Global Citizen Festival Attracts $2.4bn to End Poverty
Global Citizen yesterday said the 2022 Global Citizen Festival campaign has culminated in over $2.4 billion in commitments to end extreme poverty.
The six-week campaign concluded with a nine-hour festival across two stages, beginning in Black Star Square in Accra, Ghana, presented by Harith General Partners, and ending in New York City’s Central Park, presented by Citi and Cisco.
The organization said in a statement that the 2022 campaign saw two million actions taken by global citizens as part of Global Citizen’s mission to end extreme poverty now, more than doubling the record previously set by the international advocacy organisation.
On the Global Citizen Festival, Accra stage, the governments of Ghana and South Africa announced the African Prosperity Fund, a joint initiative by the governments of Ghana and South Africa, which aims to deploy $1 billion to fund projects for economic inclusion and financial participation across the continent.
The fund will focus on projects in the African Continental Free Trade Area, including infrastructure development, financial access for the participation of women and youth, education, healthcare, technology, and sustainability, all for the benefit of Africa’s 1.3 billion people.
Similarly, at Global Citizen Festival, NYC, United States (US) members of congress from both sides of the political aisle stood alongside world leaders, philanthropists, and trailblazers from the private sector to make announcements worthy of the 10-year history of the Global Citizen Festival. Over a video message, President Emmanuel Macron announced France will reallocate 30 per cent of its Special Drawing Rights to the world’s poorest countries, specifically in Africa, to fight extreme poverty, pandemics, inequalities, and climate change.
The days leading into the 10th anniversary Global Citizen Festival saw major commitments from world leaders, including Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada and President von der Leyen of the European Commission, who respectively committed CAD $1.209 billion and €715 million at the seventh replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. During the festival, Prime Minister Trudeau and President von der Leyen thanked global citizens for acting.
The following commitments were pledged at the 2022 Global Citizen Festival in Accra, Ghana and New York City:
Investments committed for the future of women and girls include: Belgium committed €2.6 million to the ILO’s Global Flagship Programme on Building Social Protection Floors for All for its second phase in Senegal and Burkina Faso, extending until 2025; Denmark committed $17 million to UNFPA Supplies and $30 million to UNFPA over the next year as part of their broader newly announced three-year partnership;The European Commission committed €45 million to UNFPA; Germany,as a champion for global education, committed €10 million to Education Cannot Wait’s efforts to respond to the education needs in Ukraine; Luxembourg committed to renew its partnership with the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Program to End Female Genital Mutilation, with a 70 percent increase of its funding based on previous contributions over the next three years, underlining its support for girls and women around the world.
The philanthropic foundations and the private sector included:Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance and Girl Effect announced a $8 million partnership to fight against the gender barriers that limit uptake of HPV and other routine vaccines in Tanzania and Ethiopia; The Global Menstrual Equity Accelerator was launched with the ambition to advance gender equality for girls and women through a partnership ranging from combating stigmas, increasing the availability of period products, raising public awareness and education around menstrual health and safe disposal, and beyond; LEGO Foundation committed $25 million to Education Cannot Wait in support of its 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, including a commitment to playful learning opportunities for children affected by emergencies and protracted crises, that are gender-transformative and reach children in all their diversity; The United Nation Population Fund announced a $10.5 million contribution from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to drive improved quality service provision for the advancement of women and girls’ health and well-being; Procter & Gamble committed to advance the Care Agenda by producing and creating advertisements, digital content, and communications messaging that portrays a more equitable division of care work and challenges the gender stereotypes and societal norms that perpetuate the inequity of unpaid care work in the home and societies around the globe.
Commitments made to defend the planet include: The Peace Corps committed to launch a new climate initiative to support over 2 million hours of volunteer service in around 50 countries, including up to 1000 volunteers who will work with host country partners to identify and implement actions that contribute to host country climate priorities and national plans.
Five major corporations signed the United Nations-led Race to Zero campaign to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, including American Eagle Outfitters,Betterfly, Harith General Partners, Juan Valdez Café, and Global Citizen Festival: NYC campaign partner World Wide Technology.
For the global food crisis, pledges made to improve food and nutrition security in response to the global food crisis include:The Netherlands committed €25 million towards food and nutrition security in 2023, topping up the €425 million budget announced earlier this year for the next five years; Norway committed NOK 100 million towards the African Development Bank’s Africa Emergency Food Production Facility; Slovenia committed €1.23 million to civil society organizations fighting against hunger in Sub-Saharan Africa; Citi announced its continued support to No Kid Hungry for the next three years, estimated to be equivalent to the provision of 60 million meals.
Commitments made to eradicate communicable diseases include: Canada highlighted their CAD $1.209 billion commitment made at the Global Fund replenishment; The European Commission highlighted their €715 million contribution to the Global Fund; Malta committed €30,000 to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative;Rotary International committed $150 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative across the next three years.
Additional pledges to act in the interests of the world’s most marginalized populations include:The United Nations inGhana committed $257 million in funding towards the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework by 2025. This convenes more than 24 United Nations agencies, funds, and programmes with the ambition of reaching all regions in Ghana, responding to the needs of the most vulnerable and seeking to leave no one behind; The United States committed $138 million to support human capital development in the areas of health, education, climate, and peacebuilding and $32.5 million committed to deepening partnerships across West Africa in Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, and Togo; Lithuania announced they would be committing €11 million in funding towards rebuilding infrastructure including schools, homes and a bridge in Ukraine; Dutch Postcode Lottery announced a €1 million contribution to the Legal Empowerment Fund, an initiative of the Fund for Global Human Rights; Ford Foundation announced $30 million towards organizations protecting civic space in the coming year;Google.org committed $1 million to OutRight Action International in support of its work for LGBTIQ communities around the world.
Commenting, Co-Founder and CEO, Global Citizen, Hugh Evans,said:
“Amidst all the doomsday messages we hear today, hope lies in the fact that millions of citizens are rising up to take action, more than any other point in history. 10 years ago, Global Citizen was just an idea – and 10 years from now we’ll see a generation of global citizens running for office, starting companies, and transforming communities. The media is pushing us to the extreme left or to the extreme right, but the solutions lie in the center. Ending extreme poverty is not a partisan issue, and those most in need cannot be treated like political pawns. Our job is to not let our leaders forget that. If you are lucky enough to live in a democracy, use your voice!” – “Every problem that we face is a problem that we created. So, it’s a problem that we can solve together.”
Also commenting, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations, Amina Mohammed, said:
A world of peace is not impossible, a world free of extreme hunger is not impossible, and reducing deepening inequalities is not impossible. It’s the world that we promised to ourselves through the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations and the Global Goals. But time is running out fast. We have a serious to-do list. It’s the 17 Global Goals and we need all your hands on deck!”
In his comments,
President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, said: “We have a limited window of opportunity to act decisively to lift millions of people out of poverty, promote inclusiveness and equality, and safeguard the health of our planet. Each one of us has a sacred and moral obligation to bequeath to the next generation a healthy planet, free from poverty, conflict, discrimination, hunger and disease. I call on the youth of the world, especially, and, in particular, the youth of Africa, to play an active role in achieving the SDGs. The world needs your creativity, knowledge, reach and energy to help find innovative solutions to the challenges facing our world.”
In a video address, President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, said:
“It’s great to join you for the 10th year of this festival. Thank you for building this movement and making big things happen. Last month, I signed the biggest climate bill in history – the biggest ever: $369 billion to slash emissions by nearly half, improve health, advance justice, build a clean energy economy, and create generations of good paying jobs. And this past week, the Senate ratified historic Kigali amendment to phase down the use of super-polluting hydrofluorocarbons. This is a whole new chapter for America and for the planet. And we have to do a lot more. I pledged $11 billion a year to help poor countries fight climate change. Working with Congress and with your help, we can get this done.”
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said:Global Citizens, I hear you loud and clear! Europe is answering your call. We must put an end to hunger. We need to defeat deadly diseases like AIDS or malaria. We must take care of our girls and women! We must also take care of our planet. I call on all world leaders to step up! And I count on you to drive us forward.”
Global Citizen Festival: Accra featured performances by Usher, SZA, Stormzy, Gyakie, Sarkodie, Stonebwoy, TEMS, and Uncle Waffles, and was hosted by award-winning actor, playwright and activist Danai Gurira. Presenters included Berla Mundi, Joselyn Dumas, Michaela Coel, Nomzamo Mbatha, and Sabrina Dhowre Elba.
On the other hand, New York City featured performances by Metallica, Charlie Puth, Jonas Brothers, MÅNESKIN, Mariah Carey, Mickey Guyton, andRosalía and special guest performances byAngéliqueKidjoand Billy Porter, and was hosted by actor, producer, author, and Global Citizen Ambassador Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
Presenters included Amber Ruffin, Antoni Porowski, Bill Nye, Chris Redd,Connie Britton,FolakeOlowofoyeku,Jay Shetty, Katie Couric, Katie Holmes, Misty Copeland, Rachel Brosnahan, Scott Evans, Sofia Carson,Tamron Hall, and Van Jones.
At the outset of the campaign, Global Citizen called on world leaders, major corporations and philanthropic foundations to End Extreme Poverty NOW and invest $600 million into the future of women and girls; close the annual $10 billion climate financing shortfall; deliver $500 million to help African farmers respond to the global food crisis; reallocate IMF Special Drawing Rights to provide urgent relief from debts unjustly crushing economies, and defend advocacy. Though the campaign’s outcomes and commitments represent progress for the most urgent needs facing humanity and the planet, there is still much work to be done ahead of the G20 and COP27 in November.
