UNESCO Special Envoy Forest Whitaker advocates for the SDGs in New York

© UN Photo / Loey Felipe

On 21 April 2016, artist and social activist Forest Whitaker participated in the High-Level Thematic Debate on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, in his capacity as UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation and recently appointed SDG Advocate.

Seeking to discuss concrete perspectives on how to engineer sustainability-fostering solutions on the ground, Mr Whitaker shared experiences and lessons drawn from the work he carries out through his foundation, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI).

In his keynote address, Mr Whitaker emphasized that achieving the SDGs requires the participation of ordinary citizens around the globe, a view largely supported by UNESCO. And he called on leaders to engage their fellow citizens to create a worldwide popular movement in support for the SDGs.

In the spirit of partnership expressed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, WPDI works in close cooperation with UNESCO, civil society and grassroots organizations to promote youth empowerment, cultural diversity, and inclusive societies. This High-Level Debate was a critical opportunity to advocate for new and more participative approaches toward sustainable development and lasting peace.

Seven months after world leaders unanimously adopted the 2030 Agenda, the president of the UN General Assembly convened this event to raise international awareness and political momentum behind the implementation of Agenda and its 17 Goals and 169 targets. The universal scope of this inclusive Agenda − which leaves no one behind − requires innovative and groundbreaking approaches to address the economic, environmental, and social challenges facing our interconnected world. The debate brought together global political, business, and civil society leaders in New York to focus on kick-starting the implementation of this ambitious agenda.

The event was live webcasted.

• Watch Mr Whitaker's intervention (VOD; min 33:40)

• Read Mr Whitaker's speech

• Press Conference by Forest Whitaker, actor and Sustainable Development Goals Advocate and Thomas Gass, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.