3 questions to Marina Ponti, Global Director, United Nations SDG Action Campaign

3 questions to Marina Ponti, Global Director, United Nations SDG Action Campaign

Written interview received on September 17, 2024.

Focus 2030 : With multilateralism in crisis and only 16% of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on track, according to the latest United Nations report, there is an urgency to act. In this challenging context, how can citizens engage in concrete and meaningful ways to ensure their voices are heard and actively contribute to shaping policies and accelerating the achievement of the SDGs ?

Marina Ponti : As you rightly pointed, the SDGs are off track and although the lack of SDG progress is universal, developing countries and the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people are bearing the brunt of our collective failure. We cannot simply continue doing the same and expect a different result.

Today’s challenges are indicative of a flawed global architecture – one that was designed for a world that no longer exists, and is too short-sighted, crisis-prone, and deeply unequal. Therefore, today’s challenges require strong multilateral institutions and frameworks, and effective mechanisms of global governance that are responsive to those challenges. The way forward must be built on shared goals and a common vision.

Achieving such transformative change and working towards systemic reforms may seem an overwhelming task. However, at the UN SDG Action Campaign, we believe that with each day, with each choice, we create the world to come. If most people made choices aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, change would happen fast - taking us to a world that works for people and planet. Choices include how we vote. And with 3.7 billion people getting to vote this year, the stakes have never been higher. In a world of crises and divisions, youth’s vote matters more than ever. And it can help strengthen governance systems that protect rights, embrace inclusion and build trust for a better future where every voice counts.

There is a lot that each citizen can do to make a difference. First, we suggest everyone to connect with civil society and NGOs in your own communities. Civil society has proven to be a major driving force for systemic transformation towards the vision set in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. They play a critical role in policy formulation, especially by ensuring the participation of the marginalized, disempowered and excluded groups at the local, national, regional, and global levels. By connecting with civil society and supporting these groups, people can make their voice heard and at the same time foster inclusion of other vulnerable members of society.

In addition, we would like to encourage people to engage with the UN’s ActNow Campaign. In the AWorld in support of ActNow mobile app, they can track actions for the Sustainable Development Goals and see the impacts they are making, both in terms of the number of actions taken as well as environmental metrics such as CO2, water and electricity saved. By taking small individual actions for our common goals, such as a healthy planet, a just society or a better economy, they can become part of a worldwide effort to act for our common future and accelerate change.

Finally, we want to ask everyone to make an important choice today : to hope. Because hope is brave, not naive. Hope is action, without delay. Together, we can work towards a world where people in all their diversity can thrive, and our magnificent planet continues to nurture life as we know it.

Focus 2030 : One of the major objectives of decision-making processes such as the Summit of the Future is to amplify the voices of youth and ensure that today’s decisions respect the rights of future generations. What role can young people play in mobilizing for transformational change and shaping policy discussions on creating a more inclusive multilateral system ?

Marina Ponti : Our world is currently home to 1.9 billion young people between the ages of 10 to 24, the largest generation of young people in its history. The majority of them live in developing countries, and their numbers are expected to continue to grow. Therefore, it is clear that we won’t achieve the SDGs if we don’t empower young people and make sure they have access to the opportunities they need to fulfil their potential. Young people are a driving force in increasing the resilience of their communities, proposing innovative solutions, driving social progress and inspiring political transformation.

In 2024, youth have played an important role in the preparation of the Pact for the Future and Declaration on Future Generations. They made their voices heard in fora such as the 2024 ECOSOC Youth Forum, the 2024 United Nations Civil Society Conference, and various other consultations in the lead up to the Summit of the Future. However, as the UN Secretary-General António Guterres has powerfully reminded us in a statement in January, the existing “institutions and frameworks of global governance, from the Security Council to the Bretton Woods system, were created 80 years ago. We can’t build a future for our grandchildren with a system built for our grandparents.” This also means establishing more systematic and formal processes to meaningfully integrate young people into national and international policymaking and decision-making processes so that they are fully empowered and can make their voices heard. Therefore, the United Nations created a dedicated UN Youth Office that champions and advocates for young people everywhere and harmonizes the ways the United Nations works with and for young people in all their diversity. By fostering multi-stakeholder intergenerational solidarity, the office’s work focuses on strengthening meaningful, inclusive and effective youth engagement in the areas of sustainable development, human rights, and peace and security.

Beyond the national and international level, we would also like to highlight the transformative actions many young people around the world are already taking at the grassroots level. Every year, the UN SDG Action Campaign organizes its signature SDG Action Awards Programmethat champions initiatives and committed individuals who are wielding the power of creativity and innovation to bring us closer to a more sustainable, equitable and peaceful world. And many of the Awards Alumni are powerful young leaders. The Masungi georeserve, a 2022 UN SDG Action Awards Winner and led by youth, became one of the largest collaborative reforestation efforts in the Philippines while also shifting public policies in the country. The Youth Parliament, a 2023 UN SDG Action Awards Finalist, brought together young people in the Brazilian city of Matão who generated public policy recommendations that directly influenced the work of the municipal legislature, approving laws and measures that promote sustainable development.

The work of these powerful youth initiatives sends us a message of hope. Young people are the ‘torchbearers’ of the 2030 Agenda, and their energy, creativity, and fresh perspectives are essential for shaping a sustainable and inclusive future for all.

Focus 2030 : How does the UN SDG Action Campaign contribute to the engagement of civil society, youth and other groups in the key decision-making processes related to the Sustainable Development Goals ?

Marina Ponti : The UN SDG Action Campaign is mandated to engage, campaign and catalyze positive change towards the Sustainable Development Goals while advocating for rethinking, recalibrating and reimagining economies and societies so that they serve people and the planet. With a cross-cutting focus on fairness, inclusivity and justice, the Campaign advocates for the reform of the international financial architecture, human rights economy and beyond GDP, gender equality, climate action, sustainable food systems, peace, inclusive digital governance and other policy priorities.

At the UN SDG Action Campaign, we believe in the importance of meaningful civic participation to policy making and processes related to the Sustainable Development Goals at all levels to ensure a more inclusive multilateral system and greater accountability. Therefore, the Campaign provides engagement support and convenes dialogues and consultations on policy proposals in the lead up to key decision-making processes such as the Summit of the future, the second Second World Summit for Social Development the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development.

In the lead up to the Summit of the Future, the UN SDG Action Campaign hosted informal dialogues and strategic meetings that provided a space for civil society, youth and other stakeholders to share views and priorities with high-level UN representatives and the Co-facilitators of the Summit of the Future, while agreeing on messages and strategies towards the Summit of the Future and beyond. Additionally, the UN SDG Action Campaign is supporting processes such as the Civil G7 and G20 Social Summits through strategic advocacy and communication and facilitates the participation of civil society representatives from the Global South.

The UN SDG Action Campaign also believes in the power of advocacy and campaigning to increase impact and respond more effectively to the complexity of our times. Therefore, it provides advocacy and campaigning support to partners with impactful, open-source campaigns leveraging creative medium from digital art to activations that inspire and engage millions, influence political processes and tap into humanity’s creative power for good. Our global network of partners reaches diverse audiences on core SDG messages, using the Flip the Script, SDG Butterfly Effect and Unite to Act campaigns to advocate for transformative change.

Finally, as I shared earlier, the UN SDG Action Campaign proudly runs the UN SDG Action Awards programme that showcases heroes changing the world and sending a message of infinite possibilities. We have recently launched our inspiring finalists of the 2024 UN SDG Action Awards, a group of initiatives and changemakers that are driving impact and transforming communities across the globe. We encourage you to discover the inspiring stories of the finalists and stay tuned for more details on the 2024 UN SDG Action Awards Ceremony in October that will reach global and national audiences through UN WebTV and television and radio broadcasts in partnership with Rai, Italy’s public national broadcaster.