UN General Assembly 2017

Building on last year’s announcement of the mobile industry’s commitment to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ‘Connecting Everyone and Everything to a Better Future’, the GSMA delivered a number of key industry messages through high level speaking platforms, events and wider activities during the UN General Assembly Week 2017.

The GSMA proudly worked with key partners including ICC, UNF, WEF, GPSDD, UNDPI, Global Compact, Concordia, B-Team, ITU, UN DESA and Next 3 Billion amongst many others.

Business for the SDGs: Innovation, technology and connectivity for a better future for all’

Monday 18 September 2017, 18.00 – 20.00, ECOSOC Chamber, UN Headquarters

The International Chamber of Commerce, the GSMA, UN DESA, and the Government of Colombia hosted a high level event. Prominent speakers including Kaan Terzioğlu, CEO, Turkcell,  John Danilovich, Secretary General, ICC, Mukhisa Kituyi, Secretary-General, UNCTAD and Houlin Zhao, Secretary General, ITU shared best practices on business action to advance the SDGs, the impact of industry-wide efforts, augmenting collaboration between governments and industries to accelerate the delivery of the SDGs.

Using Data and Technology to Achieve the Sustainable Development Goals: Tackling Global Threats and Ensuring a Better Future for Us All

Tuesday 19 September, 11.30 – 13:00, Trusteeship Council room, UN Headquarters

The GSMA and Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data hosted a high-level event sharing inspiring examples of ambitious, in-country data innovation, showcasing new partnerships, projects, and institutions focusing on signalling the political importance of developing the data ecosystems to achieve the SDGs, and showcasing how data partnerships can drive outcomes in different sectors.

Speakers included: Deputy Prime Minister Alexander De Croo of Belgium, Alicia Bárcena, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Shamshad Akhtar, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Mats Granryd, Director General, GSMA , Kathy Calvin, President and CEO, United Nations Foundation, Claire Melamed, Executive Director, GSPDD , Sunil Mittal Bharti, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, Eduardo Navarro De Carvalho, President and CEO, Telefônica Brasil, Mauricio Ramos, CEO, Millicom, and Bob Collymore, CEO Safaricom.

To view the full session as broadcast, please click here

The SDG Media Zone

The SDG Media Zone at UNGA is one of the most prominent platforms during United Nations General Assembly week. The GSMA showcased the mobile industry impact report, #CaseForChange, Big Data for Social Good and Mobile for Development initiatives.