https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/04/1136117
More about the Awards: https://sdgactionawards.org/
The 2023 UN SDG Action Awards will be presented in Rome, Italy, in July, and the deadline for applications
and nominations has been extended to 7 May.
We’re thrilled to announce that winners and finalists will be unveiled at
an inspiring and creative UN SDG Action Awards Ceremony taking place on 24 July in Rome,
Italy during the official opening day of the 2023 UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment,
which will be hosted by the Government of Italy at the premises of the Food and Agricultural
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) with the collaboration of the
Rome UN Based-agencies, the UN Food Systems Coordination Hub and the wider UN system.
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“We are calling on all activists, mobilizers, and changemakers to submit their application today for a
chance to become an awards finalist and to join us in Rome for a celebration of their global sustainability
actions and
ongoing efforts in confronting global challenges and holding decision-makers to account,” said
Marina Ponti, Global Director of the UN SDG Action Campaign.
Flipping the script
Ms. Ponti noted that 2022 was a seminal year for the Campaign, an initiative launched by the
UN Secretary-General to galvanize people everywhere around the 17 SDGs, which include ending
extreme poverty, reducing
inequalities, and combatting climate change by 2030.
“We defied all expectations and mobilized nearly 150 million people around the world to take action for
the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said.
“Now, we want to acknowledge and celebrate those very same people who made a difference on the
ground flipping the script on the climate crisis, gender inequality, and food insecurity and laying the
foundations for a more
sustainable and equitable future for all.”
Making a mark
Last year’s awards ceremony was held in Bonn, Germany, receiving over 3,000 applications from
150 countries.
This year’s event will be held on 24 July in Rome on the margins of the
UN Food Systems Stocktaking Moment, where countries will review progress towards transforming food
systems worldwide.
Past winners include Hamzat B. Lawal, Founder of the Nigeria-based anti-corruption organisation Follow
the Money, which works to influence social change and disrupt the status quo by setting up social
accountability models tracking government spending and international aid, exposing corruption, and
revealing to the public how effective local social development projects are.
© UN SDG Action Campaign/Benjamin Westhoff
Hamzat B. Lawal, Founder of the Nigeria-based anti-corruption organisation Follow the Money,
addresses the 2022 UN SDG Action Awards.
“Winning a UN SDG Action Award has been a life changing moment for the initiative and team,”
Mr. Lawal said. “Not only has it empowered us to strengthen our internal governance structure, but
most importantly the Award has enhanced our credibility in holding governments to account and fostering
transparency.”
Since winning in 2019, Follow the Money has grown its presence across Africa, expanding from four
countries to a total of nine while also attracting interest from the Americas and Asia.
Other finalists have also continued to leave their mark on local and global communities, including
Srishti Bakshi, a marketer-turned-women’s-rights-activist, who embarked on a pilgrimage of 3,800
kilometres through 12 Indian states to put a spotlight on the root causes of violence against women.
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