“we Don’t Believe in Giving Up”: Deputy UN Chief Urges Action at Global Citizen Festival in New York
New York,NY – Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed delivered a powerful message of urgency and hope to a crowd of music fans at the Global Citizen Festival in central Park this weekend,emphasizing the critical need to accelerate progress towards the Lasting Growth Goals (SDGs). The festival, a flagship event for the world’s largest movement to end extreme poverty, featured performances by international superstars including Shakira, Cardi B, and Rosé, coinciding with the high-level week of the UN General Assembly.
Addressing the festival-goers, Mohammed expressed gratitude for their commitment while sounding a stark warning: with only five years remaining to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, progress is lagging. “We still have a ways to go,” she stated, “We’re moving, but it’s just not fast enough and the clock is ticking really loud.”
A key architect of the SDGs herself – having served as special Advisor to former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during their creation and adoption in 2015 – Mohammed underscored the immense financial undertaking required. She reiterated that an estimated $4.3 trillion annually is necessary to finance the Goals and ensure a future where no one is left behind.
Beyond funding, Mohammed passionately called for peace and inclusivity on a global scale. “what really matters is to give peace a chance for the women in Sudan, for the children in Gaza, for the people in Ukraine.We need peace everywhere,” she declared. Her plea extended to responsible development of artificial intelligence, advocating for safeguards against exacerbating existing inequalities. She also championed the full and equal participation of women in all decision-making processes, alongside a commitment to quality education and planetary health - encompassing vital ecosystems like the Amazon and the Congo Basin.
In a stirring conclusion, the Deputy UN Chief urged attendees to actively seek solutions and to amplify their voices. “Cut through the noise, demanding for everyone to do better and not accepting the globalisation of indifference,” she challenged, leaving the crowd with a resounding message of resilience: “We don’t believe in giving up.”
Keywords: Amina Mohammed, Global Citizen Festival, Sustainable Development Goals, sdgs, United Nations, UN, Central Park, Poverty, Peace, Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Artificial Intelligence, Globalisation, New York.