SDGs are the future for women and youth, says Malala Yousafzai

At a side event of the UN General Assembly, Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai said the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represent the future for millions of girls who want education, youth fighting for clean air, and women who fight for equality.

The UN Messenger of Peace recalled that five years ago, UN Member States signed on to the SDGs, but, “so far, you have not kept up with your work”, she added.

While accepting that the ongoing crisis triggered by COVID-19 has been “a striking setback to our collective goals” she stressed, “it cannot be an excuse”.