Media Advisory
SDG GLOBAL FESTIVAL OF ACTION, 25-26 MARCH 2021
- A Turning Point for People and Planet -Innovation, inspiration, and entertainment brings the global community together
to drive action towards the SDGs
WHAT: T​ he fifth ​SDG Global Festival of Action​, powered by the U​ N SDG Action Campaign​, finds new ways
to inspire, mobilize and connect people and organizations to take action on the SDGs. In light of thepandemic, the Festival will be held in a dynamic virtual space with six different stages, featuring plenary
sessions, lightning talks, performances, interactive workshops, exhibits, and a space to connect with leaders,changemakers, activists, private sector and more. To access the virtual space, please register:
bit.ly/JoinGlobalFest2021​.
WHY NOW: ​We must make 2021 a turning point for people and planet! ​COVID-19 has turned our life upside
down, and it urges everyone to work together towards a better recovery, keeping the SDG’s as our ‘northstar’ and blueprint for transformative action. Centering around the concept of turning things around, theFestival will ​provoke debate and drive ideas and actions around four themes that will determine the pace ofprogress: we must #TurnItAround for climate action, gender equality, poverty and inequalities, and inclusive
systems and sustainable finance. The pandemic has shown the resilience of humankind and how global
threats require global action and solidarity that will take us past the turning point and on to transformation.
WHEN:​ On 25 and 26 March, visit l​ ive.globalfestivalofaction.org​ t​ o access the full Festival program on thevirtual platform, including workshops, networking spaces, exhibits and more, in English, French and Spanish,
as well as International Sign Language. The main stage program will also be streamed live in English only on
UN WebTV​, and ​UN YouTube.
FEATURED SPEAKERS AND PERFORMERS: f​ or a complete list, see our online P​rogram​:Amina J
Mohammed

Achim Steiner
UNDP Administrator

United Nations
Deputy Secretary
General

Eddie Ndopu

Maria
Flachsbarth
Parliamentary
Secretaryof State

Danny
Sriskandarajah

Ilona Szabó
de Carvalho

CEO of Oxfam
Great Britain

Co-founder and presidentof theIgarapé InstituteMitzi JonelleTanMeera
Dasgupta

Prajakta Koli

Convenor, Youth
Advocate for Climate
Action Philippines

United States
Youth Poet Laureate

UN SDG Advocate

Digital ContentCreator, YouTubeCreators for ChangeAmbassador

Delphine O

Jutta Urpilainen

Secretary General,
Generation Equality
Forum

EuropeanCommissioner forInternational
Partnerships

Yemi AladeSiya Kolisi

Nigerian Afropopsinger, actress andUNDP Goodwill
Ambassador

Tomoko Kubota
News Editor,
TBS News, JapanUN Global Advocate,
Spotlight Initiative

Featuring
performancesfrom P​atti Smith​,
Yoko Ono​, ​Bomba
Estéreo, a​ nd more

SDG GLOBAL FESTIVAL OF ACTION FROM JAPAN, 25-26 March: T​ his special program will be curated andproduced by UN agencies based in Japan, in collaboration with multi-sectoral partners, as part of a pilot
integration of a spin-off Festival hub. With a keen focus on exchanging best practice and innovations
between Japanese stakeholders and international experts, this novel track will take international insights to a
local audience and connect local innovations with global participants and networks. More information ​here​.
PROGRAM: A​ full list of events can be found on our website: ​globalfestivalofaction.org​. On 25 March, the​ U​ N
SDG ACTION AWARDS CEREMONY​ will recognize and celebrate the achievements of UN SDG Action
Awards Finalists and Honourable Mentions – and shine a spotlight on bold and novel approaches with thepower to be scaled and replicated at a time when we most need hope, creativity and collaboration. Winning
initiatives will be announced live during the ceremony. W​ ORKSHOPS​:​ W​ e are excited to offer our participants
dedicated ideation, upskilling, campaign activation and well-being workshops for a unique and personalizedFestival experience. Whether you are a professional, a founder, a student, or looking to learn something new,the workshops have something for everyone. Full list will be live on 9 March).​ E​ XHIBITS:​ T​ he virtualexperiences and exhibition space will showcase immersive films, photo galleries and multimedia exhibitstransforming the way we look and experience this turning point moment and call to action on the SDGs.

BROADCAST OPPORTUNITIES: ​Interested media partners can receive a live embed link to host the Festival
on their digital platforms. Pre-recorded sessions can be made available in advance to use in yourprogramming. Please contact us for details.

MULTILINGUALISM AND ACCESSIBILITY: L​ ive and pre-recorded sessions featured on the Main Stage will
be in English and simultaneously translated into French and Spanish and signed in International Sign
Language for full accessibility. Live and pre-recorded sessions on the Japan Stage will be in English andJapanese and will also be signed in International Sign Language. Social media assets will be in English,French, Spanish and Japanese.

J​ oin us as an official Media Partner and #TurnItAroundfor people and the planet! Sign up for the latest information: ​bit.ly/JoinGlobalFest2021
MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO COLLABORATE:Media Brief​ | ​Partner Brief​ | ​Social Media Kit ​ | M​ edia Advisory in French and Spanish
Social Media:​ T​ witter​ | F​ acebook​ | ​Instagram​ | ​LinkedIn​ | Y​ ouTube​ | ​Medium

Zuha Al-Hammadi
zuha.al-hammadi@undp.org

Martin Samaanmartin.samaan@undp.org