At its annual Goalkeepers events, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced this year’s Goalkeepers Global Goals Award winners, recognizing the contributions of six remarkable leaders working in their communities and around the world to advance progress towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
The awards ceremony took place during UN General Assembly week on the evening of September 19. It was followed by a daytime event today to discuss current and future efforts to achieve the Global Goals through concrete action and new approaches to development finance. Participants included Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan, President William Ruto of Kenya, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Bill Gates, Melinda French Gates, and more than 400 young changemakers from around the world.
Earlier this week, the foundation responded to an alarming reversal in progress on Global Goal 3 by announcing commitments totaling $200 million to help achieve universal access to family planning products and information, faster delivery of lifesaving health solutions, and a reduction in maternal and child mortality.
“Halfway to the deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals, our annual Goalkeepers Report shows that on 18 indicators—from poverty to gender equality, education to food security, health to climate— the world is off track,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation. “But we also see where innovation, investment, and the extraordinary work of passionate changemakers around the world have the potential to turn the tide, saving the lives of 2 million mothers and babies by 2030.”
The full text of the 2023 Goalkeepers Report can be found here:
https://www.gatesfoundation.org/goalkeepers/report/2023-report/
Celebrating Global Goalkeepers
This year’s 2023 Goalkeepers Global Goals Awards Ceremony was hosted by Elaine Welteroth, award winning journalist, TV host, and author, and was attended by global leaders, activists, and celebrities. The event included special performances by Tiwa Savage, Nigerian singer-songwriter and actress; Usha Jey, Tamil dancer and choreographer; Zara Larsson, Swedish singer-songwriter; and the Harlem Gospel Choir.; Zara Larsson, Swedish singer-songwriter; and the Harlem Gospel Choir.
The daytime event featured special guests Jon Batiste, American musician and singer; David Oyelowo, actor, director, and producer; Titilope Sonuga, Nigerian poet and former poet laureate; and Sallie Krawcheck, founder of Ellevest.
“This year’s Goalkeepers Global Goals Award winners show us how human ingenuity and innovation can help tackle some of the world’s most difficult challenges,” said Blessing Omakwu, deputy director, global content and campaigns and Goalkeepers lead. “Everyone has the power to make a difference in their communities, and these courageous and indefatigable advocates are helping tens of thousands of people live healthier, more productive lives.”
This year’s awards include:
• The 2023 Global Goalkeeper Award, which recognizes a leader who has driven progress on a global scale toward achieving the Global Goals, was presented to the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida, for championing resilient, equitable, and sustainable universal health coverage for all; embedding the Global Goals in Japan’s development cooperation charter; and strengthening the global health architecture to prevent future pandemics.
• The 2023 Campaign Award, which celebrates a campaign that has raised awareness or built a community by inspiring action and creating change, was presented to The Farmlink Project, founded by Aidan Reilly, Ben Collier, and James Kanoff, for its work advocating for and building community around food equity in the United States. Through its network of more than 600 student fellows and 6,000 volunteers, The Farmlink Project has provided 83 million meals and transferred more than 130 million pounds of nutritious food to communities facing hunger. |