia said, “I’m a fox! Look, our eyes look alike!”

Paola added, “I’m a penguin. I like penguins; they’re cute.”

“We like the exhibit because we love animals,” the sisters shared.

If you’re in , stop by, see the exhibit, and join the conversation. If you’re not, share your drawing with us in the comments below 👇

So, which animal are you? 🐪🐘🦁

On we honor all humanitarians killed, injured, kidnapped or detained in the line of duty. In 2024 alone more than 380 aid workers lost their lives, some in their homes, others while saving lives. Today and always we remember them.

On 19 August 2003 a bomb attack on the UN compound in Baghdad killed 22 humanitarian workers. A recovered UN flag from that day now hangs in the General Assembly Lobby at , a reminder of the risks humanitarians face and the need to protect them.

Learn more 👉 un.org/en/observances/humanitarian-day

The halls and chambers of United Nations Headquarters have witnessed decades of diplomacy, debate and international cooperation. A guided tour offers visitors a closer look at these spaces and at the work of the Organization today. 🇺🇳

Led by multilingual UN tour guides, the experience explores the history of the United Nations, the issues on its agenda and the ways Member States work together for peace, human rights and sustainable development.

Tours are offered in all six official UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. Additional languages may be requested at [email protected].

Plan your visit to UN Headquarters in New York: un.org/visit

Forests were the subject, but the conversation extended far beyond trees.

At the Seminar on the United Nations and International Affairs (SUNIA) in , 🇨🇦, our speaker from the United Nations Forum on Forests secretariat invited students to consider how forests connect biodiversity, climate action, livelihoods and sustainable development.

Taking on the perspective of government officials, students explored which Sustainable Development Goals might guide the work of a national forest service. They examined forest-related priorities and responses in different countries before turning their attention closer to home: What pressures are affecting forests in their own communities, and what can be done about them?

Organized through the United Nations Visitors Centre Speakers Bureau, the briefings brought global forest policy into a setting where young people could question it, apply it and relate it to the world around them.