What does the United Nations do to promote development?
One of the misconceptions about the UN is that it is mainly involved in peacekeeping. In reality, less than 30 per cent of UN activity concerns peacekeeping: most of its work is devoted to development and humanitarian assistance. The only global institution for furthering development, the UN system has bettered the lives of countless people in the poorest parts of the world through practical programmes for development. In promoting development, the UN’s track record is second to none. Through programmes in some 135 countries, the UN system provides over $25 billion in assistance each year, with nearly $5 billion in grants and over $20 billion in loans. It is engaged in activities supporting refugees, the poor and the hungry, and in promoting child survival, environmental protection, crime and drug control, human rights, women’s equality and democracy. UN resources are aimed at the countries and the people most in need. The UN is often the principal, if not the sole, source of technical
