From January 15th to 22nd Expo 2020 Dubai will host the seventh UN General Assembly’s Global Goals Week as part of its ‘People and Planet’ programme. The thematic week will bring together governments, businesses and non-profit organizations to discuss about the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN in 2015 and the progress made so far to achieve them by 2030.
UN General Assembly’s Global Goals Week
It is the first time that the annually Global Goals Week is held outside the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. As Maher Nasser, Commissioner General of UN at Expo, said, the world exhibition is the ideal place where to organize such an event, considering that 192 countries have their pavilion here, world leaders are coming to visit and 10 million people from 250 nationalities and different backgrounds have been here already. Using his words,
“the rise of Expo 2020 […] is the proof that collective actions can make a difference to the world”.
Maher Nasser, Commissioner General of UN at Expo
Ending poverty and hunger, improving healthcare and education, reducing gender inequality, promoting economic growth, tackling the climate change, preserving oceans and forests, are among the goals. Unfortunately, even before Covid – 19 started, the world was not on track to meet them. These issues have been further complicated by the pandemic. For the first time since 1990, the number of people living in poverty has increased by more than 100 million. Starvation got worse as well as socio-economic inequality. The Global Goals week is a reminder to the countries, including governments, businesses and individuals, to accelerate their action towards creating a better world.
Prominent world leaders and decision makers will attend the event: Bill Gates, Richard Curtis, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General Expo 2020 Dubai and Mohammed Al Najjar, Minister of Water and Irrigation from Jordan. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General United Nations, Sanda Ojiambo, COO and Executive Director UN Global Compact, and Jerome Foster II, White House Advisor will participate virtually.
The Global Goals week will kick off on Saturday with the main event being hosted on Sunday in the UN Hub at the Opportunity Pavilion. Other events will take place in different areas, including the Women’s Pavilion.
