Shaping our future together

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres saw the United Nations’ 75th anniversary as an opportunity for the Organization to listen directly to the people it serves. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the world faced a growing list of global challenges: from the climate crisis and environmental degradation to nuclear weapons, deepening inequalities, rapid changes in our populations, the transformative impact of new technologies and new forms and patterns of violence.

In January 2020, the UN launched a yearlong, global initiative to listen to people’s priorities and expectations of international cooperation. Through surveys and dialogues, more than 1.5 million people from all walks of life shared their hopes and fears for the future, and discussed how all actors, including the UN, can innovate and work together to better to address the global challenges we face.