Our student journalist, Helen Kim from the British School of Beijing, Shunyi, reports on Nord Anglia Education's side meeting at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York City
Our student journalist, Helen Kim from the British School of Beijing, Shunyi, reports on Nord Anglia Education's side meeting at the United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York City
Nord Anglia Education challenged the students of the Nord Anglia schools across the globe to use the World’s Largest Lesson, supported by UNICEF, to develop ideas to raise awareness of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (also known as the Global Goals) and design solutions for two of the goals in particular - Goal 2, zero hunger, and Goal 3, good health and well-being. In the concluding stage of this effort, representatives of each school were invited to New York to discuss these goals and present the ideas for their communities on a global scale at a special side meeting at the UN’s High-Level Political Forum on the 14th of July.
Among the 87 students, eight were selected to present to senior representatives of the UN and UNICEF about the work of the 13,000 students who actively participated in the challenge. The event started with speeches from the official ambassadors of Bulgaria, Argentina and Malaysia as well as the president of the UN General Assembly. The speakers all recognised the significance of the conference, shared the policies and actions taken in their respective countries as well as the prospects of global cooperation on the matter. The student delegation delivered a presentation on the different approaches taken towards Goal 2 and 3 and the potential for further collaboration with UNICEF to address the Global Goals over the next ten years.
As young people who are deeply passionate about sustainable development and the work of the United Nations, it was an invaluable experience for Nord Anglia students to be able to visit UNICEF, one of the biggest bodies of the United Nations and attend a political forum to see member states addressing global issues.
Friday’s event was part of the Nord Anglia Global Goals Student Summit. Students arrived in New York on the 12th of July and went straight into action, begining work on the goals for the next year of the Nord Anglia Global Challenge. Students actively discussed possible methods to ensure Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. They divided themselves into groups according to their regions to address the specific problems they have identified in their area. Even with the challenge of working with strangers, students were able to come up with creative ideas to promote eco-friendly lifestyles and raise awareness of the Global Goals. An example of the projects discussed was an app to get the younger generation aware and engaged in global development.
