“This is a moment of solidarity for our global village in our global town hall – the United Nations,” said Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.
Halftime conversations
During the 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 non-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 meeting room and art exhibition.
All sessions are streamed live and on demand. Streaming links to all sessions can be found here.
To use a sporting analogy, the world is currently down by a goal at half-time, but a second-half comeback is always possible.
The SDG Pavilion programming encourages participants to commit to securing that important win for the planet.
Here’s a preview of the highlights you can expect next week:
Women get up for all lunch
The Women Rise for All Lunch will become an annual event, hosted by the UN Deputy Chief, focusing on women’s leadership for the SDGs.
Speakers include Ms. Mohammed, Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Svenja Schulze, German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, and Lilly Singhauthor and actress.
Called half-time
The Halftime Show will provide a platform for the UN to set the agenda on SDG-related issues and encourage a week of decisive and transformative action.
With key contributions from the worlds of entertainment and music, through to heads of state and activists, it will ensure media and decision makers pay attention to what is being said and inspire a truly action-oriented UNGA78 in the pavilion.
Speakers and performers 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, film star Forest Whitaker.
Climate justice
This segment will feature in-depth discussions on 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 the UN Youth Advisory Group; Hindou Ibrahim, SDG Advocate and Dwikorita Karnawati, Director of the Indonesian Meteorology Agency, Permanent Representative of Indonesia.