UN Secretary-General names Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi as new SDG Advocate

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, on Friday, appointed Noble Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarathi as an advocate of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) ahead of the commencement of the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Guterres designated Satyarthi, STEM activist Valentina Munoz Rabanal, Microsoft President Brad Smit and K-pop superstar BlackPink as fresh SDG advocates, a press release issued by the UN said. 

UN Secy-Gen hopes for a greener and a safer world

Viewing a better future with the development undertaken, the UN Secretary-General Guterres said,

"We are at a pivotal moment. The choices we make now could put us on a path towards breakdown and a future of perpetual crisis, or breakthrough to a greener and safer world"

Noting that the concerned advocates in their respective fields propagate the idea of Sustainable Development Goals, Guterres said,

"The SDG Advocates make use of their considerable spheres of influence to reach new constituencies to act now and keep the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals for people and for the planet."

Satyarthi acknowledges UN Chief Guterres for assigning key role

Responding to the pivotal responsibility assigned to him, Satyarthi thanked the UN Chief for the appointment at this crucial point in time.

"It is a recognition of the seriousness of the crisis faced by children today. We have witnessed the first increase in child labour in two decades, even before the pandemic hit a warning sign that we are facing the threat of falling on the promises of Agenda 2030," he said.

Who is Kailash Satyarthi?

Kailash Satyarthi, born on 11 January 1954, is an Indian social reformer who fought against the menace of child labour in India. Satyarthi also advocated the universal right to education. In 2014, he was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, along with Malala Yousafzai, for their struggle against the suppression of children and young people, and for the right of all children to education. 

The Nobel Prize winner is the founder of multiple social activist organizations, including Bachpan Bachao Andolan, Global March Against Child Labour, Global Campaign for Education and Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation.

Kailash Satyarthi and his team at Bachpan Bachao Andolan have liberated more than 90,000 children in India from child labour, slavery and trafficking.

Inputs: PTI

Image: @K_SATYARTHI/TWITTER/AP