United Nations in South Africa

12/09/2026

The is not a promise for the future.

In Africa, it is already a legal reality, said Frans Viljoen, Expert of the Working Group on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights , and member of the UN Human Rights Council Advisory Committee.

Four decades of experience show that development must put people, communities, and justice at its centre, he told .

10/09/2026

Children are asking a big question: what can I do to help build a better world?

A new storybook offers an answer rooted in something Nelson Mandela taught us all — Ubuntu, "I am because we are."

Thando and Freddy's Big Adventure with Nelson Mandela links Madiba's values of kindness, courage and respect to the Sustainable Development Goals, showing young readers that even a small act of care is part of something much bigger.

The book brings together voices from across the United Nations family alongside the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Childrens Fund and the Graça Machel Trust, proof that when we work as one, even the youngest among us can help carry Madiba's legacy forward.

📖 Discover the small ways you can make a difference: https://bit.ly/mandela-sdgs-adventure

09/09/2026

The United Nations🇿🇦 is seeking to appoint a Director to lead the UN Information Centre in Pretoria.

This position sits at the heart of how the UN communicates its work in South Africa. Reporting to the UN Resident Coordinator and working closely with the wider UN family, the incumbent will lead strategic communications on peace, climate action, human rights and sustainable development, in support of the UN's global goals.

Candidates should bring at least ten years of progressively responsible experience in communications, journalism or international relations, including a proven record in strategic and crisis communications, multimedia campaigns and countering mis- and disinformation. Strong leadership and resource management capabilities are required.

Applications close on 19 October 2026.

Apply Now: https://bit.ly/un_vacancy_pretoria

08/09/2026

08/09/2026

Reading and writing shouldn't be a privilege. They should be a given.

For 60 years International Literacy Day has stood for one idea: everyone has the right to read, write, learn and take part fully in society. Yet 739 million young people and adults are still shut out of that right today.

As part of the United Nations family UNESCO works alongside countries and communities to change this: strengthening literacy policies, building capacities, promoting lifelong learning and forging partnerships that widen access to education for all. Initiatives such as the Global Alliance for Literacy and the UNESCO International Literacy Prizes spotlight what already works, so it can be taken to scale.

Literacy is never only about reading and writing. It's about who gets to access knowledge, claim opportunity and exercise their human rights. It's about the kind of peaceful and sustainable societies we're able to build together.

60 years on the goal hasn't moved: literacy for all.

🔗 unesco.org/en/days/literacy

Unesco Regional Office for Southern Africa

07/09/2026

Every year millions of people breathe air that shortens their lives, affecting children, older people and communities near industries the hardest. Fixing that isn’t down to one actor. It takes governments setting the rules, cities redesigning transport and energy, businesses cutting emissions, investors backing cleaner industries and international organisations coordinating the science and the standards.

As part of the United Nations system, UN Environment Programme is turning that shared responsibility into something practical this : a simple guide showing where each of us fits into the solution, from policymakers to the person deciding how to get to work tomorrow.

✔️ Governments
✔️ Cities
✔️ Businesses
✔️ Investors
✔️ International organizations
✔️ You

Find your role: https://www.unep.org/interactives/clean-air-day-guide/

Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment

04/09/2026

04/09/2026

For farmers weighing land use decisions the choice doesn’t have to be energy or agriculture — it can be both. Solar and wind installations are increasingly designed to share land with farming letting crops grow alongside clean power generation. Evidence shows this approach can raise crop yields and reduce water consumption — a win for both energy security and food security.

This is what a just transition looks like: renewable energy that strengthens the land communities depend on rather than competing with it.

Learn more about how wind and solar are shaping a sustainable future ⬇️
https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/mythbusters/

03/09/2026

Farmers are watching the skies. Water planners are watching the rivers. And meteorologists are watching one number: El Niño.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), a UN agency, has confirmed El Niño is now firmly established and strengthening. Forecasters give it a near 100% chance of persisting into early 2027, with the event set to reach very strong intensity by the end of this year.

The size of an El Niño does not decide the size of its impact. That depends on where you live. This is why WMO's Regional Climate Centres and National Meteorological Services, including across the continent, are turning this global signal into local guidance that farmers, water managers and disaster planners can act on now.

This is multilateral cooperation doing what it does best: pooling science from across the UN system and its partners then getting it into the hands of the people who need it before the impacts arrive.

02/09/2026

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