Media Update: United Nations Pakistan, 7 July 2023

UNIC

PRESS RELEASE

UN LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN, CALLING FOR RENEWED GLOBAL AMBITION AND ACTION FOR THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

PUBLIC MOBILIZATION COMES AHEAD OF CRITICAL HALFTIME SUMMIT IN SEPTEMBER AT UN IN NEW YORK

New York, 5 July 2023 -  The United Nations, today, is kicking off a communications campaign to rally for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the roadmap for people and planet adopted by world leaders in 2015.  Ahead of a critical UN Summit in September, the campaign aims to amplify an urgent call for ambitious new action, showcase the Goals as the blueprint for sustainable progress globally, and galvanize the global public around this shared agenda for our common future.

At halftime toward the deadline of 2030, the promise of the SDGs is in peril. For the first time in decades, development progress is reversing under the combined impacts of climate disasters, conflict, economic downturn and lingering COVID-19 effects. 

The 2023 SDG Summit will gather world leaders at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on 18-19 September to reaffirm their collective commitments to the Goals and the promise to leave no one behind. This Summit is a defining moment to urgently put the world back on track to achieving the SDGs.

Starting today, in a major digital activation across platforms and countries worldwide, the UN campaign aims to re-energize the conversation about the Goals.

“We want to get everyone on board for the SDGs”, said Nanette Braun, Director of Campaigns in the UN Department for Global Communications. “Our hope is that decision-makers and individual citizens alike will feel inspired to join the conversation and contribute to achieving the Goals with new resolve and ambition.”

Building off the color wheel brand of the SDGs, the campaign uses a dynamic new visual system for its messaging to build momentum, raise awareness and mobilize accelerated action for the SDGs.

One core campaign component is the call to individual citizens to take action on the SDGs through the UN’s ActNow initiative across all 17 Goals. From using public transportation, to fundraising for schools or speaking up for equality, the platform lists steps that everyone can take to accelerate progress on the SDGs and create better lives on a healthier planet for all. 

A curated group of high-profile influencers, the Circle of Supporters, will galvanize their communities to take individual action on the SDGs and to impress upon decision-makers the urgency to act now.

More information on the SDG Summit is available at: https://www.un.org/en/conferences/SDGSummit2023

Hashtag: #GlobalGoals 

Media contact:  

Alexandra del Castello, UN Department of Global Communications, alexandra.delcastello@un.org

FAO

PRESS RELEASE

FAO Launches DVI Pilot: Bridging the Technological Divide in Rural Pakistan

 Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab (05/07/2023): The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in collaboration with the Government of Punjab, launched a Digital Village Initiative (DVI) pilot site, today, in a ceremony organized at the Food Security & Agriculture Centre of Excellency (FACE), Ahmadpur Lamma, Rahim Yar Khan. 

Two sites: one in Rahim Yar Khan and another in Sargodha, were launched after detailed assessment conducted in 7 districts of Punjab and Sindh with the support of the provincial governments of both provinces. High government officials, community leaders, researchers, male and female farmers, the private sector and other key stakeholders were present at the launching event. 

This pilot launch is the FAO’s global initiative under the 1000 Digital Village Initiate in Asia and the Pacific to bridge the technological divide and empower rural communities with access to digital resources, education, and opportunities. 

During the ceremony, female lead farmers from the pilot site villages also received 10 tablets to use the agriculture-related applications on which they were already trained by FAO. 

A ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Hyper Localized Weather Station pilot site was also organized along with a briefing on the digital monitoring and forecasting function of the weather station. The stations were installed on both pilot sites along with the provision of necessary equipment installed at training halls of both sites for virtual training of farmers. 

The stations will provide customised weather advisory, forecast pest & disease models and other information to farmers of 10 kilometres range from its vicinity. Both weather station facilities are also equipped to arrange online trainings for farmers on the latest innovations in agriculture. 

Male and female farmers of selected pilot sites received training on different features of the weather station. Through these stations, farmers will be able to get customized and specific information to their farmland, accurate data and information which will help them in reducing costs related to inputs and taking measures for crop protection.

The data will also help Punjab Agriculture Extension 2.0 Project, Water Management Department and Start-Up companies to offer customized, farm-specific services to farmers. Booths were also set up at the launching ceremony by the digital service provider, which served as an avenue to connect the farmers with services available to them.

Through the deployment of robust internet infrastructure and the provision of tablets and technological resources, the DVI seeks to empower individuals with access to a wealth of information, e-learning platforms, and digital services.

The DVI represents a significant step towards building a more connected and prosperous future for rural Pakistan. By harnessing the power of technology and fostering digital inclusivity, this initiative promises to bring about positive socio-economic change and uplift communities that have long been underserved.

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For more information

Shariq Lashari, Snr. Communications Associate, 0321-3082691, shariq.lashari@fao.org