The world has changed vastly since the days of the UN's founding. In the aftermath of World War II, the UN was created to ensure peace between nations. Today, the UN takes on a host of global issues beyond peace and security, such as human rights, health, poverty, environmental sustainability and economic development. During the past 60 years, the UN also has been witness to significant geopolitical change throughout the world. Historic events ranging from decolonization to the fall of the iron curtain to the rise of the global economy mean that the UN is operating in a very different world than it was six decades ago.

Since 1986, the National High School Essay Contest on the United Nations has inspired students to engage global issues and the work of the UN through scholarship and critical thinking. Each year, the United Nations Association of the USA publishes a topic and question of particular importance to the international community. Students then conduct research and write a response to the question, based not only on the information they have found, but also on their own views and opinion. It is vital to engage high school students in learning about the UN's role, especially as it becomes ever more apparent that all people must think of themselves as citizens not only of a particular town or country, but of the world as well.

This year's National High School Essay Contest on the United Nations focuses on Millennium Development Goal Eight, and asks students to tackle the challenge of promoting development through international partnership.

The U.S. engages with the international community through a number of organizations. While many of these are economic institutions, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization, U.S. participation also extends to a number of agencies with broader goals. Organizations like the Organization of American States and the Arctic Council promote regional cooperation, while such institutions as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Interpol ensure that no part of the globe is beyond the rule of law. The International Labour Organization and the International Organization for Migration work to secure human rights for all. International peacekeeping missions protect governments and peoples as they rebuild and grow. Furthermore, many of these organizations, and others in which the U.S. participates, fall under the aegis of the United Nations system.

Students are asked to write a letter to the President of the United States answering the following questions:

1. How can the U.S. build an international system that promotes good governance, development, and poverty reduction?

2. How can the U.S. promote sustainable development and economic growth in developing countries?

Email inquiries to membershipintern@unausa.org.