WATCH LIVE: President Obama speaks at the Closing Session of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals
At 3pm ET, President Obama will speak on why the U.S. is joining other world leaders to adopt new global goals which set out a global development vision and priorities for the next 15 years.
Why Diplomacy Matters – 70 Years of the United Nations
In 1945, after two world wars had laid waste to lands and people across the globe, forty-five nations gathered together in San Francisco to find a new way forward – one that made resolution between countries possible without resorting to violence. They committed to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, to “promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.” From that pledge was born the Charter of the United Nations – an international institution dedicated to international security and an enduring symbol of a simple idea: We, as people, can always find a way to ensure the dignity and worth of human life.
Seventy years later, that mission remains an ever-important guide in our path to a more peaceful world. Todays’ conflicts are numerous and they are chronic – and every nation with the power and capacity to address these issues have an equal obligation to work together to do so effectively.
That is what diplomacy is: Using the influence we have to resolve conflicts, protect the most vulnerable among us, and strengthen international cooperation in the pursuit of peace.
This week, President Obama is headed to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to convene with other world leaders on how we can do just that.
From renewing sustainable development goals to combating violent extremism, here’s what the President is doing at this year’s UNGA:
Sunday, September 27:
- Speak at the closing session of the Summit to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. WATCH LIVE
- Hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India
Monday, September 28:
- Speak at the Opening Session of the 70th United Nations General Assembly. WATCH LIVE
- Deliver remarks at the UN Peacekeeping Summit. WATCH LIVE
- Hold a bilateral meeting with President Vladimir Putin
Tuesday, September 29:
- Speak at the Leaders’ Summit on Countering ISIL and Violent Extremism. WATCH LIVE
- Hold a bilateral meeting with President Raul Castro of Cuba
- Hold a bilateral meeting with President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan
What’s Up At #UNGA
Check out the latest from UN headquarters in New York City:
Watch @AmbassadorPower put the 20th #FreeThe20 image in place across the street from the @UN. #UNGA https://t.co/CO3JmBk4jn
— US Mission to the UN (@USUN) September 27, 2015
ICYMI: The First Lady Launches #62MillionGirls
Today, more than 62 million girls worldwide are out of school. Many of them simply can’t afford the school fees, or the nearest school is miles away, or they just can’t break through the cultural norms and traditions that deem girls unworthy of an education.
That is why the First Lady teamed up with Girl Rising to launch a new education campaign: 62 Million Girls.
In school, I learned how to speak up for myself. #62MillionGirls don't have that chance. http://t.co/xzBLsIl16r –mo pic.twitter.com/lVVkv7vcDD
— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) September 26, 2015
All you have to do is share a photo of yourself on Twitter or Instagram telling the world what you learned in school – something you want 62 million girls to have the opportunity to learn. Make sure you use the hashtag #62MillionGirls and then go to 62MillionGirls.com to see what other people like Stephen Colbert, Misty Copeland, Freida Pinto, and more are sharing and learn why this is a moral crisis that we can help address.
Check out 62MillionGirls.com to learn more.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: #GlobalGoals
In September of 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders came together to declare something entirely new: Together, we would form a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty through clear cut, time-bound goals known as the Millennium Development Goals. These goals would be last for 15 years, world leaders would assess how far we’ve come and adopt new, sustainable goals for to build on that progress for the next 15 years.
It’s 2015, and we’ve seen tangible progress on what we set out to do:
- The global share of people living on less than $1.25 per day has been slashed by more than two-thirds since 1990;
- We have reached gender parity in primary-school enrollment, and the worldwide number of out-of-school children has been cut nearly in half;
- The rate of child mortality has been more than halved, and the proportion of malnourished children has fallen by nearly as much;
- 2.6 billion people gained access to clean drinking water;
- Every continent has seen extraordinary gains – individual incomes have grown by more than one-third, at least, in every region of the developing world.
This week, President Obama is joining other world leaders to adopt new global goals which set out a global development vision and priorities for the next 15 years. This is a pivotal year for global development, in which the United States is joining countries around the world in pledging to leave no one behind based on the fundamental premise that societies are far more likely to secure lasting growth if all individuals have greater access to economic and political opportunities.
Check out the 17 new goals for sustainable development and how they will help end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all: