A First Aid Kit for the World

The latest edition of UNA-UK’s magazine offers reflections on 75 years of the United Nations and looks to the future of the Organisation and its role in tackling global challenges.

In the face of adversity humanity repeatedly forges a path ahead - the UN itself is a product of such a moment in history 75 years ago. As this landmark anniversary year draws to an end, our magazine asks what lessons does the UN need to learn from its past, and how can these shape the actions needed to safeguard our future.

In her editorial, Natalie Samarasinghe reflects on UN75 and the lessons from the largest every global conversation.

"The world spoke. The UN listened. Now it’s time to act."

In this year's feature, three experts, starting with Mark Malloch-Brown, set out a vision for the progressive role the UN can, and must, play in facing global threats. The Organisation must meet the challenges of tomorrow with by ensuring new, young and diverse voices meaningfully shape the campaign for a better future.

We have heard repeatedly this year that we must build back better from this crisis. Kristalina Georgieva outlines the work of the International Monetary Fund in ensuring the world has a chance to build forward, and greener.

Nobel Peace Laureate Leymah Gbowee goes one step further in her essay, arguing we must also build back differently, and outlines the feminist principles that should shape this future.

"Now is the moment to take forward what civil society has been saying for the last 100 years: let us recognise that our fates are intertwined and humanity’s survival is based on solidarity, and put in place new ways of working and being together."

Our Ten feature subsequently highlights 10 women that changed the UN – trailblazers that shaped the Organisation as we know it, but who are too often forgotten.

Despite the upheaval of 2020, UN75 still offered us an important opportunity to see what the world thinks – and this magazine features the facts and figures from the UN75 survey. 

This UN global consultation highlighted the importance of working together – across borders, sectors and generations. In this spirit, we give the last word to representatives of the UN past and future, Robert Kaminker and Pablo Emiliano Reyes Galindo.

Online we have exclusives from Radhika Coomaraswamy on the UN and gender, Corinne Gray on what it takes to be a truly anti-racist organisation, Paige Arthur on mapping senior appointments through an innovative new dashboard, and Mandeep Tiwana and Lysa John on the case for a UN that truly listens.