Celebrities, influencers advocate at UN for action

Jason Momoa, actor and advocate for the oceans, speaks at an event at the UN in support of Small Island Developing States. (27 September 2019)
UN Photo/Laura Jarriel
Jason Momoa, actor and advocate for the oceans, speaks at an event at the UN in support of Small Island Developing States. (27 September 2019)
Al Gore, Former Vice President of the United States of America and Environmentalist, attends the United Nations Private Sector Forum. (23 September 2019)

Celebrities and social media influencers have been out in force at the UN this week advocating for action on a range of global issues. The star of the movie Aquaman, Jason Momoa, spoke out on the plight of small island nations and their challenges in the face of climate change.

The environmental activist and former US Vice-President Al Gore, supported the Climate Action 2019 summit where many countries committed to emission cuts and set targets for carbon neutrality.

UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Secretary-General António Guterres (left) participates in Instagram Live with actor Aidan Gallagher, UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador. (21 September 2019)

And the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Goodwill Ambassador and teen actor, Aidan Gallagher (r), interviewed the UN Secretary-General António Guterres on how the United Nations is influencing the global conversation on climate change.

UN Photo/Mark Garten
Harrison Ford, actor and environmental activist, attends the Alliance for Rainforests event. The event took place in conjunciton with the Climate Action Summit. (23 September 2019)

The Hollywood legend and activist, Harrison Ford, lent his support to the Alliance for Rainforests, an event aimed at highlighting global deforestation and finding ways to safeguard forests under threat.

UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, addresses the SDG Action Zone event

Progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), targets for poverty reduction and equitable development, was a key theme of the week and Game of Thrones’ star, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, who is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Development Programme, added his voice.

UN Photo/Ariana Lindquist
Bill Gates (centre), Co-Chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Sania Nishtar (right), Special Assistant to the Prime Minister of Pakistan, participate in a panel discussion on the margins of the UN General Assembly.

Microsoft’s Bill Gates, whose Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given millions of dollars to fight global poverty, recommended targeting resources at specific groups of people in need at an event on financing the SDGs.  

UN Photo/Loey Felipe
Dia Mirza, UN Goodwill Ambassador, visited the social media zone at UN headquarters during the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

Actor, SDG Advocate and UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Goodwill Ambassador for India, Dia Mirza, urged the phasing out of single-use plastics.

UN Photo/Mark Garten
Ghanaian singer and UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador Rocky Dawuni at UN Headquarters.

And Rocky Dawuni, a singer from Ghana, also came to UN Headquarters as a UNEP Goodwill Ambassador for Africa, to promote the organization’s goals.

UN Photo/Mark Garten
Muzoon Almellehan, a 19-year-old Syrian refugee addresses an event to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Meanwhile, Muzoon Almellehan, a 19-year-old Syrian refugee, who is an education activist and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, spoke at an event to mark the 30th anniversary of the Adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

UN Photo/Ariana Lindquist
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