19 September

19 September | Peace operations and their work in the most challenging places

10:45 - 10:55

UN Peacekeeping remains one of the most significant multilateral tools at our disposal to achieve sustainable peace and development. As global leaders address the General Assembly, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, discusses the evolving role of peace operations in supporting communities in some of the most challenging places in the world.

Speaker:

• Jean Pierre Lacroix, UN Under-Secretary General for Peace Operations

Moderator: Patty Culhane, Correspondent, Al Jazeera English

19 September | Unlocking finance for the SDGs

11:15 - 11:30

This session will focus on the importance of a sustainable finance architecture for the Sustainable Development Goals. To accelerate progress, we need a financial and economic governance architecture designed to support governments, development agencies, civil society and the private sector to make decisions that prioritize investment in the SDGs.

Speaker:

• George Gray Molina, Head of Inclusive Growth and Chief Economist, UNDP

Moderator: Arise News Channel

19 September | Building back biodiversity to protect our common future

11:35 - 11:45

Biodiversity is vital to protect the vast array of species which our planet has, but in striving for human development, this often takes a backseat. This session will highlight the key role that biodiversity plays in addressing climate and achieving all of the Sustainable Development Goals, the outcomes from the recently adopted Biodiversity Agreement, and the solutions needed to secure this key life support system.

Speakers:

• Inger Andersen, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme

Moderator: Arise News Channel

19 September | Media’s social impact role - Shaping Gender Norms

12:00 - 12:20

As one of the pioneers in social impact programming, the session will explore MTV Staying Alive Foundation’s 25-year legacy of creating content to inspire change and empower underrepresented voices. The session will have a special focus on ‘In Bloom’ – a collection of short films that captures the complexities of womanhood and evokes divergent thinking on gender issues, created by 5 female filmmakers from around the world.

Speakers:

• Georgia Arnold, Executive Director, MTV Staying Alive Foundation and SVP Social Responsibility Paramount International
• Tope Oshin, Creative Director of In Bloom, MTV
• Nicole Teeny, Director/Writer of In Bloom

Moderator: Janine Kandel, Deputy Chief, Communications and Advocacy, UN Women

19 September | Announcements

12:30 - 12:50

Google and UN DESA will announce their new UN Data modernization initiative and launch of the UN Data Commons for the SDGs. This first iteration of the overall project will integrate authoritative SDG data and information resources from across the UN System into a public repository with advanced search functionality and an innovative, user-friendly interface.

Cotton On Foundation and Born This Way Foundation aim to impact young people globally and ignite a transformative movement that prioritizes mental health and gives younger generations the tools to take action. The announcement will touch on this partnership and their investment in youth mental health.

Speakers:

• James Manyika, Senior Vice President, Research, Technology & Society, Google
• Maria-Francesca Spatolisano, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, UN DESA
• Imogen Kane, 2023 Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations and Cotton On Foundation

Moderator: Nanette Braun, Officer-in-Charge, Campaigns & Country Office Division, UN Department of Global Communications

19 September | A rising concern - Mental Health and Youth

13:00 - 13:20

Recent events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, compounding crises and more, have contributed to a rise in mental health concerns and conditions globally, especially among young people. This session will highlight the challenges young people face relating to mental health and explore solutions for promoting positive change and providing support.

Speakers:

• Brianna Cayo-Cotter, SVP, Social Impact, MTV Entertainment Studios
• Anushka Gupta, Active Minds Youth Advisory Board
• Livia Caligor, Advisory Board Member, Born This Way Foundation
• Dévora Kestel, Director, Mental Health and Substance Use Department, WHO

Moderator: Mayada Adil, SDG Young Leader

19 September | Fireside chat: Maternal Health and the SDGs

13:30 - 13:50

Women and men have an equal right to live healthily. However, for many women and girls, gender discrimination and gender-related factors can undermine their access to live-saving resources like proper health care. Pregnancy and childbirth pose further risks to women’s health. This session will explore the key issues we’re currently facing around maternal health and gender equity, especially for women of colour, and highlight the need to address these as we reach the midpoint review of all the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaker:

• Ciara, Grammy Award Winning Singer/Songwriter, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist
• Patricia Da Silva, Programme Adviser for UNFPA's Initiative for People of African Descent

Moderator: Natasha Pearlman, Executive Director, Glamour Magazine

19 September | Education Equity: Game changing solutions for youth

13:50 - 14:00

This session focuses on Ciara’s foundation and its key work and advocacy on gender equity and the importance of accelerating progress on education for all youth.

Speaker:

• Ciara, Grammy Award Winning Singer/Songwriter, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist

Moderator: Anne Nwaghodoh, Presenter & Reporter, Channels Television

19 September | Fireside Chat: Sounding the alarm on the climate crisis

14:05 - 14:30

Ahead of the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit, the session will explore big picture climate issues, along with a focus on the climate and gender nexus with a special preview of CNN’s new digital photo initiative, As Equals.

Speaker:

• Selwin Hart, UN Secretary-General Advisor on Climate Action and Just Transition and Assistant Secretary-General

Moderator: Rachel Ramirez, CNN Digital

19 September | Sustainable food systems and traditions

14:30 - 14:50

Sustainable food systems cut across the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals. However, current agricultural practices and systems are depleting our natural resources. Agriculture is the largest consumer of the world’s freshwater resources, one of the main contributors to greenhouse gasses, and more than one-quarter of the energy used globally is consumed on food production and supply. The discussion will highlight the importance of sustainable food systems, their role in traditions and the solutions they can provide in tackling various SDGs.

Speakers:

• Maddalena Fossati Dondero, Editor in chief of La Cucina Italiana and Head of Content of Condé Nast Traveller Italia
• Dino Borri, Eataly Global VP
• Stefanos Fotiou, Director, FAO Office of SDGs and of the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub

Moderator: Alao Abiodun, The Nation Newspaper, RAF Fellow

19 September | Fireside chat: Accelerating action for oceans

15:00 - 15:15

This session will take a look at the current state of the ocean and progress since the Ocean Conference held in June 2022. Speakers will highlight how recent actions, such as the plastics pollution treaty and the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction treaty (BBNJ), are key examples of accelerating progress on the SDGs and what future actions are needed to ensure a sustainable future for all.

Speakers:

• Peter Thomson, UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Ocean

Moderator: Janelle Dumalaon, US Correspondent, Deutsche Welle TV

19 September | The Future of Gender Equality: A Conversation on Gender Balance and Women’s Empowerment

15:30 - 15:50

Gender equality is key to a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable world, but we are sadly still off track. Join the conversation on the current status of gender equality efforts with three leading women representing government, civil society, and international organizations to hear directly from them what more can be done to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.

Speakers:

• Lysa John, Secretary-General, CIVICUS
• Trine Bramsen, Fmr. Minister of Defense (Denmark) and Danish MP
• Marina Ponti, Director, UN SDG Action Campaign

Moderator: Janelle Dumalaon , US Correspondent, Deutsche Welle TV

19 September | Rescuing SDGs for people and planet, through increased ambition (Japanese language)

16:00 - 16:20

This session convenes representatives from the Japanese academia, media and the UN together to explore how we can work as one to get the SDGs back on track, and explore the scientific systemic transformation needed to achieve Agenda 2030.

Speakers:

• Norichika Kanie, Professor at the Graduate School of Media Governance, Keio University
• Nami Inoue, Journalist,Tokyo Broadcasting System
• Masumi Ono, Chief, Social Inclusion and Participation Branch, UN DESA

Moderator: Kaoru Nemoto, Director, UN Information Centre in Tokyo

20 September

20 September | Adapting to a changing world – resilience in the climate crisis

10:30 - 10:50

Beyond doing everything to cut emissions and slow the pace of global warming, we must adapt and build resilience to the effects of climate change. However, current adaptation efforts are far behind what is needed to protect lives and livelihoods from the worsening climate impacts. On this panel, we will hear from experts about the critical role adaptation plays in the global response to climate change and how governments, the UN, and civil society are mobilizing to get the world back on track and deliver on the commitments made in Copenhagen, Paris and Glasgow.

Speakers:

• Eddy Frank Vasquez Sanchez, Founder of Juventud Sostenible, Young Leader for the SDGs
• Valerie Hickey, Global Director, Environment, Natural Resources, and Blue Economy, World Bank
• Srilata Kammila, Head of Climate Change Adaptation, UNDP

Moderator: Ginger Zee, Chief Meteorologist and Managing Editor Climate Change Unit, ABC News

20 September | Reimagining the future of climate

11:00 - 11:15

The session will explore humans’ role in the last major episode of climate change and mass extinction during the Ice Age. La Brea Tar Pits, Los Angeles, is considered the world's most important urban paleontological site documenting the impact of climate change on biodiversity. It’s also a key place in the world to learn about climate adaptation and resilience, which will be critical in the future as we hope to stabilize our planet. We will hear from the President of the Natural History Museum, a scientist and passionate educator who has ambitions to turn the area into the world's foremost museum to engage with climate science and inspire visitors to be change agents for the planet.

Speakers:

• Lori Bettison-Varga, the President and Director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County

Moderator: Scientific American

20 September | ActNow for our common future

11:30 - 11:55

This session will highlight how everyone has a part to play in achieving a more sustainable and just future for all. The panel discussion will explore the connection between individuals’ actions and achieving the SDGs, empower individuals to feel they can effect change and motivate them to make more SDG-conscious choices, and raise awareness for ActNow and how it can be an important tool for both individuals and organizations to drive action.

Speakers:

• Ingrid Silva, ballerina, activist, SDG Circle of Supporters
• Javier Muñoz, artist, activist, SDG Circle of Supporters
• Alessandro Armillotta, co-founder and CEO of AWorld
• Nanette Braun, Officer in Charge, Campaigns & Country Office Division, UN Department of Global Communications

Moderator: Deandre Williamson, International Centre for Journalists, RAF Fellow

20 September | Tackling mis/dis-information: an urgent frontier for action

12:00 - 12:20

Climate impacts are accelerating with every fraction of a degree of global warming. Solutions to decarbonize exist for every sector of the economy. Yet denial, distortion and falsehoods about well-established scientific climate facts are flooding social media feeds, online news platforms, broadcasts and ad spaces – impacting public opinion and delaying or preventing action. This session will discuss the impacts of rampant climate mis- and disinformation, introduce the work of the UN on information integrity and discuss solutions towards shaping a healthier information ecosystem anchored in science.

Speakers:

• Paul Goodloe, Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
• Jake Dubbins, Co-Founder, Conscious Advertising Network, member of Climate Action Against Disinformation
• Vanessa Nakate, Climate activist, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador

Moderator: Charlotte Scaddan, Senior Adviser on Information Integrity, UN Department of Global Communications

20 September | Announcements

12:30 - 12:50

Moderator: Nanette Braun, Officer-in-Charge, Campaigns & Country Office Division, UN Department of Global Communications

Code red: Commitments on the “Promise of 1.5℃” climate action campaign

For the second year in a row, Japanese key broadcasters are joining forces under the “Promise of 1.5℃” climate action campaign in cooperation with the UN. Learn more about what their epoch-making collaboration across competing broadcasters aim for to make a difference for people and planet.

Speakers:

• Yoshiko Kobata, Associate Director, Sustainability Management Department, Fuji Television Network, Inc.
• Nami Inoue, Division President, Sustainability Transformation (SX) Center, TBS HOLDINGS, INC.
• Kaoru Nemoto, UNIC Tokyo Director

Launch of the Data to Policy Navigator and Data to Policy Network for Policymakers globally

UNDP’s Chief Digital Office, the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, and the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation have developed a Data to Policy Navigator and the Data to Policy Network. This global resource and community cater to policymakers interested in integrating data into their policy processes.

Speakers:

• Alena Klatte, Global Project Lead – Data to Policy, UNDP Chief Digital Office

20 September | Redesigning fashion storytelling: a playbook for change

13:00 - 13:20

The fashion sector is not on track to meet its sustainability targets, nor contribute to the global intention of the SDGs. While addressing production impacts is essential, shifting patterns of excess consumption in core markets is also a priority.

This panel will explore the power of fashion’s marketing engine and the opportunity ahead of it to redirect efforts towards sustainable consumption. With leading speakers from across the fashion communication ecosystem, it will dig into countering misinformation, reducing messages perpetuating overconsumption, redirecting aspiration to inspire sustainable lifestyles and empowering consumers into their role as citizens to demand greater action from businesses and policymakers.

Speakers:

• Isabella Marras, Senior Programme Management Officer, Interagency Affairs, UNEP
• Aileen Lerch, Senior Manager, Sustainability, Allbirds
• Aditi Mayer, Visual Storyteller & Climate Activist
• Video message: Amber Valletta, Supermodel, Actress, Entrepreneur and Activist

Moderator: Jenny Bailly, Executive Beauty Director, Allure

20 September | Clean Energy Trends to Power the World

14:25 - 14:45

Energy is at the heart of both the causes and the solutions to the climate crisis. There is no credible path to net-zero emissions without a significant and rapid expansion of clean energy technologies. In this session experts will discuss clean energy advances, some of the challenges of the energy transition, and the importance of treating renewable energy technology as a global public good.

Speakers:

• Wangari Muchiri, Director, Africa Wind Power, Global Wind Energy Council
• Bruce Douglas, CEO, Global Renewables Alliance

Moderator: John Timmer, Senior Science Editor, Ars Technica Magazine

20 September | A World of Debt

14:50 - 15:05

Global public debt reached an all-time high of $92 trillion in 2022. 37 out of 69 of the world’s poorest countries were either at high risk or already in debt distress, highlighting the inherent inequality in the international financial system. The session will look at the drivers of the global debt crisis as well as solutions, including the UN Secretary-General’s call for an SDG Stimulus and a deep reform of the global financial architecture.

Speakers:

• Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Moderator: Martin Jiangang Wang, Xinhua News Agency

20 September | Climate Justice: Why it Matters

15:15 - 15:30

In support of the Climate Ambition Summit, and in demonstration of the UN’s commitment to meaningfully engage young leaders on climate action and in decision making, this session will look at Climate Justice. Panelists will discuss why it matters to people on the frontlines to deliver climate justice.

Speakers:

• Ayisha Siddiqa, UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group member, Pakistan/USA
• Vishal Prasad, Campaign Director Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change (Fiji)
• Noa Greene-Houvras, Community Organizer, Fridays For Future NYC - USA

Moderator: Mauro Calvagna, Canal 26 / Portada Punta del Este, RAF Fellow

20 September | Climate Financing/SIDS

15:40 - 16:00

Small Island Developing States are on the frontline of climate change. Due to their remote locations, they are extremely vulnerable to natural disasters. Despite only contributing one per cent of carbon dioxide emissions, SIDS only had access to $1.5 billion out of $100 billion in climate finance pledged to developing countries in 2019. This session will explore these issues and more.

Speakers:

• H.E. Kamina Johnson Smith, Jamaican Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade

Moderator: Sky News

21 September

21 September | Transforming Climate Communications

10:30 - 10:50

This session will explore the key role that media platforms and advertising organizations can play in raising awareness on the current climate crisis and ensure that climate communications is accessible, effective and actionable.

Speakers:

• Natalia Vega-Berry, Founder/CEO, New Zero World
• Tim Kelly, Executive Director of Earth HQ, Global Commons Alliance
• Emma Stewart, Chief Sustainability Officer, Netflix
• Marcius Extavour, TIME CO2's Chief Climate Solutions Office

Moderator: Maher Nasser, Director, Outreach Division, UN Department of Global Communications

21 September | Storytelling and Social Impact on SDGs

11:00 - 11:20

This session will explore the power of storytelling to positively impact social change aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speakers:

• Kaitlin Maureen Yarnall, Chief Storytelling Officer, National Geographic Society
• Susan Jin Davis, Head of Sustainability, NBC/Comcast
• Crystal Barnes, SVP Corp Social Responsibility, Paramount Media Networks

Moderator: William Nix, Co-Executive Director, Social Impact Entertainment Society

21 September | Art and the SDGs

11:25 - 11:40

UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ilze Brands Kehris, will be speaking to Yacine Kaci, the artist behind the famous Elyx animations about how to leverage digital platforms to educate and engage young people around the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which marks its 75th Anniversary this year. The Declaration enshrines the rights of all human beings and serves as a pathway to achieving the SDGs and advancing the promise of freedom, equality, and justice for all.

Speakers:

• Yacine Ait Kaci Ahmed, Elyx creator

Moderator: IIze Brands Kehris, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights

21 September | Uniting for a Food Secure World: How creativity and innovation can help feed a hungry planet

11:45 - 12:05

In Uniting for a Food Secure World: How creativity and innovation can help feed a hungry planet, the dialogue will explore the importance of advancing sustainable food systems to achieve Agenda 2030 and how creativity and innovation play a critical role in its success.

Speakers:

• Stefano Gatti, Special Envoy for Food Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
• Marina Ponti, Global Director, UN SDG Action Campaign
• Foodmasku, New York-based Indonesian artist

Moderator: Laura Pepe, RAI TV

21 September | Why water matters: accelerating progress on SDG 6

12:05 - 12:30

During the UN 2023 Water Conference, co-founders of Water.org & WaterEquity, Matt Damon and Gary White joined the SDG Media Zone to address the global water crisis and the gaps and challenges around water. This year, as we approach the midpoint review of the 2030 Agenda, we must address the critical need for urgent action and acceleration on progress. This session will be framed as a follow-up to the previous discussion with a stronger focus on next steps towards the achievement of SDG6 and programmes/initiatives accelerating progress on water-related issues.

Speakers:

• Genevieve Edens, Director of Impact, WaterEquity
• Matt Damon, Actor and Co-founder, Water.org & WaterEquity
• Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft

Moderator: Henk Ovenk, Former Special Envoy for International Water Affairs for the Kingdom of the Netherlands

21 September | Pulling poverty reduction back on track (Chinese language)

13:00 - 13:20

Eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 is a pivotal goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, the emergence of COVID-19 marked a turning point, with the number of individuals living in extreme poverty increasing for the first time in a generation by almost 90 million over previous predictions. This session will explore current trends globally, before looking at the Chinese context.

Speakers:

• Haoliang Xu, UNDP Associate Administrator

Moderator: China Daily

21 September | How to Promote Poverty Eradication in Developing countries

13:30 - 13:50

This session will throw some light on how the world, especially Nigeria can use innovative ways to progress the drive towards Poverty Eradication (SDG 1) and building resilient infrastructure, promoting sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation (SDG 9).

Speakers:

• Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Moderator: Kayode Akintemi, Arise News Channel

21 September | Climate, biodiversity and ecological conservation

14:00 - 14:40

How can humans and nature more harmoniously coexist? Highlighting linkages in the international community through mutual reliance on biodiversity and ecological conservation, the session will explore effective measures in the name of sustainability and encourage people to delve into the various actions that can steer the planet in a better direction.

Speakers:

• Doreen Robinson, Head of Biodiversity and Land, Ecosystems Division, UN Environment Program
• Midori Paxton, Director, Nature Hub, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support, UNDP

Moderator: Yingqian Chen, Phoenix TV

21 September | Lessons from the pandemic and preparing for the future

14:45 - 15:00

The COVID-19 pandemic brought into sharp focus the risk of major disease outbreaks. Not only did it highlight countries’ lack of preparedness to address such outbreaks, but also underlined the risks of mis and dis information. In the midst of the high-level meetings on health and pandemic preparedness, this session will explore lessons learnt from the recent COVID-19 pandemic, how to prepare for future crises, and how to properly manage information on these key topics.

Speakers:

• Simon Bishop, CEO, BBC Media Action
• Dr Bruce Aylward, Assistant Director-General, Universal Health Coverage, Life Course, WHO
• Dr Sylvie Briand, Director, Global Infectious Hazards Preparedness, WHO

Moderator: Ian Phillips, Director, News & Media Division, UN Department of Global Communications

21 September | Ocean and Marine Biodiversity

15:00 - 15:15

In June 2023, oceans and marine biodiversity took centre stage at the United Nations where countries met to agree on a new historic agreement to protect areas of the ocean which are beyond any national jurisdiction. Its aim is to advance conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in these areas. As the treaty is opened for signature this week, this session will explore what this means, along with the challenges and solutions for the Ocean.

Speakers:

• Michael Lodge, Secretary General, International Seabed Authority
• Emilie McGloane, Director, Peace Boat US

Moderator: Mark Fischetti, Scientific American

21 September | Youth Investment in the SDGs with Creative Problem-Solving and Coding

15:30 - 16:15

Coding is a 21st Century+ skill that our future workforce needs to solve the world’s grand challenges embodied in the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The discussion will showcase the passion and enthusiasm of today’s youth to solve the challenges they face through creativity in STE(A)M and showcase successful outcomes when the private sector joins forces with NGOs to educate, inspire and empower youth as future STEM leaders in their communities and the world.

Speakers:

• Michael Melillo, Sr. Director of Network Monitoring and Management Software Products,Broadcom Inc.
• Bervin Harris, Renaissance Youth Center
• Johan Santana, Young innovator who codes to address SDG 3 and 10

Moderator: María Susana Roa Chejin, GK newspaper, RAF fellow

22 September

22 September | Mobilizing climate action in the era of global boiling (Japanese language)

10:30 - 10:50

Looking back at the special week for leaders from every corner of the globe to renew their commitments to the common good, what are main outcomes from this week to turbo-charge climate actions? How can we maximize our actions collectively for people and planet, through the power of media? This session will also connect the global debate with various efforts in Japan.

Speaker:

• Yoshiko Kobata, Associate Director, Sustainability Management Department, Fuji Television Network, Inc.
• Minoru Takada, Team Leader on Energy, UN DESA

Moderator: Kaoru Nemoto, UNIC Tokyo

22 September | How to communicate climate for solutions and actions

11:00 - 11:20

How can communications spur action on climate change? How can we communicate science, hope and solutions in a way that resonates with audiences? How do we counter denialism, paralysis and doomism? This panel of communications experts and practitioners will explore these crucial questions and more, providing tips on effective communications to drive change.

Speaker:

• Katharine Hayhoe, Climate scientist
• Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications
• Jeremy Heimans, Co-founder and Chairman of Purpose

Moderator: Ginger Zee, Chief Meteorologist and Climate Change Lead, ABC News

22 September | Through the lens with CNN: Climate crisis and gender inequality

11:30 - 12:30

Studies have shown women are more likely to be impacted by climate change than men. This session will be an opportunity to do a deep dive with CNN to illustrate the link between climate change and gender inequality in a way that is engaging and accurate but does not perpetuate harmful stereotypes. CNN Photo Desk will showcase images from their As Equals project and discuss the behind-the-scenes work that went into producing it. Participants will also hear a status report on climate and gender from a UN expert and learn how CNN has approached this complex topic.

Speaker:

• Bernadette Tuazon,Director of Photography, CNN Digital
• Brett Roegiers, Associate Director of Photography, CNN Digital
• Ginette Azcona, Research and Data Specialist and lead author of the report Progress on the Sustainable Development Goals: The Gender Snapshot 2023”

Moderator:Francyne Harrigan, Chief, Sustainable Development Section

22 September | Announcements

12:30 - 13:00

Establishment of the founding alliance for the Art Charter for Climate Action Luise Faurschou (Founder & CEO, ART 2030) will be announcing the establishment of the Founding Alliance for the development of the Art Charter for Climate Action (ACCA). ACCA will become a network of networks uniting visual art sector stakeholders and initiatives from across the globe to take meaningful action on the climate and nature crisis. The Founding Alliance are the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM), Julie’s Bicycle, Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), and ART 2030, who have a combined reach of over 1000 members in over 70 countries.

Speaker:

• Luise Faurschou, ART 2030 Founder and CEO
• Moderator: Nanette Braun, DGC

Description: Peace Boat US announces the Youth for the SDGs Scholarship Program for the UN Ocean Decade! Peace Boat US will announce the launch of a new series of programs as part of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Together with their international partners, they invite youth leaders from around the world who are working toward sustainability in their home communities to enrich their understanding of marine science and climate action on a global scale through capacity building, citizen science programs, network-building, and educational experiences onboard Peace Boat and in the ports of call.

Speaker:

• Emilie McGlone, Director of Peace Boat US
• Khadija Stewart, Peace Boat Ocean and Climate Change Youth Ambassador

Moderator: Nanette Braun, Officer in Charge, Campaigns & Country Office Division, UN Department of Global Communications

22 September | Harnessing Culture and Community for Sustainable Development

13:00-13:20

In today's rapidly changing world, the importance of culture and community in driving sustainable development cannot be overstated. Culture is the backbone of any society, shaping values, traditions, and identities that influence how we interact with our environment whilst communities are the engines of change, and their active participation is essential for implementing solutions. By uniting cultures and communities in a shared vision for a more sustainable future, we can unlock the creative potential and collective wisdom needed to build resilient societies and protect the planet for generations to come. This panel will explore how culture and community can be harnessed to promote social cohesion, environmental stewardship, and economic resilience.

Speaker:

• Sophia Kianni, Founder, Climate Cardinals
• Samata Pattinson, Cultural Sustainability Pioneer, CEO of Black Pearl

Moderator: Kerry Bannigan, Executive Director, Fashion Impact Fund

22 September | Edutainment and SDGs: Talking to children about climate and the SDGs

13:30-13:50

This session will highlight the importance of educational entertainment and how it can engage and support younger audiences on topics related to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Speaker:

• Lacey Stanton, Executive Producer, Octonauts, Sony Pictures Television – Kids
• Emma Pemberton, Executive Producer of Obki

Moderator: Maher Nasser, Director, Outreach Division, UN Department of Global Communications

22 September | A poem for peace

14:00 - 14:20

Raised in Nigeria’s Borno State, poet Maryam Bukar Hassan has penned a heartfelt poem called “Peace begins with me” with Congolese Peacekeeper Pacifique Akilimali to mark the 75th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping. She discusses the growing need for a global movement for peace and solidarity to heal a fractured world.

Speaker:

• Maryam Bukar Hassan, Poet and Peace Activist

Moderator: Arise News Channels

22 September | Ending Tuberculosis: Taking stock of progress

14:30 - 15:00

Halfway to the deadline for the 2030 Agenda, Heads of State will come together at the second UN High-Level Meeting on TB to revitalize commitments, targets and actions to accelerate efforts to end TB. Against this backdrop, WHO will release a status update with an overview of progress made between 2018 and 2022 to reach the TB targets on prevention, care and financing as established in the 2018 Political Declaration of the UN High-Level Meeting on TB.

Speaker:

• Dr Jérôme Salomon, Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO
• Dr Tereza Kasaeva, Director, Global Tuberculosis Programme, WHO

Moderator: Gabriella Stern, Director of Communications, WHO