The UN General Assembly’s (UNGA) high-level side event on “Social Business, Youth and Technology” was held at the United Nations Head Quarters, New York on September 26th 2019 aiming to encourage citizens’ efforts and innovations on climate actions and achieve SDGs.
The theme for this year’s programme was “Innovate Together for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and Climate Actions Through Social Business “, according to a press release.
The Global Committee on Social Business for Sustainable Development Goals, chaired by Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, aims to build a global cross-sector and cross-generational partner network to innovate together for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
This event has been organised annually for three consecutive years during the UNGA to bring together heads of states and ministers, Nobel Laureates, UN SDG Advocates, and others to boost ambition and accelerate actions in achieving SDGs.
This year’s event was hosted by the Government of Ghana, Government of Cape Verde, and Global Committee on Social Business for Sustainable Development Goals,according to a press released.
This 74th edition of the event was co-sponsored by the Governments of France, Luxembourg, Saint Lucia, in partnership with the Government of Nigeria and co-curated by Yunus Centre, Bangladesh, the Yunus And You Foundation of Germany and Youthink Center of China.
The event’s opening addresses were made by Hon Ulisses Correia e Silva, prime minister of Cape Verde, H.E. Sunday Dare, minister of Youth and Sports Development of the Federal Republic Nigeria, former environment minister of Brazil and activist Prof Marina Silva, H.E. Christophe Itier, French high commissioner for Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation, Dr. Daniel Gustafson, deputy director-general of FAO and Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The focus was to build a global ecosystem to support social business, youth and technology for SDGs.
The event also aims to promote cross-sector and generational partnerships for innovation and development while building a global network to support youth on technical innovation through social business.
Following the opening session an inter-generational dialogue on citizen’s action for achieving SDGs was held followed by a session on Pact for Impact, a global alliance for social and inclusive economy.
Later, partners launched their innovations, made commitments and shared their action plan on Climate Action and achieving sustainable development goals.
Notable speakers included Guilia Braga of Connect4Climate, World Bank Group, Dr. Francois Ekoko, Regional Coordinator for Africa, UN Office for South-South Cooperation, Wang Yuan, Board Member, China Climate Action Network, Juan E. Chebly, Founder and President of the Board of The Give Me 5 Campaign for People and Planet.
A large number of participants joined the debate and shared their experiences and expectations.
Kartik Desai, executive director, Asha Impact, Krishnee Adnarain Appadoo, co-founder and CEO, Mind Matters, Giorgio Alberto Franyuti Kelly, executive director, Medical IMPACT among others participated.
The participants organised their discussions according to the following three topics:
a) Youth@UNGA74: What we will do next? Together and Stronger!
b) Social Business: Sustainable way to build a better world
c) Technology: Drive transformative change for achieving SDGs faster
Prominent participants at the Youth@UNGA74 includes Prof Yunus, who participated in a high level breakfast event organised by newly appointed Director General of FAO, Mr Qu Dongyu.
CEOs of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and global agricultural institutions and food and agriculture industries were invited to the breakfast to exchange views with the new Director-General.
Professor Yunus highlighted the issue that rural economy should not be looked as an appendix to the urban economy as supplier of labour to the urban economy.
“Rural economy should be seen as independent self-reliant dynamic growth centres. Its people should not be viewed as potential labour to be absorbed in the urban economy, they should be seen as entrepreneurs building up the economy of their own, competing with urban economy”, he said.
Yunus also added that it is wrong to categorise people only as farmers, they should be viewed as entrepreneurs.
“Appropriate institutions have to be built to support their entrepreneurship. A situation has to be built where routine migration of rural youth to urban centres will come to an end, and urban economies will have tough competition in getting labour from rural areas”, he continued.
In the evening of September 26, Yunus was a special guest of United Nations Environment Pogramme (UNEP) at their Champion of the Earth award ceremony and dinner.
Greta Thunberg addressed the ceremony through a video message.
