Of the world’s 7 billion people, 6 billion have cell phones. Only 4.5 billion have access to a toilet.

HELSINKI -- Finland may function virtually in the dark during the long winter months, but it is the first country in the world to see the light in ensuring that Internet access becomes a basic right for its citizens.

GUATEMALA CITY -- Mary Guzmán is a 50-year-old mother of three adult daughters in this city high in the mountains. She has long black hair, brown eyes and a friendly smile. She is also HIV-positive. Guzmán received her diagnosis five years ago, when she was tested after her husband died at the local hospital from what turned out to be AIDS-related complications. “He didn’t tell me he had it,” said Guzmán, who was one of about 50 people participating in an HIV/AIDS-awareness march and ceremony here on May 15, International AIDS Memorial Day.

At 4:30 a.m., when many New Yorkers might still be sound asleep, Martin Nesirky is starting his day. His early wake-up call is related to the time that his boss, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, gets up.

Ever wondered what it's like to be a UN interpreter? Here Penelope MacDonnell talks about her favorite interpreting moment, when she interpreted Bernard Kouchner's words into English and Bob Geldof was listening. Dwight Roesch gives tips on who should apply for a job as an interpreter at the UN.

Penelope MacDonnell is one of the first people to find out about major international agreements. She hears top political secrets and regularly speaks in high-profile meetings.

Finland's permanent mission to the UN recently sponsored a fund-raiser at the Finland Center in New York to support the work of the Panzi Hospital in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the UN has its largest peacekeeping mission. In interviews, Finland’s Ambassador Jarmo Viinanen talks about the situation in Congo, violence against women in general, gender equality issues in Finland and the country’s efforts in Haiti after the earthquake last week.

Ambassador Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed of the Maldives represents a low-lying nation of 1,200 islands near Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. It is at the forefront of climate change, with its survival threatened by rising sea levels. The newly appointed ambassador discussed his nation’s problems with Mirva Lempiainen.