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UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME HOSTS 50th
ANNIVERSARY GALA TO SUPPORT GLOBAL GOALS TO END POVERTY WITHIN A
GENERATION
Celebrating
a half-century milestone while gearing up to implement an
ambitious international plan to eliminate poverty and tackle
climate change, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
hosted its first-ever gala fundraiser, the inaugural Global
Goals Gala: A Night for Change. The event took place at
Phillips, 450 Park Avenue in Manhattan, on the evening of
Monday, December 5.
The host
committee included three current UNDP Goodwill Ambassadors: His
Royal Highness Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, and actors Connie
Britton and Michelle Yeoh. These ambassadors and other
influencers helped highlight UNDP’s work around the globe,
introduce honorees and appoint a new UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, a
high-profile actor/activist whose identity were kept under wraps
until shortly before the event.
The
evening featured celebrity advocates, political
heavyweights and global partners helping UNDP mark 50 years of
progress for the world. Among those serving on the host
committee were Edward Dolman, chairman and CEO of Phillips (gala
committee chair); Sir Harold Evans, editor-at-large, Thomson
Reuters; Kate Garvey, co-founder of Project Everyone; Jean Todt,
UN Secretary-General Special Envoy for Road Safety; and Jimmy
Wales, founder of Wikipedia and Wikimedia Foundation.
“The United
Nations Development Programme has spent the last five decades
fighting poverty and protecting our planet,” said Michael
O’Neill, UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Director of
External Relations. “But we can’t get the job done without our
influential supporters and advocates by our side, which is why
we are delighted and proud to add another powerful voice to the
cause when we appoint a new Goodwill Ambassador on December 5.”
The gala
was interactive, giving guests the unique opportunity to
experience what UNDP does to improve people’s lives around the
globe. Central to this experience was its work in helping
countries achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Also
known as the Global Goals, they were agreed to by world leaders
last year seeking to eliminate poverty and stop climate change
by 2030.
About
UNDP
The United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which celebrate its 50th
anniversary this year, works in nearly 170 countries to
eliminate poverty and has helped improve the lives of billions
of people. We partner with governments, communities, businesses,
and individuals to create a world where all people prosper and
the planet is protected from harm. UNDP has teamed up with
nations across the globe to help them achieve the 17 new Global
Goals to end poverty, reduce inequality, and tackle the effects
of climate change by 2030.
Visit UNDP at http://www.undp.org.
Follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @UNDP.
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