The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, on Wednesday named the dethroned Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, and 16 others as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) advocates.
The appointment was made known in a statement by Special Assistant to the UN Resident Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Fred Eno. He stated that the new advocates would help push the agenda of global development to a new height.
The statement said: “These 17 influential public figures are committed to raising awareness, inspiring greater ambition, and pushing for faster action on the SDGs, which were adopted by world leaders on 25 September 2015.
“United Nations Member States agreed to accomplish the SDGs by 2030. To build the momentum for transformative, inclusive development by 2030, the Secretary-General’s SDG Advocates will use their unique platforms and leadership to inspire cross-cutting mobilization of the global community.
“We have the tools to answer the questions posed by climate change, environmental pressure, poverty, and inequality. They lie in the great agreements of 2015 – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
“But tools are no use if you don’t use them. So, today, and every day, my appeal is clear and simple. We need action, ambition and political will. More action, more ambition, and more political will”.
Members are: Her Majesty Queen Mathilde of the Belgians (Kingdom of Belgium), His Royal Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano (Federal Republic of Nigeria), Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Founder, Education Above All Foundation (State of Qatar), Mr. Richard Curtis, Screenwriter, Producer, and Film Director (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)
Also appointed are; Ms. Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, Activist, Environment and Indigenous Rights (Republic of Chad), Mr. Jack Ma, Founder, and Executive Chairman, Alibaba Group (People’s Republic of China), Mrs. Graça Machel, Founder, Graça Machel Trust (Republic of Mozambique), Ms. Dia Mirza, Actress, and Film Producer, UN Environment Program Goodwill Ambassador for India (Republic of India)
Dr. Alaa Murabit, Founder, The Voice of Libyan Women (Canada), Ms. Nadia Murad, Nobel Laureate, Chair and President, Nadia’s Initiative, UN Office on Drugs and Crime Goodwill Ambassador (Republic of Iraq), Mr. Edward Ndopu, Founder, Global Strategies on Inclusive Education (Republic of South Africa), Mr. Paul Polman, Chair, International Chamber of Commerce, Vice-Chair of the Board of United Nations Global Compact (Kingdom of the Netherlands)
Mr. Jeffrey Sachs, Director, Center for Sustainable Development, Columbia University (United States of America), Ms. Marta Vieira da Silva, Footballer, Orlando Pride, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador (Federative Republic of Brazil), Mr. Forest Whitaker, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation (United States of America)
