Spotlight Initiative: To eliminate violence against…

Leading & Collaborating Agencies:

• Spotlight Initiative, as an umbrella for the UN System as a whole, coordinated by EOSG and co-led by core agencies:
• UNFPA
• UN Women
• UNICEF
• UNDP

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) is among the most pervasive violations of human rights –globally, 1 in 3 women have been subjected to violence. In addition to the direct impact on their well-being, this also affects their participation in public life, labor force and politics, preventing them from accessing justice, education and security. As the world's largest effort to end VAWG, the Spotlight Initiative works through a comprehensive, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, with concrete results on preventing and responding to violence against women while also supporting progress across education, reproductive health, economic empowerment, and more. With years of experience, the Initiative offers 'proof of concept' –not only to end VAWG, but to accelerate progress on the SDGs overall.

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To maximize the SDG Summit's impact, the Secretary General is convening an SDG Action Weekend, which will generate opportunities for stakeholders, UN entities, and Member States to convene inside the United Nations Headquarters and set out specific commitments and contributions to drive SDG transformation between now and 2030.

The SDG Action Weekend will consist of the SDG Mobilization Day on Saturday, 16 September, and the SDG Acceleration Day on Sunday, 17 September at UNHQ in New York.

• The SDG Mobilization Day (16 September) will create an opportunity for stakeholders from all sectors to convene inside the United Nations Headquarters and mobilize towards an ambitious SDG Summit and UN General Assembly High-Level Week.
• The SDG Acceleration Day (17 September 2023) will propel stakeholders from ambition to action by highlighting how the High Impact Initiatives, multigenerational campaigns such as Generation Equality, and cross-SDG impact catalysers such as SDG Digital can accelerate collective achievement.

The SDG Summit on 18-19 September will mark the mid point of the SDGs. It must secure the breakthroughs and momentum needed to change course and achieve the SDGs by 2030. To maximize the Summit's impact, the Secretary General is convening an SDG Action Weekend, which will generate opportunities for stakeholders, UN entities, and Member States to convene inside the United Nations Headquarters and set out specific commitments and contributions to drive SDG transformation between now and 2030.