Photo credit: Manuel Elias/UN

United Nations

The United Nations (UN) is an international organisation made up of 193 member states. The UN aims to address the issues confronting humanity in the 21^st century, such as peace and security, development, human rights and gender equality. UN forums such as the General Assembly and Security Council provide opportunities for members to express their views.

Our work

Saferworld works with UN agencies, civil society and member states to ensure that the needs and perspectives of those affected by conflict are prioritised by UN initiatives. We advocate putting people’s priorities at the forefront of peace and state-building processes.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to alleviate poverty and promote sustainable development, is one of the most ambitious and relevant global initiatives in recent years. Leading up to its adoption in 2015, Saferworld played a leading role in pushing for peace as both a dedicated goal and a cross-cutting issue in the Agenda. We were also at the forefront of efforts to develop the global Arms Trade Treaty (adopted in 2014), and together with other organisations have been central in pushing for greater inclusion of gender issues in other international processes relating to peace and security.