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Global Issues


Our world is at a cross road. Climate change, mass extinctions, deforestation, depletion of fisheries, soil erosion, pollution, poverty, armed conflicts, inequality, global health challenges, water crisis, famine, nuclear proliferation, ocean acidification.

The statistics are staggering and speak volumes about the need for collective global action. 836 billion people live in extreme poverty, 16,000 children die every single day from preventable diseases and conditions, the world's tropical forests have decreased by 50 percent in the last half century, threatening our supply of oxygen and the entire ecosystem, and the world's oceans are under extreme pressure from human activity, facing acidification, pollution, depletion of fisheries, destruction of habitats and ecological breakdown, with soon irreversible effects on earth's lands, oceans, atmosphere and inhabitants.


Learn About the Issues*


Picture
Owen Byrne | CC BY 2.0

Climate Change

Climate change threatens all corners of the globe. Pollution and global warming are having adverse effects on ecosystems, habitats, water resources, agriculture, health and living conditions for all earth's inhabitants.

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I. Jurga | SuSanA Secretariat | CC BY 2.0

Poverty

836 million people live in extreme poverty. 50% of the world's population, over 3 billion, live on under $2.50 a day. 1 billion people live in slums. Eliminating poverty is one of humanities top priorities.

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US Government

Armed Conflicts

Our world continues to suffer from numerous violent conflicts within and between states, at the hands of totalitarian regimes and extremists that oppress peoples right to freedom, democracy and peace.

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Cate Turton | DFID | CC BY 2.0

Hunger and Famine

800 million people around the world suffer from chronic undernourishment. Famine is currently threatening 20 million  people in an unprecedented crisis across four different countries - South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Nigeria

Picture
Meena Kadri | CC BY ND 2.0 

Inequality

For a large portion of the world's population equality is not the norm. Women, the poor, people of different races, religious belief or sexual orientation are not provided equal rights, opportunities or protection.
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Christine Werner | SuSanA Secretariat | CC BY 2.0

Life for Children

Half of the world's 2 billion children live in poverty. 100 million children around the world live in the streets, with no home, no parents, no food, no water and no shelter. Our society is only as good as how well we take care of our children.

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Ganesh Raghunathan | CC BY 2.0

Extinction of Species

According to the World Wildlife Fund the earth has lost half of its wildlife in the last 40 years and is on track to loose two-thirds by 2020, due to, inter alia, deforestation, over fishing, loss of habitats, illegal pouching, pollution and climate change. 

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NOAA | CC BY 2.0

Ocean Depletion & Acidification

The world's oceans have in many areas been completely depleted of fish, coral reefs and safe habitats. Ocean acidification and pollution is leading to ecosystem breakdown and adverse consequences on wildlife, food supplies and human health.

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Neil Palmer | CIAT | CC BY SA 2.0

Water Crisis

750 million people around the world lack access to improved drinking water, 1.8 billion use contaminated water, 2.5 billion people do not have access to adequate sanitation, and 16,000 deaths occur each week from unhygienic living conditions.

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Crustmania | CC BY 2.0

Deforestation

Half of the world's tropical forests have been lost in the last 60 years. According to some estimates, at the current rate only 10-20 percent will remain by 2030, limiting oxygen production, and destroying the ecosystem and habitats for 70 percent of the worlds animals.

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Julien Harneis | CC BY SA 2.0

Disease

Each and every single day on earth, 16,000 children die from preventable diseases and illness including malnutrition, malaria, measles, diarrhea and pneumonia. That is 6 million children around the world, each and every year.
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US Navy

Natural Disasters

With climate change an increasing number of natural disasters affect all corners of the globe, resulting in millions affected and hundreds of billions in damage. Relief and recovery efforts in disasters of this scale are a monumental challenge for affected communities & aid agencies.

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Department of Defense

Nuclear Weapons

The world continues to be under the threat of nuclear war. During the last three decades four additional nations have been declared nuclear weapon states or have been working to build nuclear weapons.
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Michael Rieger| FEMA News Photo

Terrorism

Terrorism has reached all corners of the globe. Extremists threaten peace and security of civilian populations, killing countless of innocent children, women and men.
​

Picture
Tomoaki INABA | CC BY SA 2.0

Intolerance

Intolerance, discrimination, racism, xenophobia, violence and hate is on the rise around the world, threatening the safety and well being of populations, destabilizing societies, and undermining democracies.


Investing in Change

No actor can solve these problems by themselves and it requires collaboration and collective action from governments, civil society and the private sector to address the issues. Global collaboration requires commitment, engagement and infrastructure investment.

The United Institutions is a global coordination mechanism and permanent world forum for international cooperation that will allow organizations world-wide to collaborate on a continuous basis, develop and implement comprehensive solutions, and work in concert with international organizations, nation states, the United Nations, development agencies, multi-stakeholder partnerships, global policy networks, and local communities.

* For additional global issues please view global forum thematic areas.
Top Banner Image Credit: Meena Kadri | CC BY ND 2.0 
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  • Home
  • About UI
    • Mission and Overview
    • The Big Picture
    • Strategic Framework
    • Components >
      • Infrastructure
      • Global Forums
      • Conference Center
      • Office Complex
      • Secretariat
    • Members and Tenants
    • Location
    • UI Development
    • UI Foundation
  • Global Issues
  • Impact
  • Global Goals
  • Get Involved
  • Donate