Unleash Human Spirit’s Full Force, Secretary-General Says on International Day of Charity, Calling for Collective Drive towards Sustainable Development Goals

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on the International Day of Charity, observed today:

Every year, the International Day of Charity serves as a call to every person to act with solidarity and compassion in the face of human suffering.

For this year’s observance, the world has a new focus for volunteering and giving:  the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  This new universal framework, with 17 Sustainable Development Goals at its core, is the most comprehensive and ambitious anti-poverty, pro-planet action plan ever adopted by world leaders.  For it to work, we must unleash the full force of the human spirit. 

Global philanthropy continues to generate innovative approaches and provide much-needed resources.  An important new dimension is the dramatic rise of philanthropy in the global South, which is leading new actors to become involved in addressing local and global challenges.

Charity is one of the best investments we can make in our common future.  On this day of International Charity, I call on people everywhere to be part of our 15-year partnership for humanity, and to help make the Sustainable Development Goals a reality for all.