New York City – Nigerian singer songwriter Yemi Alade performed her new song, “Peace and Love” today on the stage of the UN General Assembly Hall during the opening of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Action Weekend. The singer’s first performance at the United Nations headquarters took place just ahead of the 78^th UN General Assembly, an annual gathering of Prime Ministers and Heads of State to put a spotlight on some of the biggest issues the world faces. 

During her performance, Alade spoke to rally the audience of leaders, advocates, activists and the general public to take action on the SDGs. The world set these 17 Global Goals in 2015 to end poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030. Now that we are at the halfway point, progress is at risk of stalling as the world battles a multitude of crises. 

While in New York, Alade will represent UNDP in a series of events. On September 17, she will speak on a panel of the Spotlight Initiative, a global effort to end violence against women and girls.  The event will feature Heads of State; UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed; leaders from the European Union and United Nations; civil society and private sector partners. A number of celebrity advocates will speak at the event, including UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Alade will also participate in the “Halftime Show,” on September 18, produced by Project Everyone, with key contributions from the worlds of entertainment, music and sports. It aims to inspire SDG action at the midway point between the launch of the Goals in 2015 and their intended completion in 2030.

Appointed UNDP Goodwill Ambassador in September 2020, Alade is dedicated to mobilizing support for the Sustainable Development Goals with a focus on fighting inequality, empowering women, and raising awareness on the impacts of climate change. With four albums and many hits under her belt, the Nigerian star is one of the biggest Afro-pop female artists on the African continent, and the first African female Afro-pop artist to hit over 100 million views on YouTube. 

Since joining as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador, Alade has supported initiatives on climate action, vaccine equity around the Covid-19 pandemic initiative, and the “half the world” initiative. 

“I am honored to be invited by the United Nations to bring the voice of women in Africa to this global stage. This year, as we mark the halfway point in the journey of the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN General Assembly offers a great opportunity for world leaders to reiterate their commitment to achieving a sustainable and equitable future for everyone.”

MEDIA CONTACTS

Dylan Lowthian   I   dylan.lowthian@undp.org 

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