Chisinau, 24 January 2020 – Over 2000 young people from all over the country will contribute to the national report presented by the Republic of Moldova at its first Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the 2030 Agenda, as a result of their involvement in the national campaign ‘Youth of Moldova for #GlobalGoals’.

The Campaign, launched on 24 January 2020, aims at providing Moldovan youth with suitable skills and conditions, so that they could contribute to the development of the society – monitoring the achievement of Global Goals is the their opportunity to express opinions and make their voices heard at global level.

‘The National Youth Council of Moldova, being a national level organisation, commits to promote the Sustainable Development Goals among young people, at national level. Today, at the National Conference of Youth Organisations, we kick off the ‘Youth of Moldova for #GlobalGoals’ Campaign, which will bring young people closer to their future. We believe that young people of Moldova can be real agents of change and of a prosperous future, created on the basis of the Sustainable Development Goals’, said Valeriu Dragalin, chairperson of the National Youth Council of Moldova.

The Campaign will last for three months and during this time young volunteers from Youth Centres all over the country will take part in 22 workshops aimed at informing about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and how important it is to achieve them. They will also learn to monitor and promote them in social networks, using photos or videos.

Young people will also be invited to four regional consultations regarding the review of Global Goals and will take part in the organisation of a photography exhibition that will express their view on the implementation of SDGs in the Republic of Moldova. The exhibition will be public, arranged in Chisinau, in the square of ‘Stefan cel Mare si Sfint’ park, but also in other communities.

‘Several actions have been undertaken since 2015 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. With the support of the United Nations, we managed to develop a long-term National Development Strategy, of what is to be done by 2030. The Government expressed its full commitment to have this Strategy implemented and young people and youth organisations have a very important role for us, because Global Goals are ours, everyone’s. Young people can add value to the promotion of the Goals, they can benefit of them – both young people of today and the generations to come’, stated Adrian Ermurachi, Deputy Secretary General of the Government of the Republic of Moldova.

A national contest will take place under the Campaign. It will be about most representative photos related to Global Goals and young people from all the regions of the country will be able to participate.

The most active 17 young people involved in Campaign activities will become media ambassadors for the #GlobalGoals and will attend the NVR report presentation event in New York.

The activities of ‘Youth of Moldova for #GlobalGoals’ Campaign will rely on the fundamental SDG principle of leaving no one behind, so that all young people will be encouraged to get involved and speak up, regardless of gender, age, social status, ethnicity or language.

‘The year of 2020 marks the Decade of Action for the Sustainable Development Goals. Only 10 years are left to amplify our ambition to achieve the Goals. However, we cannot succeed in doing that without the young generation, which accounts for one-third of the population of the Republic of Moldova. The active involvement of youth in the long-term development of the country is important for achieving inclusive and sustainable communities’, mentioned Simon Springett, UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova.

The ‘Youth of Moldova for #GlobalGoals’ Campaign will end in April 2020 and its most important results will be presented by young people during a conference, which will be organised in Chisinau.

Background of the event:

In September 2015, alongside other 192 member states, Moldova approved the new Sustainable Development Agenda – 2030 Agenda, which includes 17 goals and 169 targets. An important part of monitoring the implementation of 2030 Agenda is the Voluntary National Review (VNR) of the progress achieved in implementing the 2030 Agenda, which is applicable to countries that enroll voluntarily and report their progress. Moldova will present its first VNR report in July 2020, at the High-level Political Forum in New York, USA.