The Charter of the United Nations affirms faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human individual and in the equal rights of men and women. In 1979 the General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Although this convention sets forth the responsibility of all governments, it is yet to be observed with the necessary political commitment and resources.

This week the world’s population officially reached seven billion people. Yet United Nations (UN) projections now suggest that the world’s population will rise to 10 billion by the end of the century. The question we all face is how well can our world adapt to 3 billion additional people?

Malaria has been a human scourge for thousands of years. One of the United Nations major health goals is to control the spread of this disease.

The theme for this year’s World Health Day—on April 7, 2011—was “Combat Drug Resistance”. It raised the alarm about the future of public health across the world.

Antibiotics and other antimicrobial miracle drugs have been extremely beneficial for many of the dramatic advances in human health. But can the benefits of miracle drugs be sustained?

The World Day of Social Justice, observed this year on Feb. 20, is an urgent call for all countries to take decisive and concrete steps to promote the UN's mission for human rights, human well being and human dignity. The recent astonishing and historic events in the Middle East and North Africa testify to the crucial importance of social justice.

The murder of journalists in Russia, the jailing of bloggers in China, the onslaught against independent media in Iran, and now the crackdown on journalists in Egypt remind us that freedom of expression is under duress, even in an area of expanding global communications.

To quote the ancient Greek biographer Plutarch, “An imbalance between rich and poor is the oldest and most fatal ailment of all republics.”  This is also true for the world as a whole.

The United Nations was founded in 1945, after the horrors of World War II. One of the all important primary purposes of the United Nations is the maintenance of international peace and security. Over the years the UN has helped end numerous conflicts, many in politically explosive situations, often through the action of the UN security Council, the main body dealing with peace and security.

In the year 2000, the member states at the United Nations undertook an ambitious challenge to meet the basic needs of the globe. They set eight goals to be achieved by 2015: the Millennium Development Goals. These goals, for the world’s well being, are designed to free a major portion of humanity from the shackles of extreme poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease. They also established targets for achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women. The plan was designed to be affordable, measurable and doable. Progress can be monitored.

Five journalists were assassinated in Honduras last month, all in drive-by shootings. In a wave of drug-related violence in the Mexican city of Reynosa, near the border with Texas, several journalists were abducted and one reporter found mysteriously dead.