Blog: UN Reform and Innovation

How much do you know about the brave men and women under the blue helmets who risk their lives to restore peace to some of the world’s most dangerous places?

The countdown is on: President Obama will release next year’s budget request to Congress in less than two weeks – and considering Congress recently voted to slash UN Peacekeeping funding for FY14, we’ve got some serious ground to make up.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is generally the first place the world turns for information on potential international health emergencies. In addition to WHO’s roster of health experts and its decades of experience with health threats, it also plays a central role in carrying out the International Health Regulations (IHR), a global framework adopted in 2005 to help improve global public health security.

The United Nations’ Kakuma refugee camp sits near the South Sudan border in neighboring Kenya. If that feels a world away, consider this: It is home for more than 100,000 individuals — a population roughly the total size of Charleston, South Carolina.

The Olympic Winter Games in Sochi are set to begin on February 7th. The athletes have spent years – sometimes almost their entire lives – preparing for their chance to compete in the Olympics.

Athletes from 88 countries have gathered in Sochi to compete. As a long-time runner, triathlete, and bike racer, I appreciate the spirit of competitiveness these individuals bring with them. But the Olympics are about more than competition. They’re about building understanding between people of different cultures and countries – understanding that must be based on respect for human rights.

Gardening columnist Henry Mitchell once wrote: “No gardener needs reminding that life depends on plants. No plants, no life. Very simple.” Yet it is very easy for biodiversity and ecosystems to get lost in the debate about eliminating poverty and reducing inequity.

Every year, UNICEF gathers global and national statistics for its State of the World’s Children report — tracking things like access to clean water, education, and vaccines — to improve children’s lives worldwide.

If you tuned into last night’s State of the Union, then you already know: U.S. foreign policy will depend on international collaboration in the year ahead.

Last year, the UN showed its ability to respond nimbly to unfolding crises around the globe, from the humanitarian response to Typhoon Hainan to the critical role that peacekeepers played — are playing — in containing and even reversing conflicts in some of the toughest corners of the world.