Painted by Mexican artist Manuel Felguerez (1928 – 2020), this piece was given to highlight and symbolize support for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The sculpted mural is an abstract piece of artwork. 

The UN’s 2030 Agenda is a comprehensive plan that was endorsed by 193 Member States to transform the world towards a peaceful, sustainable environment for all. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs, bring together nations to solve global challenges, promote growth, and create a sustainable future. A few principles are:  
•    Universality, where every country will work towards sustainable development.
•    Leaving no one behind, where all people will be considered regardless of location and need.
•    Interconnectedness and invisibility, where goals are implemented as a whole and intact. 
•    Inclusiveness, where everyone can fulfill the SDGs no matter their race, gender, ethnicity, or identity.
•    Multi-stakeholder partnerships, help spread knowledge, technology, and financial resources. 

Artist Manual Felguerez was born in Mexico, where political instability caused his family to lose their land and move to Mexico City. Many years later, he traveled to France, saw the acceptance of abstract style and began to create sculpted murals. He returned to Mexico and remained active beyond eighty years of age.

In 2018, the President of Mexico, Enrique Peña Nieto, presented the gift to the United Nations. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “Art is essential to all human cultures; it nourishes our spirits, reflects our deepest emotions, challenges us to expand our understanding, transcends differences and reminds us that we are one human family.” 

Both speakers agreed, “Eradicating poverty, and achieving sustainable and inclusive development, requires profound changes in the way societies and nations live, interact and relate to each other.”