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Source: United Nations – United Nations –
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October 24, 2025 UN
Millions of people around the world know that the work of the United Nations helps overcome difficulties, find hope, and change lives for the better. Some of these stories are part of the international exhibition "Common Life, Common Future," which opened at UN Headquarters in New York and is also being displayed in UN member states around the world.
The exhibition is dedicated to United Nations Day And 80th anniversary of the UN, includes more than 200 stories from 193 countries and territories. Photographs and personal testimonies tell how the UN impacts people's lives – through crisis relief, human rights protection, education support, rural development, and the fight for a sustainable future.
Read also:
80 Years Later: The UN Charter Remains a 'Living Miracle'
From Moldova to Afghanistan, from Ukraine to Kyrgyzstan, the stories of the exhibition's heroes show how the UN makes the world a fairer and more humane place.
Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan: The Sweet Taste of Sustainable Development
FAO/J. Gurbanov
The hero of the exhibition, beekeeper from Azerbaijan Iskandar.
Beekeeper Iskandar from Azerbaijan says that participation in the FAO youth employment programme changed his lifePreviously, he produced only a ton of honey per year, now – twice as much.
“The enthusiasm of young people for beekeeping makes me truly happy, and I want to help them love this work,” Iskandar said.
An FAO-Government of Azerbaijan project to enhance youth employment in agriculture is enabling young people to learn agribusiness and sustainable production.
UNDP-Uzbekistan/A.Kannazarov
Bakhtiyar, beekeeper from Uzbekistan.
In Uzbekistan, beekeeper Bakhtiyar, having lost his job at a honey factory, was able to start his own business: "With just 10 hives and UN assistance, I built a business and provided a stable income for my family."
With support from the UN and Japan, he expanded his apiary to 200 hives, opened a workshop, and trained over 70 people, many of them women. The project opened up new opportunities for self-employment and economic growth.
Kyrgyzstan: Guardians of Mountains and Wildlife
Baatyrbek, leader of the team of rangers, is participating in a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) project aimed at protecting nature and adapting to climate change: "We decided to become rangers because everything we have is under threat today. I want my children to be able to see this nature with their own eyes."
The project created a 200-kilometer ecological corridor connecting Kyrgyzstan's nature reserves and protecting populations of mountain sheep and goats.
© UNEP/A.L. Lopez
The hero of the exhibition is Baatyrbek Akmatov.
Moldova: A Chance for Roma Families
Galina and her family are part of the Roma community in Moldova, where trained community mediators work with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).
"I want my children to study, not struggle with difficulties like I did. Our mediator helped us with everything—with paperwork, getting the children into school, and vaccinations," she shared.
OHCHR/V. Tremo
Galina and her family in Moldova.
The program has increased education and vaccination rates, increased pregnancy care for women, and increased training and legal employment for adults.
Russia: The Power of Hope for Children
Photo from personal archive
Natalia, founder and president of the International Foundation "Children of Russia".
In Moscow, the exhibition "Common Life, Common Future" opened at the Bolshoi Theatre.
One of the exhibition’s heroines is Natalia, founder and president of the International Children of Russia Foundation.
“I am grateful to the United Nations for hosting the presentation of the fund and the opening of the exhibition of photographs of children suffering from blood diseases at the UN headquarters in New York,” she says.
The UNESCO-backed foundation helps children undergoing cancer treatment, organizes camps, rehabilitation programs, and training for palliative care physicians.
The story of Ruslan, a schoolboy battling cancer, shows how the UN's ideas can serve as a source of inspiration.
Thanks to the "UchimZnaem" hospital school project and participation in events dedicated to International Nelson Mandela DayRuslan learned about the outstanding human rights activist: “Mandela’s life inspires me and gives me strength to fight the disease.”
According to the UN Secretary-General, these photographs reflect three truths: that the UN helps the most vulnerable, that international norms touch every one of us, and that multilateralism makes our world a better place.
“These people in the pictures aren’t just posing – they’re asking the question: what more can be achieved if we put more effort into finding joint solutions?” he emphasized. Antonio Guterres.
Armenia: Girls are building the future
UNFPA/A. Dalyan
Exhibition participant, Neli from Armenia.
Neli, a student from Armenia and a youth ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), shared her dream of becoming a diplomat and helping achieve peace.
Through UNFPA, she manages projects to empower girls.
"Our dreams are worth pursuing," she said.
Today, she mentors other girls, helping them gain confidence and build their own futures.
In a world grappling with growing crises, deepening inequality, and eroding trust in global institutions, the United Nations is undertaking ambitious efforts to serve people around the world more effectively. The UN80 initiative presented in March by Secretary-General António Guterres, provides impetus to streamlining the operations of the entire UN system, strengthening its effectiveness and confirming the relevance of the Organization in a rapidly changing world.
Ukraine: Warmth That Brings Hope
Alena, a boiler plant dispatcher in Odessa, says, "UN support nourishes not only our boiler plant but also our hearts. It's crucial for Ukrainians to know we're not alone."
UNDP-Ukraine/A. Askerov
Alena, boiler room dispatcher in Odessa.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is helping Ukraine restore heating, water, and electricity services damaged by the destruction of critical infrastructure, strengthening and diversifying the country's energy system.
In Odessa, UNDP provided the necessary equipment to provide heat to approximately 250,000 residents.
Afghanistan: Women's Voices on Air
UNAMA/T. Osta
Radio journalist from Afghanistan Sunbul.
Sonbul, a radio journalist from Afghanistan, says, "With UN support, I led artificial intelligence classes, inspiring and empowering young women."
The UN supports Afghan women journalists, promoting press freedom and equal opportunity.
"This exhibition tells a remarkable story—a story of ambition and determination, collaboration and results. A story that the women and men of the United Nations continue to write today in communities around the world," said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, opening the exhibition in New York.
How countries celebrate United Nations Day
In Uzbekistan, UN representatives launched an educational campaign about the Organization's activities and held information sessions and interviews for students and schoolchildren.
A youth dialogue dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the UN was held in Tajikistan International Year of Peace and TrustUN Resident Coordinator Parvathi Ramaswamy emphasized: "Youth are at the center of our future. Their ideas and determination are key to building peace and sustainability."
UN-Kazakhstan
Celebrating the 80th anniversary of the UN in Kazakhstan.
In Kazakhstan, the 80th anniversary was celebrated with a gala evening at the Kuanyshbayev Theatre, attended by over 600 guests. A concert by the Academic Symphony Orchestra was performed, and a commemorative UN-80 stamp, created jointly with Kazpost, was unveiled.
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