SDG Media Zone Marks Ten Years of Amplifying Sustainable Development at United Nations General Assembly 81st Session

The SDG Media Zone marks ten years of amplifying sustainable development, returning to UN Headquarters for UNGA81 High-level Week, September 21–25, 2026.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, September 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Since launching in 2016, the SDG Media Zone has convened 1,400+ speakers across 37 editions in 10 countries, reaching an estimated 1.5 billion people in 80 countries and returning to UN Headquarters for the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, September 21–25, 2026.

The SDG Media Zone, organized by the United Nations Department of Global Communications (UN DGC) in collaboration with the PVBLIC Foundation, will mark ten years of impact during the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA81) High-level Week, taking place September 21–25 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The milestone caps a decade in which the SDG Media Zone has become one of the UN's flagship platforms for translating sustainable development out of the policy sphere and into public conversations on global issues that matter to people everywhere.

Launched in 2016 at UN Headquarters, the SDG Media Zone has since grown into a live series of interviews, panel discussions, and digital content spanning 37 editions in 10 countries, including Antigua and Barbuda, France, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Over the past decade, the SDG Media Zone has featured more than 1,400 speakers and reached an estimated 1.5 billion people across 80 countries, appearing at UN General Assembly high-level weeks and major UN conferences worldwide, including the three UN Ocean Conferences, Least Developed Countries 5 in Doha, the 2023 UN Water Conference, and SIDS4 in Antigua and Barbuda.

Robert Skinner, UN Chief of Partnerships and Global Engagement, Department of Global Communications, said: “Ten years of the SDG Media Zone demonstrates the impact that sustained collaboration can have in bringing global issues to audiences around the world. Through our longstanding partnership with PVBLIC Foundation, we have created a platform that makes these conversations more accessible, engaging and relevant beyond the walls of the United Nations. We deeply value PVBLIC’s partnership and their continued commitment to broadening the reach of these conversations and advancing sustainable development.”

"Ten years ago, we set out to show that sustainable development storytelling could hold its own in the same rooms as the world's biggest newsmakers. What started as a one time only SDG Media Zone at UN Headquarters has grown into a decade-long partnership with the United Nations that has put sustainable development in front of new audiences at major global gatherings," said Kerry Bannigan, President of the Board, PVBLIC Foundation.

Speakers have included heads of state and government such as Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay of Bhutan, and former Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway; UN leadership including Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming; and cultural figures and advocates including America Ferrera, Ed Norton, Forest Whitaker, Jason Momoa, Natalie Portman, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Andrea Bocelli, Ciara, Patti Smith, Richard Branson, and Sylvia Earle.

“The SDG Media Zone reflects exactly what PVBLIC was built to do by convening governments, the United Nations, and the private sector around practical platforms that turn policy into visible action," said Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, Executive Chairman, PVBLIC Foundation.

UNGA81: What to Expect
This year's SDG Media Zone will again broadcast live throughout the United Nations General Assembly (September 21–25) from UN Headquarters via UN WebTV, and the @GlobalGoalsUN social channels, featuring conversations curated with a diverse group of media partners on the transformations, innovations, and solutions needed to accelerate progress on sustainable development.

Programming runs across five daily themes reflecting some of the most pressing issues on the global agenda: Peace, Security and Human Rights; Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All; Media, Advocacy and Storytelling for the SDGs; The Rise of AI; and Health and Human Well-Being. Media partners include Al Jazeera, BBC Media Action, Bon Appétit, Channel 4 News, the New York Times, the Diplomatic Courier, Vogue Business and WIRED. Programming details and the full UNGA81 speaker lineup is available on the SDG Media Zone website.


About the SDG Media Zone
The SDG Media Zone is a live series of interviews, panel discussions, and digital content organized by the UN Department of Global Communications in collaboration with the PVBLIC Foundation. Since 2016, the SDG Media Zone has been one of the main features of UN General Assembly high-level week and major UN conferences around the world, bringing together UN Member States, world leaders, content creators, advocates, and media partners to highlight actions and solutions in support of sustainable development. un.org/sdgmediazone.

About PVBLIC Foundation
PVBLIC Foundation is a global institution transforming how societies build the systems that enable resilient and future-ready development. Operating at the intersection of diplomacy, development, and innovation, PVBLIC serves as a trusted platform connecting governments, the United Nations, global family offices, and the private sector to design and implement scalable development frameworks. Built on four pillars — Nature, Technology, Capital, and Multilateralism — PVBLIC has managed programs and partnerships reaching more than one billion people in 125 countries. pvblic.org

Bárbara González
PVBLIC Foundation
barbara@pvblic.org
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