Mission
The News and Media Division (NMD) produces news and features about the United Nations and its priorities, including daily print, audio, television, video, photo, digital, and social media content in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish. With a global audience and wide pick-up by media, non-governmental organizations, private sector and other partners, we generate timely, accurate, impartial and freely available information about the United Nations activities around the world. We also provide a wide range of services including media accreditation to support coverage of the United Nations, live television feeds and webcasting of intergovernmental meetings, and historically rich audio-visual collections that document the history of the United Nations and its work.
News and Content
UN News is the United Nations multilingual news portal, a one-stop shop for multimedia news coverage and in-depth information on UN-related issues. The products and services developed and maintained by UN News include daily news updates and videos, features, photo essays, thematic focus pages, and interviews with UN officials and advocates who have lent their voice to UN causes. We produce a wealth of audio programming, ranging from podcasts to sound bites and raw audio for reporters, to digitally remastered archival programmes dating back to 1948. To stay informed, you can download a free UN NewsReader app for iOS and Android devices, which provides multimedia content in eight languages, take advantage of RSS feeds, or receive news alerts by email.
UN Video reports from UN Headquarters in New York and around the world, with footage direct from humanitarian crises and peace operations, and through a variety of formats, from short documentaries to social media and news videos, that put a human face on the crucial issues of our times. We also cover messages by the Secretary-General such as his urgent call for action on climate change. You can check out the short feature documentary series UN in Action available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish that profile underreported stories, watch us on different social media platforms, and visit our daily news package service UNIFEED for UN system-wide footage packages for broadcasters.
Coverage and Media Services The Meetings Coverage Section produces an array of essential materials for the media, delegations and the general public, in English and French, including comprehensive summaries of official UN meetings and conferences. We disseminate, in print and online, remarks and statements by the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General, and information on the Secretary-General’s official activities. We also issue English verbatim transcripts and French summaries of the daily press briefing by the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General, as well as summaries and transcripts of press conferences by delegations and UN officials. We publish press releases and backgrounders on behalf of the Secretariat, issue biographies of new permanent representatives and senior UN officials, and produce the annual round-up of the work of the Security Council and of the main session of the General Assembly.
The Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit provides accreditation and liaison services to journalists covering activities at UN Headquarters in New York and at major United Nations conferences; facilitates media coverage of UN activities; and coordinates the provision of facilities, such as office space and equipment, to accredited correspondents. We also send out a regular media alert with information on meetings and events, and distribute UN documents, press releases and statements to accredited journalists.
The Audio-Visual Services Section provides photo, audio, and visual content to the news media, film producers, Member States and the public for coverage of the work of the United Nations. UN Photo documents developments at UN Headquarters in New York and the work of the Organization around the world. Images, including historical photo collections dating back to the first days of the United Nations, are available on the UN Photo website. The UN Audiovisual Library contains original footage and audio from iconic moments of UN history, meetings and events, and curated collections such as UN Radio Classics which date back to 1948 and feature the voices of Dag Hammarskjöld, Nelson Mandela, Audrey Hepburn, and others. Films, videos and audio recordings are available upon request.
UN Television covers events happening at UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva and at many major UN global conferences and distributes broadcast-quality feeds to media organizations.
UN Webcast provides live and on-demand streaming coverage of United Nations meetings and events directly to a global audience through multiple platforms and mobile devices.
The News Monitoring Unit monitors, compiles and analyses global media coverage about the UN and issues of concern to the Organization.
Digital and Promotion
The Web Services Section is responsible for UN.ORG, the main United Nations website, and its overall governance, including on web branding and accessibility and multilingualism standards. We produce content and offer web design services. Working in the six official languages of the UN, we coordinate and manage the content of the Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish versions of UN.org. We support the online presences of the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the Secretary-General, and the President of the General Assembly, as provide guidance to UN offices about creating, enhancing and marketing their websites in all official UN languages, including through Search Engine Optimization.
The Social Media Section works with partners across the UN system on social media campaigns and information designed to bring the work of the UN closer to millions of people everywhere, every day in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish plus Kiswahili and Portuguese. We help manage the United Nations’ relationship with major social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter, WeChat and Weibo; develop policies and procedures for the use of social media platforms by the UN; and provide social media guidance and support to UN officials and Member States.
The Partnerships Unit establishes partnerships with an array of organizations, including online publishers, mobile platforms and broadcasters, to expand our reach to new audiences around the world.
The Digital Support Unit provides technology solutions for digital content management, production, publication and distribution as well the analytics on major UN web and social media platforms.