Convened by the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the annual Moment is designed to allow leaders to share the bold actions and solutions needed to set the world on course towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event launched the High-Level week of the 77th UN General Assembly (UNGA) which began this week.
A new innovation at this year’s meeting was the Expo 2020 projection, an immersive cinematic experience that displayed to delegates the wonders of the natural world. The featured content included photographs taken by Prince Hussain, which are now part of his Living Sea-Fragile Beauty exhibition.
“To contribute to the legacy of Expo 2020 Dubai in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates, the SDG Moment at UNGA is an opportunity to showcase both the majesty of nature, and its harrowing fragility,” said Prince Hussain.
“To bring this story to life on such a unique canvas and for such an esteemed audience, is an opportunity to help reverse this tidal wave of destruction, and to rebalance humanity’s relationship with the natural world,” he added. “I am honoured to contribute to this remarkable project, at this critical moment for people and the planet.”
The SDGs are a call for action by all countries to promote prosperity while preserving the planet. They consist of 17 actionable strategies aiming to end poverty, build economic growth, and address social needs including education, health, and social protection, while tackling climate change and environmental protection.
They were created in 2015 with delivery set for 2030. This year, therefore, marks the halfway point until the deadline to make the SDGs a reality. Progress is being made in many areas, but action is not advancing at the speed or scale required.
“We meet today at a critical point in our world – at a time when global solidarity is more important than ever,” said actor and activist Priyanka Chopra-Jonas in her opening remarks. She spoke of the “extraordinary opportunity” that we all have to make a positive difference. “We owe it to our people, we owe it to our planet,” she said.
Secretary-General António Guterres addressed delegates at the event and spoke of the urgent need to solve today’s pressing global challenges. “Development cannot wait,” he said. “Young people and future generations are demanding action. We cannot let them down.”
He also indicated the values required to build a more harmonious world, one in which friendship and solidarity prevail. “By embracing peace and tolerance – and more importantly by living these values everyday, we can move one step closer to the sustainable, equal, and just world that every person deserves.”
Ms Chopra-Jonas concluded the 90-minute event by reiterating that each of us has a role to play in achieving the SDGs, and that there’s no time to waste. “We have been inspired by the breathtaking projections created by Expo 2020,” she said. “When we leave this room, we must leave determined to work every single day to advance the goals so that we can return in a year’s time a lot closer to achieving them.”
Other high-profile guests included philanthropist Melinda French-Gates, K-pop band Blackpink, actor Nomzamo Mbatha, and singer-songwriter Judith Hill. Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman recited a rousing spoken word poem for the audience in hopes of bringing people together to tackle disparity and protect the planet. One inspirational verse read thus:
“We must go the distance, though this battle is hard and huge, though this fight we did not choose, for preserving the earth isn’t a battle too large to win, but a blessing too large to lose.”
