We have now seven years left to fulfill the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Growth Objectives (SDGs) by 2030. On the heels of the World Financial Discussion board and the primary UN water convention in nearly 50 years, firms and organizations all over the world are anticipated to refresh their SDG commitments–and to use extra ambition and urgency to them than ever.
At UNICEF, we’ve got labored with firms all over the world to put money into a safer, extra sustainable world for youngsters by specializing in the SDGs. And I’ve seen firsthand what makes the most important and most rapid affect.
The key? Partnering with a corporation that’s already steeped within the SDGs and devoted to accelerating progress towards them.
Consider it like studying a brand new language or coaching for a marathon. Certain, you are able to do it by yourself, however by working with a accomplice with longstanding experience you’ll attain your vacation spot extra shortly and with extra confidence.
The identical goes for a corporation like UNICEF. By a long time of partnerships with the non-public sector in tons of of territories, we’ve been capable of do way more to strengthen the methods that shield kids and their households than we’d have been capable of do on our personal.
Listed here are three examples of how our partnerships to advance the SDGs have delivered affect at scale. They show how investing in scalable options for youngsters in the present day will lead to stronger, extra resilient communities tomorrow.
Bettering psychological well being and well-being for tens of millions of younger folks
Whereas psychological well being is a vital accelerator throughout all SDGs, one objective, SDG3 is devoted to making sure “wholesome lives and promote well-being for all in any respect ages.”
Nonetheless, COVID-19 has sadly challenged our skill to fulfill this objective in addition to our different 2030 deadlines for youngsters and youth.
The excellent news? The pandemic additionally led the non-public sector and enterprise leaders to quickly acknowledge the significance of psychological well-being for the survival, development, and improvement of younger folks–and for his or her prospects and workers of their position as mother and father and caregivers.
Even earlier than the pandemic, younger folks had been carrying the burden of unaddressed psychological well being points, with one in seven experiencing psychological issues worldwide, and half of all psychological issues starting by the age of 14.
One group alone can’t deal with the necessity to speed up progress on this entrance. Fairly, what we’d like is the sort of collective motion we’ve seen with the World Coalition for Youth Psychological Properly-being–a UNICEF-hosted initiative launched with the help of Z Zurich Basis.
The coalition seeks to handle the rising international burden of psychological well being circumstances in youth by providing a world platform for funding and motion on psychological well-being. Strategic members embody Jo Malone London, Spotify, and Zurich Insurance Group, alongside Z Zurich Basis.
Collectively, our goal is to strengthen the social and emotional abilities and the supportive and nurturing environments for the psychological well being and well-being of 30 million younger folks in 30 international locations by 2030, delivering affect at scale and serving to obtain the SDGs.
Mapping college connectivity to provide kids info, alternative, and selection
Not all of our partnerships concentrate on one SDG. Most cowl a number of, as has been the case with Ericsson. We’ve come collectively to assist map college connectivity all over the world.
Mapping the web connectivity panorama for faculties and their surrounding communities is a essential first step towards offering each youngster with entry to digital studying alternatives. This joint effort is a part of the Giga initiative. Launched in 2019 and led by UNICEF and the Worldwide Telecommunication Union, Giga goals to attach each college on the earth to the web.
With the help of Ericsson and different companions, over 2 million college areas throughout 136 international locations have now been mapped. Ericsson’s monetary and in-kind help has contributed to Giga’s achievement in connecting an preliminary 5,500 faculties and over 2 million college students throughout 4 continents.
Turning luxurious merchandise into fundraising automobiles to assist kids survive and thrive
A artistic partnership with Louis Vuitton is elevating funds to help UNICEF’s efforts to achieve kids, particularly in emergencies. A uniquely designed product, the Silver Lockit–symbolizing safety, care, and a dedication to assist kids–was created and made accessible in Louis Vuitton shops worldwide and on-line. Louis Vuitton additionally inspired its workers members, companions, and shoppers to make direct donations to UNICEF all year long.
UNICEF and Pandora are additionally turning baubles into large motion on SDG3. As a part of a three-year international partnership, Pandora launched a sequence of merchandise in help of UNICEF for its “Charms for change” initiative, offered at shops throughout 100 international locations. The funds we’re elevating with Pandora go in direction of UNICEF packages on schooling, gender equality, rights consciousness, private empowerment, and civic engagement, in addition to UNICEF’s core work to assist kids all over the world survive and thrive.
The partnership, help, and belief in UNICEF that every of those organizations has proven have been invaluable in our work to attain the SDGs.
We imagine deeply that a greater future–the one promised by the SDGs–continues to be potential. And we all know, and not using a shadow of a doubt, that investing in kids is a prerequisite for that future.
With customers anticipating accountability from firms on their SDG commitments, public-private partnerships are a useful option to show what’s potential when hope turns into collaboration.
Carla Haddad Mardini is the director of the non-public sector fundraising and partnerships division at UNICEF.
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