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The UN Sustainable Development Summit began Friday at UN Headquarters in New York with an opening event and entertainment by Shakira and Angelique Kidjo, and an address by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai―surrounded by 193 youth representatives holding blue lanterns―calling for leaders to promise children peace, prosperity, education and safety.
This was followed by a high-level plenary attended by many Heads of State and Government and other high-level officials.
Lars Lokke Rasmussen, Prime Minister, Denmark, and Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda, co-chaired the plenary, urging world leaders to take action on implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the 17 SDGs offer a blueprint for success and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda (AAAA) provides a solid financing framework. Salil Shetty, Secretary General, Amnesty International, also addressed the plenary.
Rasmussen called on delegates to take a decision of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on document A/70/L.1, “Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” and gaveled its adoption at 11:46 am to a standing ovation.
Pope Francis visited UN Headquarters earlier in the morning and addressed the UN General Assembly before plenary convened. He highlighted the importance of the UN’s role and the hope placed in it.
Two interactive dialogues took place in the afternoon, one on ending poverty and hunger, and a second on tackling inequalities, empowering women and girls and leaving no one behind.
Heads of State and Government and ministers delivered statements to plenary, continuing late into the evening.
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