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to supercharge and accelerate solutions for the Sustainable Development Goals.
We are at an inflection point for people and planet, one that is testing our very humanity, solidarity and progress on sustainable development. People everywhere are now demanding a better future for our world. While the current moment of global crises poses great risks, it also offers the opportunity for sweeping systemic changes on the scale being demanded by so many people and required to reach the Sustainable Development Goals.
Over the course of three days during the UN General Assembly on 22-24 September, the SDG Action Zone will convene leading thinkers, actors, creators, and activists through frank debate, challenging discussions, inspiring showcases and interactive exhibitions to drive the exponential change so needed for people and our planet.
A fully virtual SDG Action Zone has the power to create a more transparent, open, and inclusive UN General Assembly The programme will be crowd-sourced through a call for sessions, talks and creative content from people and key actors around the world.
A combination of live broadcasts and online sessions, the SDG Action Zone will provide space for deeper conversations, collaboration and experiences on three core areas for accelerating action on the Goals: People, Planet and Partnerships.
Within these areas a range of cross cutting and critical themes have been identified to frame substantive content, discussions and calls to action around:
Healthy Society; Inequality & Equity; Inclusive Growth; Activism; Education; Gender; Creativity & Culture; Decent Jobs; Human Rights; Social Protection; and Leave No One Behind;
Climate; Biodiversity; Nature; Oceans; and Food Systems; Sustainable production and Consumption; Sustainable Cities; Clean Energy;
Financing for Development; Data; Philanthropy; Civil Society; Business; Multilateralism; Economies and Investment; Emerging Technologies; Accountability; Media; Humanitarian Action; Sustainable Peace.
These themes are not exhaustive and intersectional framing is encouraged.
The SDG Action Zone will bring together traditional UN constituencies, but also people that have never attended UNGA.
Speakers will be experts in their field, leading figures and effective activists. These voices represent a wide range of perspectives in society including diversity across sectors, geography, gender, race, religion, cultures and more. They will be inspirational leaders, national and local government representatives, young people, business, academia, multilateral organisations, civil society, activists, advocates, media, journalists, entrepreneurs, sports organisations, creatives, UN agencies, faith leaders, voluntary networks – movers, shakers, doers, connectors and multipliers!
The SDG Action Zone will provide the space for deeper dives into what can and needs to be achieved, with a keen focus on how we get there through expanded mobilisation, collaboration, and tangible and accelerator solutions and actions.
The program will include big picture discussions, deep dive dialogues, interactive workshops, lightning talks, UN digests, performances and immersive experiences, in order to:
Each day will open and close with a ‘Big Picture’ plenary session with world leading experts, thinkers, and doers. Through these sessions, headline speakers will share unique perspectives and set their vision for what we could be achieved and how.
As a series of touch points each day, UN leaders will share a thematic digest. These digests will act as a gateway for newcomers to the topic areas to understand what is at stake, why you should care and how people everywhere can take action.
Digging deeper into thematic issues, these sessions will convene unexpected coalitions of business leaders, activists, investors, policy makers and more, in frank and action-oriented discussions where lessons learned are shared and prescriptions for change are debated.
Honest stories, bold analyses and personal perspectives will explore groundbreaking action-oriented solutions.
Emerging and established performers, musicians, film-makers, poets, and artists from around the world will capture the urgency, hope and ambition of the current moment through different mediums.
New media, new technologies, innovations, artwork, games and immersive experiences will enable participants to experience the future of our world from different perspectives, learn different ways of doing things, and take action for transformative change.
A register for individuals from a range of backgrounds to express an interest in sharing their diverse perspectives and expertise at events hosted in the Zone.
Each day will open and close with a ‘Big Picture’ plenary session with world leading experts, thinkers, and doers. Through these sessions, headline speakers will share unique perspectives and set their vision for what we could be achieved and how.
As a series of touch points each day, UN leaders will share a thematic digest. These digests will act as a gateway for newcomers to the topic areas to understand what is at stake, why you should care and how people everywhere can take action.
Digging deeper into thematic issues, these sessions will convene unexpected coalitions of business leaders, activists, investors, policy makers and more, in frank and action-oriented discussions where lessons learned are shared and prescriptions for change are debated.
Honest stories, bold analyses and personal perspectives will explore groundbreaking action-oriented solutions.
Emerging and established performers, musicians, film-makers, poets, and artists from around the world will capture the urgency, hope and ambition of the current moment through different mediums.
New media, new technologies, innovations, artwork, games and immersive experiences will enable participants to experience the future of our world from different perspectives, learn different ways of doing things, and take action for transformative change.
A register for individuals from a range of backgrounds to express an interest in sharing their diverse perspectives and expertise at events hosted in the Zone.
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