A week in favor of the Sustainable Development Goals

By Diana Lopez Caramazana,

on behalf of the UN SDG Action Campaign

When the member states of the United Nations approved the 2030 Agenda in September 2015, nobody could imagine that the SDGs would become such a powerful instrument for transformation. And this is partly because the SDGs touch us all; they touch our lives and are something that we all understand. But part of this success can also be explained because cities and regions have endorsed this global agenda. The SDGs are a reality because these Goals have become an instrument to plan, communicate and measure the impact of public action.

This interconnection between local action and global impact is here to stay, and the COVID pandemic keeps demonstrating the interlinkages between our individual actions and an impact that is global. The 2030 Agenda also brings to light very clearly the connection between the individual, the territory and the planet, and how the actions that regions implement in their own territories are contributing to global sustainability.

There are only 9 years to go until the year 2030, and we need to keep accelerating action and make this moment a Turning Point for people and the planet. That is why the UN SDG Action Campaign would like to invite all the ORU-FOGAR members to join the Global Week to #Act4SDGs this September. 

What is the Global Week #Act4SDGs, 17 – 28th September 2021

Each year, we celebrate the adoption of the 2030 Agenda on 25th September 2015 with a global mobilization that aims to drive collective action, mobilizing key stakeholders from all sectors to drive change while reminding world leaders that people around the world are doing their part to accelerate progress on the SDGs.

This year, we invite you to organize events, mobilize your communities, inspire others and register your actions in the interactive global map at https://act4sdgs.org/global-map/

Our target is to reach millions of actions, and the multiplying effect of regional governments is key!

What can you do?

Social media campaign #TurnItAround

Take a picture of an action your region has undertaken to implement SDGs and showcase how it was before and after! Tag it using #TurnItAround and let people know what SDG or SDGs the initiative is supporting.

Organize an event in your region

We invite all ORU-FOGAR members to plan actions and events between 17th and 28th September that contribute to one or all of the SDGs. The objective is to bring together the broadest spectrum of events, conferences, demonstrations, petitions, campaigns, local actions, etc. to create a huge groundswell of global action towards the achievement of the SDGs. Past editions of the Global Week included neighborhood or beach cleanups, tree planting, museum exhibits, school art projects, concerts, runs/walks/treks, community garage sales, online and offline campaigns and much more. The actions can be as creative as you are! For inspiration, discover examples of actions here https://trello.com/b/mOvFxhVP/act4sdgs

It is very important that we know about what you plan to do, please register your actions at https://act4sdgs.org/how-to-join-organization/ 

We need your help to make the 2030 Agenda a reality for all, everywhere! 

For more information, please contact me at diana.lopez (at) undp.org