Watch the video: https://s3.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/ondemand/2932232_MSG+DSG+AMINA+MOHAMMED+SPOTLIGHT+INITIATIVE+13+SEP+22.mp4

Dear friends and colleagues,

It is a pleasure to welcome you to the Spotlight Initiative Global Learning Symposium.

First, I’d like to extend my deep appreciation for your commitment to building a world free from violence against women and girls.

The impressive results of the Spotlight Initiative have only been possible because of your passion and determination - the collective efforts of many individuals working towards a common goal.

The Initiative is unprecedented in its scope and ambition. Most importantly, it has allowed millions of women and girls to exercise their human rights - giving them a life-changing level of freedom, they did not previously enjoy.

The Spotlight Initiative has changed laws; improved access to critical healthcare and services; provided education to underserved communities; and supported the most vulnerable women and girls in some of the most remote parts of the world.

It has put resources into the hands of local organizations and civil society advocates and contributed to a reduction in harmful practices including female genital mutilation. It has saved lives.

Its programmes and partnerships are helping local communities raise awareness and create enabling environments for survivors to seek and demand life-saving services and support.

Spotlight's success provides an opportunity for others to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals more broadly. It has showcased a new, more collaborative, inclusive, and innovative way of working that maximizes the benefits of our collective capacities.

Spotlight is a demonstration of the power of multilateralism and effective international cooperation.

This principle is at the heart of the reform to the UN development system and our determination to keep the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.

It is proof that when we work together, from the grassroots to the highest levels of government, we can transform societies to create real, lasting change for people.

Now we must make every effort to safeguard the significant progress we have made, through strong ownership at the national, regional, and global levels.

And we must build on the momentum we've created to end gender-based violence for good.

At this critical juncture, let's make sure that our impact is not just sustained, but magnified.

We must intensify and continue the push to make violence against women and girls a thing of the past.

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