Global Goals Champions Outreach to over 20,000 Recognized at Launch of TIMUN 2017

Arusha – Global Goal Youth Champions, young people trained by the United Nations in Tanzania, have directly reached over 20,000 people through their awareness-raising campaign on the Global Goals. By empowering youth to conduct awareness-raising activities in their communities, the initiative, which was launched in June 2016 by UN Resident Coordinator, Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, seeks to make youth active participants in the achievement of the Global Goals.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Tanzania International Model United Nations (TIMUN) 2017 at Nelson Mandela University in Arusha, Mr. Rodriguez said that the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda requires the involvement of everyone. He pointed out the importance of youth’s participation in development issues in Tanzania where youth comprise over 67 percent of the population. Mr. Rodriguez thanked the champions for their focus and commitment to raising awareness on the Global Goals and urged them to strive to do even more.

“I urge all of you to recognize that this is just the beginning and there is still a lot of work to be done. As the UN, we envision all of you being involved, not just in educating people on the Global Goals, but also in helping monitor the progress of the goals in your communities and implementing them. Events like TIMUN only improve your ability to help achieve the Global Goals,”said Mr. Rodriguez while addressing youth at the TIMUN opening ceremony. “We will continue to do our very best to support the incredible work you’re doing and I look forward to discussing successes and challenges that you’ve encountered,” he added before officially opening TIMUN.

The first 50 Global Goals Youth Champions were trained last year at TIMUN 2016 and this year’s TIMUN represents a full cycle of Global Goals outreach for them. There are now over 500 Global Goals youth champions in Tanzania. Since then, the champions have reached over 20,000 Tanzanians with the message of the Global Goals. “If people don’t know about the goals, they cannot help to make them a reality,” said Gloria Nassary, who was among the first 50 Global Goals Youth Champions.

In September 2015, 193 member states adopted the Global Goals. The new universal transformative agenda is to be implemented over the next 15 years and brings together social, economic and environmental sustainable objectives.