Global Citizen Inaugural World Leader Prize

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Hello Johannesburg! Good evening South Africa!

Thank you sister Graca!

We are all grateful to President Ramaphosa and Global Citizen.

You match pop and politics perfectly.

Thank you for this prize. It means the world to me.

And  - We are the world.

We must work together to get the world we want.

Everybody out there –  let us work together for a just and sustainable world.

We are all grateful to the UN Secretary-Generals Kofi Annan, Ban Ki-moon and Antonio Guterres for their leadership when it comes to global goals.

Here to represent the UN tonight is Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed.  She is a great African leader and a global force for sustainable development. 

I would also like to thank President Kagame, President Akuffo-Addo and all my fellow SDG advocates for their excellent cooperation in pushing for results.

There are many great partnerships, and without them we would have achieved less. Take Gavi – the Vaccine Alliance – as an example:

Since 2000, Gavi has contributed to the immunisation of more than 690 million children.

But make no mistake, we must all contribute if we are to achieve the Global Goals.

I therefore dedicate this prize to everyone who takes action for a more sustainable world.

By taking action you are global citizens.

For your neighbourhood, for your country, for our world.

Before I finish, let us bring to mind the words of Global Citizen no. 1, Nelson Mandela:

• ‘As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.’

Thank you.