Let's

#TurnItAround

for people and the planet

Will be held on 25 and 26 March with joint forces of UN agencies based in Japan

SDG GLOBAL FESTIVAL
OF ACTION FROM JAPAN

UNDP (SDG Action Campaign team and Representation Office in Tokyo) and the Japan SDGs Action Promotion Council will co-organize a global online event “SDGs Global Festival of Action from Japan” (“Japan Festival”) on Thurs 25 and Fri 26 March 2021.The Japan Festival will be held as the first regional spin-off edition of the SDG Global Festival of Action (“Global Festival”)

Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds

UNTIL THE FESTIVAL

LET'S #TURNITAROUND
FOR PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

COVID-19 pandemic, climate crisis, and growing inequality threaten the world, people and the planet are at a turning point. Now is the time to use the compass for the future, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to rethink the way we have been living and to change the world.

The Japan Festival is curated by the United Nations agencies based in Japan. Representatives from all over the world, including Japan, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, from various sectors; the United Nations, corporations, entrepreneurs, NGOs, youth organizations, and local governments will take the stage to talk about their ideas, successes, future activities, and aspirations for achieving the SDGs, regardless of country, affiliation, or generation. In addition to talks and performances by goodwill ambassadors of UN agencies and comedians, there will also be film screenings. We will provide many hints and encouragement to those who want to work on the SDGs in the future, as well as to those who are already working on them!

THEMES

The Festival will provoke debate and drive action around four cross cutting themes highlighting ideas, approaches and solutions, for climate action, poverty & inequality, gender equality, and inclusive systems and finance. We must make 2021 a turning point for people and planet!

#TurnItAround for

Climate
Action:
2021 is a critical year for nature and biodiversity, and climate action requires bold and transformative leaps forward as the world races to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, combat deforestation, protect biodiversity and achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

#TurnItAround for

Gender
Equality:
A central tenet in moving the Agenda forward is gender equality, because gender discrimination is not only wrong, but harms us all by undercutting the intelligence and experience of over half of humanity. SDGs

#TurnItAround for

inclusive systems and sustainable finance:
We must rethink the global economy and power structures by adopting inclusive and sustainable finance systems that align with the SDGs, and stop perpetuating wide-scale discrimination and exclusion.

#TurnItAround for

Poverty
& Inequality:
This past year, we have witnessed rising poverty and inequalities around the world. Through universal health coverage, safety nets, justice and human resilience, the world must never again be in a position of such acute vulnerability.

How to enjoy
the festival

The SDG Global Festival of Action from JAPAN will be held on the same online platform as part of the SDG Global Festival of Action. You can watch both the global version of the festival and the Japanese version (“Festival from JAPAN”) once you complete the registration.

SDG Global Festival
of Action (Global)

Multilingual support in English, French, Spanish, and International Sign Language. In addition to sessions by prominent figures, we are planning to have an SDG Action Award ceremony, workshops for creating ideas and teaching how-to’s for promoting the SDGs, a space for networking, an exhibition corner for art works, etc., and a resource room.

  • Plenary sessions 
  • Awards Ceremony
  • Knowledge Sharing Panel
  • Lightning Talks and In ConversationPerformance:
  • Creative content

SDG Global Festival of Action from Japan (Japan)

The Japanese version also includes interpreters for all sessions and is available in English, Japanese, and International sign language. Each session introduction is available in both English and Japanese. There will be a total of 15 sessions: 7 panel talks, 3 live interactive workshops, 3 speeches and performances by UN Goodwill Ambassadors, and 2 short films!

Program

Day 1

THURSDAY

25th March

10:00 — 10:15 . 15'

Time Bonn (CET)

LIGHTNING TALK: Message for Our Future

Host: United Nations Development Programme

Speakers: Misako Konno

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: ENGLISH, JAPANESE

THURSDAY

25th March

10:15 — 11:00 . 45'

Time Bonn (CET)

A WORLD WITHOUT HUNGER

Host: World Food Programme & Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Speakers: Itaru Furuta, Megumi Iizuka, Sean Kerrigan, Suzanna Sumkhuu

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: English, Japanese, International Sign

THURSDAY

25th March

11:00 — 11:15 . 15'

Time Bonn (CET)

FILM SCREENING: OFFSIDE

Host: International Organization for Migration

Speakers: Cosima Frei

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: German and Arabic (English and Japanese subtitles)

THURSDAY

25th March

11:30 — 12:15 . 45'

Time Bonn (CET)

FINANCING FOR CLIMATE ACTION

Host: United Nations Development Programme & International Monetary Fund

Speakers: Ibun Hirahara, Jochen M. Schmittmann, Ken Shibusawa, Trista Bridges

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: English, Japanese, International Sign

Day 2

FRIDAY

26th March

09:00 — 09:15 . 15'

Time Bonn (CET)

LIGHTNING TALK: TALK BY UNHCR GOODWILL AMBASSADOR MIYAVI

Host: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

Speakers: MIYAVI

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: ENGLISH, JAPANESE

FRIDAY

26th March

09:15 — 10:00 . 45'

Time Bonn (CET)

LOCALIZING THE SDGS: BRING ABOUT CHANGE THROUGH LOCAL ACTIONS!

Host: United Nations Development Programme & UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific

Speakers: Akiko Takatou, Eldo Casiño, Mukudzeishe Shyleen Shantel Kasukusa, Yuiko Taira, Yuji Kuroiwa

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: English, Japanese, International Sign

FRIDAY

26th March

10:00 — 10:45 . 45'

Time Bonn (CET)

STEP UP! GEAR UP! TRANSFORMATIVE EQUALITY AND EMPOWERMENT

Host: Japan Civil Society Network on SDGs & United Nations Development Programme

Speakers: Asako Tsuji, Atsuko Miwa, Mallika Iyer, Munir Hussain, Tomoko Fukuda

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: English, Japanese, International Sign

FRIDAY

26th March

10:45 — 11:00 . 15'

Time Bonn (CET)

LIGHTNING TALK: CHALLENGE STEREOTYPES AND UNLOCK YOUR POTENTIAL

Host: United Nations Development Programme Supported by United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo

Speakers: Yuriyan Retriever

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: English, Japanese, International Sign

FRIDAY

26th March

11:00 — 11:35 . 35'

Time Bonn (CET)

ACHIEVING SDG12: THINKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE THROUGH WASTE

Host: United Nations Environment Programme

Speakers: Aditi Ramola, Akari Terrell, Josephine Tan, Kosaka Daimaou, Risako Tanabe, Shunichi Honda

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: English, Japanese, International Sign

FRIDAY

26th March

11:45 — 12:30 . 45'

Time Bonn (CET)

TRANSFORMING THE WORLD WITH DIGITAL TECH AND INNOVATION

Host: United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Industrial Development Organization

Speakers: Ada Osakwe, Gifty Mintaa Quarshie, Koichi Sato, Ryan Takeshita

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: English, Japanese, International Sign

FRIDAY

26th March

14:00 — 14:45 . 45'

Time Bonn (CET)

YOUTH IN BUILDING COALITIONS FOR A BILLION ACTS OF PEACE

Host: United Nations Information Centre, Tokyo

Speakers: Anju Niwata, Izumi Nakamitsu, Jok Abraham Thon, Mary Popeo, Samer Alabdalkareem, Tomoko Kubota

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: English, Japanese, International Sign

THURSDAY

25th March

14:45 — 15:15 . 15'

Time Bonn (CET)

EL DIA DE LA VIRGEN

Host: International Organization for Migration

Speakers: Louise Heem

Stage: Japan Stage

Language: French, Spanish and English (English and Japanese subtitles)

Japan Workshops

Day 1

THURSDAY

25th March

10:15 — 11:15 . 1h

Time Bonn (CET)

WORKSHOP: VOICES OF YOUTH – THE SDG ACTION CATALYST IN THE COVID ERA

The Voices of Youth live workshop features the journeys of young leaders around the world - their motivations, challenges and visions for promoting SDG actions.

Host: UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S EMERGENCY FUND (UNICEF)

Speakers: ADAMU ALHASSAN, AKITOSH NAGASAWA PATI, ASHANDI TRIYOGA PRAWIRA, AYA MORTADA, JAHNNOBI RAHMAN, KOKORO OGAWA, MARIAM HARUNA, MUHAMMADHARIS JIMAN, RUKA HIROE, SATOKO HAGINO, SHUN KAGEYAMA, SHUNSUKE OKA, YUKA KONISHI

Language: ENGLISH, JAPANESE

THURSDAY

25th March

11:30 — 12:30 . 1h

Time Bonn (CET)

WORKSHOP: STORIES FROM SDG STARTUPS

Come explore the stories of young social entrepreneurs, from the Asia-Pacific and Africa, who are changing the world to #LeaveNoOneBehind

Host: UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Speakers: ASUMI SAITO, CHIKA TAMURA, DIKESH PRAJAPATI, LARAIB ABID, TAFARA MAKAZA

Language: ENGLISH, JAPANESE

Day 2

Friday

26th March

14:00 — 15:00 . 1h

Time Bonn (CET)

WORKSHOP: GOING FOR THE GOLD WITH THE GLOBAL GOALS: THE POWER OF SPORT FOR REFUGEES

Good health & well-being, #GenderEquality, more inclusive societies - these are all part of the #GlobalGoals and ways in which the platform of sport is helping refugees to thrive.

Host: UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

Speakers: ANDREW PARSONS, KETH AGUER BUL, MEGUMI AOYAMA, PUR BIEL, YASUKO MIYAJIMA

Language: ENGLISH, JAPANESE

Co-organizers

The  is a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General administered by UNDP and mandated to scale up, broaden and sustain the global movement of action for the SDGs.

“Japan SDGs Action Promotion Council,” established in June 2020, is a multisectoral coalition of Japan’s leading SDG actors, including the Japanese government, business associations, civil society, academia, and local governments.

register

Register now to join the SDG Global Festival of Action

Media Advisory

Download the Media Advisory in English, French and Spanish

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