UN marks halftime for the SDGs

The SDG Summit, taking place at the start of the UN General Assembly High Level Week, marks halftime for the crucial Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“This is a moment of solidarity for our global village at our global Town Hall - the United Nations,” said Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed. 

Halftime Talks

During high-level week of the General Assembly, the SDG Pavilion will host a series of Halftime Talks.

The UN Office for Partnerships is working with Project Everyone, a not-for-profit communications agency co-founded by SDG Advocate and screenwriter Richard Curtis, in collaboration with renowned artist Es Devlin, to create the SDG Pavilion – which will serve as a unique convening space and art exhibition.

All sessions are being streamed live and on demand. Streaming links to all sessions can found here.

To use a sporting analogy, the world is currently down by a goal at halftime, but a second half comeback is always possible. 

The SDG Pavilion programming encourages participants to imagine securing that key win for the planet.

Here’s just a taste of the highlights you can expect next week:

Women Rise for All Lunch

The Women Rise for All Lunch is set to become an annual event hosted by the Deputy UN chief focused on women’s leadership for the SDGs. 

Speakers include Ms. Mohammed, Melinda Gates, Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Svenja Schulze, Germany’s Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development and Lilly Singh, author and actress. 

Halftime called

The Halftime Show will provide a platform for the UN to set the agenda on SDG Goals-related issues and encourage a week of decisive and transformative action. 

With key contributions from the world of entertainment and music, through to Heads of State and activists, it will ensure media and decision-makers pay attention to what is said and inspire a truly action-focused UNGA78 at the Pavilion.

Speakers and artists include Orlando Bloom, actor and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and Yo-Yo Ma, world-renowned cellist and UN Messenger of Peace, and SDG Advocate and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, movie star Forest Whitaker.

Climate Justice

This segment will feature in-depth discussions around climate justice, including on early warning systems as an important measure to save lives and protect livelihoods from loss and damage.

Featured speakers include Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer, Google; Jevanic Henry, Member of UN Youth Advisory Group; Hindou Ibrahim, SDG Advocate and Dwikorita Karnawati, Director, Indonesian Agency for Meteorology, Permanent Representative of Indonesia.