Geneva from Above: Celebrating 80 Years of the United Nations
24 October 2025 is United Nations Day, marking 80 years since the United Nations Charter came into force. As the cornerstone of international cooperation, the United Nations plays a vital role in promoting peace, protecting human rights, and advancing global sustainable development.
This striking true-colour image acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 20 September 2025 shows the city of Geneva, Switzerland, home of many key United Nations institutions. Sprawling urban zones are visible between the winding turquoise of the Rhône River and the deep blue expanses of Lake Geneva.
The free and open data delivered by Copernicus plays a crucial role in supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as combatting the impacts of climate change, fostering more sustainable urban areas and communities, and protecting life on land and at sea.
