‘Turn Your Frustrations into Positive Change’, Says Deputy Secretary-General at Global Citizen Festival

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as delivered, at the Global Citizen Concert, in New York today:

Hello global citizens, it is wonderful to be here with all of you.  What an amazing crowd.  Thank you for standing together as one human family:  rich in diversity and equal in our dignities.

Let’s tell it like it is:  Our world is in big trouble.  And we are facing crisis after crisis: People are hurting — and our planet is burning.  Hunger is rising — and we are getting much more unequal.  War is raging — and human rights are under attack.

But let me also tell you this:  We are not hopeless — and we are not helpless.  Are we?

Every problem we face is a problem that we created — so it’s a problem we can solve together.  A world of peace is not impossible.  A world free of extreme hunger is not impossible.  And deepening inequalities are not impossible.  It is the world we promised ourselves, through the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and the global goals.

But time is running out fast.  Just look at Pakistan and the tragedy of an extreme climate event.  And there will be another on tomorrow.  We have a serious to-do list — it’s the 17 Global Goals — and we need all your hands on deck.  We need you to hold your leaders to account — your leaders, my leaders — and demand equitable climate action, gender equality and social justice now.

Your voices matter.  Your actions do count.  Turn your frustrations into positive change.  We’re betting on you.  I’m betting on you.  And you can bet on the United Nations.  My question to you is:  Will you be the change that we are waiting for?  Will you be the change we are waiting for?

Thank you, New York.