PRESS RELEASE: General Assembly President rings the NASDAQ stock market closing bell, calls for financing for global goals

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 8 June 2018 –The President of the United Nations General Assembly, H.E. Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, rang the Closing Bell at the Nasdaq Stock Market’s MarketSite in Times Square today.

Speaking beforehand, he said, “At the United Nations, we focus on peace and security. We focus on development. And we focus on human rights. But above all, we focus on people. Because the truth is that our world is getting smaller. And our neighbours’ problems are our problems. And we need to work together to fix these problems.”

Drawing attention to the Sustainable Development Goals, he added, “The plan is there. Now we have to make sure it turns into a reality. And for this we need the private sector.”

In that context, President Lajčák highlighted his high-level event on financing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which will be held on Monday 11 June at United Nations Headquarters, under the theme “Breaking the Bottlenecks of Investment from Policy to Impact.” It will aim to address the factors that block private investment toward SDG sectors. It will also examine the role of the United Nations in strengthening public-private partnerships and how the United Nations can better align itself with the rapidly-changing world of international finance. The event will bring together representatives from the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), regional development banks and businesses.

More information about the President’s high-level event can be found at: https://www.un.org/pga/72/event-latest/financing-the-sustainable-development-goals/

Watch video of closing bell ceremony here

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For media inquiries, please contact Brenden Varma, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly, ‪1-212-963-7238, ‪1-347-556-3433, ‪varmab@un.org.