GSMA, the United Nations and Project Everyone Collaborate to Drive Action on Sustainable Development Goals
Launch ‘SDGs in Action’ App to Increase Awareness of and Engagement
with the Sustainable Development Goals
NEW YORK–(BUSINESS WIRE)–At the 2016 Social Good Summit, the GSMA today announced a collaboration
with the United Nations and Project Everyone, a non-profit global
campaign, to increase awareness of and engagement with the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together, the
organisations have developed and launched the ‘SDGs in Action’
mobile app, which provides a global forum through which industry,
governments and individual citizens can collectively realise the promise
of the SDGs.
“The agenda set forth by the Sustainable Development Goals is
far-reaching and ambitious, from ensuring healthy lives and promoting
well-being for all, to achieving gender equality, to making cities and
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, to helping to
combat climate change and its impacts,” said Mats Granryd, Director
General, GSMA. “Mobile networks have the power to accelerate this
journey in a way that no other technology can. And through the
partnership with the United Nations and Project Everyone, we are able to
engage industry, governments and individuals in working together to
achieve the SDGs.”
“The Goals were adopted by Member States, but it is up to everyone –
civil society, businesses and citizens alike – to achieve them. That is
why the SDGs in Action mobile app is so timely. The app will
bring the Goals closer to people and help make them more understandable
and relatable to everyday life,” said Cristina Gallach, the UN
Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. “So
many people and groups around the world are already undertaking
innovative projects in support of the Goals. What is special about this
app is that it connects people and activists who want to make a
difference in this world. I’m looking forward to seeing and reading
about all these grassroots projects and achievements.”
“The United Nations is pleased to be working with GSMA on a multi-year
road map for cooperation and harnessing the critical role that the
mobile industry can play in advancing the Goals,” said Under Secretary
General David Nabarro, the Special Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development. “This includes a broad range of efforts in
support of the SDGs – from inviting leading companies to join hands and
support initiatives on women and children’s health, disaster relief,
data collection and analysis, to aligning industry-wide sustainability
business practices with the Goals.”
“It is critical to the success of the UN Global Goals that all citizens
can have their voice heard and actively engage in playing a part towards
the Goals being achieved by 2030,” said Richard Curtis, Founder Project
Everyone, Filmmaker and Founder of Comic Relief. “Which is why it has
been so exciting to play our own role in creating the first app to give
everyone, everywhere, the opportunity to share with both their friends
and world leaders, what they want and how they themselves are taking an
action to make it happen. This is the year when everyone can start to
play a part towards achieving the Global Goals – and the SDGs in
Action app really is the place to do it.”
The UN provided detailed information on each of the 17 Goals for the
SDGs in Action app, which also includes associated SDG targets,
explanatory videos, key data, and suggestions on how people can take
action to help achieve them. Project Everyone has created exciting and
fun films in multiple languages, including an introduction to ‘The
Global Goals 2016’, created by film writer and director Richard
Curtis; a series of original and interactive animations with the world’s
most popular fictional character Mr. Bean; the ‘World’s Largest
Lesson’, introduced by actress and activist Emma Watson; and ‘The Global
Goals Mobile Show – the very best of Goals Week’, presented by YouTubers
Estee Lalonde and Akilah Hughes, going out on mobiles globally at 6:00
pm EDT on Saturday, 24th September as a lead-up to the Global
Citizen Festival that evening.
The app is a dynamic, collaborative tool that puts a spotlight on how
innovation is helping to achieve the SDGs. The app includes the latest
sustainable development news from around the world, as well as case
studies that illustrate the mobile industry impact in achieving the
goals. Features such as sharing, likes, scoring and a leader board are
designed to drive engagement with the app and increase global activity
to achieve the SDGs.
Users can tailor their experience based on the SDGs that are of the
greatest interest to them and can sign up to receive notifications about
those specific goals. Further, users can interact with others around the
world, find nearby events to join in supporting the goals, and create
‘actions’ in their community and invite others to join.
The app is available for iOS or Android devices. To download the SDGs
in Action app and enjoy the exclusive content, visit: https://sdgsinaction.com/.
Notes to Editors
About the Sustainable Development Goals:
The UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, featuring the 17
Sustainable Development Goals, was unanimously adopted by world leaders
at a historic UN summit in September 2015. By aligning national
priorities with the 2030 Agenda and working together with the private
sector and civil society, governments have started mobilising efforts to
end poverty, address inequalities and tackle climate change by 2030. For
more information on the Goals visit http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment.
About the GSMA
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators worldwide, uniting
nearly 800 operators with almost 300 companies in the broader mobile
ecosystem, including handset and device makers, software companies,
equipment providers and internet companies, as well as organisations in
adjacent industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading
events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress Shanghai and
the Mobile 360 Series conferences.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website at www.gsma.com.
Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA.
Contacts
For the GSMA
Charlie Meredith-Hardy
+44 7917 298428
CMeredith-Hardy@webershandwick.com
or
GSMA
Press Office
pressoffice@gsma.com
