The Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group was officially be launched on 21 January 2016 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
In a panel discussion, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Co-Chairs of the Group, Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg, and President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, discussed how the new SDGs can be translated into practice.
They were joined by four of the advocates: Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, Canadian physician and women’s right activist Alaa Murabit, American economist Jeffrey Sachs, and American actor, director and producer Forest Whitaker. The event was moderated by journalist Janine Di Giovanni from Newsweek.
Advocacy is central to generating momentum and commitment to achieve the SDGs. The SDG Advocacy Group is composed of eminent personalities actively leveraging their unique resources, networks and specialized skills to help implement the 2030 Agenda.
The members of the Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group are:
Chair of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser bin Abdullah Al Misned, First Lady of the State of Qatar, Doha, Qatar.
H.E. Mr. John Dramani Mahama (Co-Chair), President of Ghana
The Honourable Erna Solberg (Co-Chair), Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Norway
Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
Mr. Richard Curtis, Screenwriter, Producer and Film Director
Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, Chairperson, United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty (ST-EP) Foundation
Ms. Leymah Gbowee, Director, Gbowee Peace Foundation
Mr. Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group
Mrs. Graça Machel, President of the Foundation of Community Development and the UNESCO National Commission in Mozambique
Ms. Shakira Mebarak, Artist, Advocate and Founder of Pies Descalzos Foundation, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Mr. Leo Messi, Renowned football player, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
Ms. Alaa Murabit, The Voice of Libyan Women
Mr. Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer, Unilever
Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute at Columbia University
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Duchess of Västergötland
Mr. Forest Whitaker, Founder and CEO, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative
Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank
For more information:
http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdgadvocates/
