Freyla
Senior Weawer
Venezuela
"Thanks to this project, I trained 50 women and they managed to start their own businesses: they weave hammocks, bags, purses and hats."
The Wayúu, the largest indigenous group in Venezuela, are known for producing colorful, high-quality textiles. The United Nations established a project to promote textile art as a sustainable livelihood, including a collection center for yarn donations to the senior weavers like Freyla, workshops around the prevention of gender-based violence, business management, and a platform for managing profits from sales. Photo: UN Venezuela/Pablo González
Tasiu*
Child
Vanuatu
"UN efforts to expand access to education and healthcare empower us to lead and shape sustainable futures."
In Vanuatu, children face significant hurdles as the healthcare system struggles with limited access, especially in rural areas, and a shortage of professionals. Many children do not continue school to higher grades. Adult female literacy is 54%. The United Nations supports the government in tackling these challenges. Photo: Pedram Piniya
*Real name withheld
Edith and Selma
Holocaust Survivors and Sisters
United States of America
“We have seen that hatred can be very strong. But we can be stronger.”
Holocaust survivors Edith and Selma shared their testimonies at the United Nations on the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust. Their message was broadcast across the world. UN-mandated outreach programmes on the Holocaust, the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica and the transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans illustrate the UN’s commitment to upholding human rights, countering hatred and preventing atrocity crimes. Photo: Personal archive
Janvier
Policeman
Burundi
"Thanks to the UN, I have learned more about human trafficking. I am now better equipped to prevent and combat this grave crime, supporting victims and survivors of modern slavery."
Together with its partners, the UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) is helping the government in Burundi respond to human trafficking through protection,prosecution, partnership, and prevention. Photo: IOM Burundi/Armand Nibitanga
Vasylyna and Yuliana
Ukrainian Refugees
Poland
“Thanks to the UN, I not only received support for my own family but was also able to help other Ukrainian parents restore a sense of normalcy for their children in a new country.”
Vasylyna was among millions who fled Ukraine after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. Arriving in Kraków, Poland, she and her children benefited from a UNICEF-supported centre that offers refugee children and their caregivers help with education, healthcare and protection. Today she works there, helping others.?Photo: UNICEF/Jan Brykczynski
Sara
Journalist
Andorra
"I believe the UN plays a crucial role in defending press freedom worldwide, protecting reporters, and ensuring access to reliable sources and information — a cornerstone of democracy and human rights."
UNESCO and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights advance freedom of expression, media development and the safety of journalists. They do so by supporting countries’ efforts to strengthen institutional capacity and legal frameworks. This includes media law reform, training media and journalists, fighting disinformation and misinformation, monitoring violations, and advocating for journalists’ safety. Photo: Personal archive
Neil
Farmer
Antigua and Barbuda
"Thanks to FAO, we can optimize energy and water use — allowing us to keep working in summer. These innovations also allow us to educate students about farming during their holidays."
Farms across the country have received equipment, including solar panels and water storage tanks, as part of a food-energy nexus project implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to increase the capacity and resources of farmers to innovate and improve production. Photo: RCO/Andrea Andrew
Juan and Maria
Indigenous Children
Argentina
“Thanks to the Government and the UN, we have clean water in our communities."
In northern Argentina, indigenous communities in Santa Victoria Este used to have to walk a kilometer to fetch clean water from a lagoon. Supporting the Ministry of Public Works, the UN Office for Project Services helped provide clean water to indigenous communities via 75 rainwater collection and storage systems. Photo: Erik Juan Petterson
Luciano
Doctor
Cabo Verde
"This training gave me critical new knowledge about death notification and registration.?A proper process is essential to guide the country’s public health policies."
The World Health Organization (WHO) is training doctors like Luciano in Cabo Verde to train others to reliably register and verify deaths. Public health policies depend on accurate data on who dies, when, and why. Photo: WHO/Nelvino Lima
Katharina
Entrepreneur
Austria
"We use UN indicators to see how companies really perform on sustainability. The research is easy to read. Investors can spot greenwashing and invest sustainably with confidence."
The UN Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) developed the Sustainable Development Performance Indicators and an online platform, enabling businesses to measure their true sustainability. Used by over 1,000 private sector organizations, the platform translates academic research into user-friendly sustainability reports, helping businesses make informed sustainable choices. Photo: money:care/Julia Oberhauser
Jeanette
Nurse
Chad
"Thanks to the UN, when COVID-19 hit, we were ready to act fast and coordinate across the country."
For Jeanette and health professionals across Chad, UN support was crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through capacity-building and coordination mechanisms, her country was able to respond quickly, protect its people, deliver an effective national response, and strengthen the health system’s resilience to crises. Photo: UNHCR/Aristophane Ngargoun
Zinnie
Entrepreneur
Botswana
"The UN is not only opening markets. It is opening minds and building futures across Africa through continental trade."
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports entrepreneurs across Botswana to learn skills and improve their professional networks, empowering them to trade across borders and supporting economic growth. Photo: UNDP Botswana
Joanna
Law Student
Bulgaria
“I like tracking my calories and protein. I didn’t know the nutrition labels on my food are based on global UN standards.”
The Codex Alimentarius, a mechanism jointly led by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization, sets global food standards. From nutrition labels to safety limits, these guidelines ensure that food is safe, accurately labelled, and comparable across countries, protecting consumers worldwide. Photo: Personal archive
Luisa del Carmen
Indigenous Entrepreneur
Chile
“This UN programme has been very enriching. It allowed us to strengthen our economic autonomy and become part of a broad network of Indigenous women, expanding our opportunities.”
Through UN Women’s Originarias programme, Luisa del Carmen joins leadership workshops and other training sessions that empower Mapuche women entrepreneurs, fostering their economic autonomy while respecting their traditions. Photo: UN Women
Mechelle
Sustainable Entrepreneur
Bahamas
“Thanks to UN Women, I can connect with global female entrepreneurs, allowing all of us to contribute to sustainability.”
Mechelle is one of many female entrepreneurs whom UN Women has supported through leadership, networking and business development opportunities. They helped her to incorporate Bahamian sea salt into her products, and to make them more sustainable. Photo: UN Women/Ryan Brown
Sara
Architect and Former Refugee
Canada
"In Afghanistan and then Pakistan, life as a single mother was very hard, let alone working in my field. Now we have a new country we love."
When refugees cannot safely return home or integrate in their current location, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) works with governments and partners to facilitate their resettlement to a third country, ensuring safe, dignified and durable solutions. After fleeing Afghanistan to Pakistan, Sara was resettled to Canada — living in dignity and contributing to the country's diversity. Photo: Personal archive
Rawa
Event Organizer
Bahrain
“Through volunteering, this UN programme is equipping me with client orientation and organizational skills, which I am confident will help me be a career woman — showing the way to more Bahraini women to aim for leadership.”
Under the leadership of the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Rawa volunteers through the UN Volunteers programme as an organizer and receptionist in Youth City, acquiring experience in leadership and teamwork, remaining calm under pressure and handling unexpected situations. Photo: UNV
Francisco
Lieutenant
Chile
“The course delivered by the UN provided us with concrete tools to respect and protect press freedoms. I used to view the press from a control perspective, but now I understand that it is a key actor in democracy.”
UNESCO workshops train law enforcement officers in Chile, providing them with concrete tools to promote and protect human rights, including freedom of expression and the safety of media profesionals. Photo: Carabineros de Chile
Kimberley
Entrepreneur
Barbados
"Thanks to UN Women, I am empowered and can in turn empower other women."
Kim is one of the many women entrepreneurs UN Women has supported through leadership, networking and business development opportunities. Photo: UN Women/Watkins Media
Darya
Student
Belarus
"I just ordered an app taxi. I had no idea the UN helps coordinate satellite navigation globally."
Ordering a ride, navigating a new city, or tracking fitness, all possible thanks to satellitenavigation. Through the International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs ensures global compatibility across different systems like BeiDou (China), Galileo (EU), GLONASS (Russia), GPS (USA) and others — supporting everything from transportation to precision agriculture and disaster management. Photo: UNIC Minsk/Victor Radivinovski
Rutila and Fernando
Honduran Migrants
United States of America
"Thanks to the UN, we received permanent residency. Now we have peace of mind — and I can visit my mother in Honduras after many years."
In 2022, Belize launched an Amnesty Programme to regularize undocumented and vulnerable migrants. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) supported thousands of them in completing the process, by bringing services closer through its Legal Identity and Amnesty Mobile Outreach. From helping with applications to status checks to payments, IOM ensured vulnerable communities — especially in remote areas — could access regularization with dignity, safety and support. Photo: IOM Belize
Yeshey
Farmer
Bhutan
“People say women are empowered only if they go to the city and work. For me, empowerment is being able to stay in my village, farm, and still live well with respect. The government and UN made this possible for us.”
Women are the backbone of Bhutan’s rural economy: farmers, weavers, caregivers,entrepreneurs, and leaders quietly driving change in their communities. The UN works alongside the government to advance gender equality, raise women’s voices, and expand their opportunities. Photo: UNRCO/Tshering Chuki
Sla?ana
Civil Servant
Bosnia and Herzegovina
"We were lucky to live in a fairly open community where women can express themselves, but it was valuable for us to learn how to be more engaged with the local economy, encouraging us as entrepreneurs and public workers."
The project 'Transformative Financing for Gender Equality in the Western Balkans', implemented by UN Women from 2020 to 2025 with Sweden's support, enabled local communities and institutions to take concrete steps in gender equality. Through this initiative, UN Women introduced practical trainings providing institutions with the tools to better include women in leadership, entrepreneurship, and public service. Photo: UN Women BiH/Armin Durgut
May Xin
Mother
Brunei Darussalam
“I didn’t know the UN sets global standards on baby formula safety and marketing to protect newborns.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) set standards for infant formula, which help ensure the product's safety by conforming to agreed global standards via a mechanism known as the Codex Alimentarius. Photo: Chun Hung Yong
Zakaria
Shea Butter Processor
Burkina Faso
“Women have less access to resources and power. By undertaking this shea butter processing business, we seek to minimize our vulnerability, particularly single mothers.”
Zakaria Adama is part of a programme tackling low productivity, including high rates of informal labour. The project, funded by the Norwegian and Swiss governments, is part ofthe International Labour Organization (ILO) Productivity Ecosystems for Decent Work Programme. Photo: ILO/Priscilla Konadu Mensah
Christine
Sustainability Manager
Austria
"The UN Global Compact helped us in accelerating towards responsible and sustainable banking, which also forms the basis for a resilient and long-term business model."
The UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, centred on corporate commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Photo: RBI, Martin Schreiber
Zhenjun
Traffic Safety Officer
China
"E-bike accidents used to overwhelm emergency rooms. We now have stricter helmet laws and better road designs. This has reduced fatalities and made our streets safer."
Traffic accidents are a leading cause of death globally, especially among cyclists. The World Health Organization (WHO) supported China with evidence and global bestpractices that in 2020 resulted in a new law making helmets mandatory for e-bikers, drastically reducing deaths and injuries. Photo: Ting Wu
This exhibit was launched in October 2025