President Mahama appointed Co-Chair of SDGs Advocates
President John Dramani Mahama and the Prime Minister of Norway, Ms. Erna Solberg, have been appointed Co-Chairs of a group of 16 eminent Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Advocates.
They are to support the Secretary-General in his efforts to generate momentum and commitment to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
These were contained in a statement from the Flagstaff House Communication Bureau and copied to the Ghana News Agency.
The SDGs adopted by world leaders at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit on 25 September 2015 represents a commitment by all nations to work together to end poverty, achieve shared prosperity, build peace, and secure a life of dignity and a healthy planet for present and future generations.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon who announced the appointment in New York today said the “16 Advocates will leverage their unique standing and leadership to promote the SDGs as part of an ambitious and trans-formative global agenda.”
Working as champions of advocacy, the SDG Advocates will promote the universal character of the SDGs, including their commitment to leave no one behind; promote the engagement of new stakeholders in the implementation and financing of the SDGs; encourage partnerships with governments, civil society and private sector to share knowledge and resources; and raise awareness for the integrated nature of the SDGs.
Other Members of the Group are Her Majesty, Queen Mathilde of Belgium, Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, Mr. Richard Curtis, Screenwriter, Producer and Film Director, Ambassador Dho Young-Shim, Chairperson, United Nations World Tourism Organization’s Sustainable Tourism for Eliminating Poverty Foundation and Ms. Leymah Gbowee, Director, Gbowee Peace Foundation.
The others are, Mr. Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group, Mrs. Graça Machel, President, Foundation of Community Development and the UNESCO National Commission in Mozambique, Ms. Alaa Murabit, Founder, The Voice of Libyan Women, Mr. Paul Polman, Chief Executive Officer Unilever and Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Earth Institute at Colombia University
The rest are, Ms. Shakira Mebarak, Artist/Singer Songwriter/Advocate, Mr. Forest Whitaker, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative and Professor Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank.
Source: GNA