Bollywood actor and former Miss World Priyanka Chopra recently spoke at the United Nations General Assembly in New York alongside Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai. The actor took to social media and shared a post about the same, sharing the agendas she had spoken about at the UNGA.
Sharing a carousel of pictures and videos from the event on her Instagram, Chopra coupled it with a long note. "Walking through the gates of the United Nations this morning to speak at UNGA for the second time, as a proud representative of UNICEF, gave me real pause," the Quantico star penned. She shared several pictures with Malala. In one of the pictures that a Bollywood actor shared with the youngest Nobel Prize Laureate, she called Malala 'a remarkable woman' and penned, "So proud to share the stage with these two remarkable women."
Shedding light on the agenda of the UN for the year 2022, she further wrote in her note, "At the top of this year's agenda are the Sustainable Development Goals. Today was all about action, ambition, and hope. It was about what we must do together to make the SDG's a reality, and we don't have a moment to lose. A special thank you to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for having me today."
She also spoke about the importance of education for children - something which is a birthright of every child. "The second moment I had the privilege of participating was the Transforming Education Summit. It's hard to believe that nearly 2/3 of children across low- middle- and high-income countries cannot read and comprehend a simple story. The system has failed them," Chopra added in her post.
"As the US Secretary of Education Seccardona put it so candidly, education is the great equaliser, but if we continue to do what we have done, we are going to get what we have gotten. We owe every child this basic birthright, an equal chance to learn and reach their full potential (sic)," she added.
She concluded her note with the words of Gorman, with whom she posed along with Malala, "And as the incredible Amanda Gorman said, "I dare you to shape our fate. Above all, I dare you to do good, so that the world might be great."
'All is not well'
Speaking at the UNGA, Chopra said, "We meet today at a critical point in our world at a time when global solidarity is more important than ever. As countries continue to struggle from the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, as the climate crisis upends lives and livelihoods, as conflicts, rage, and as poverty, displacement, hunger and inequalities destroy the very foundation of the more just world that we have fought for such a long time. And as we all know, all is not well with our world."
Hindustan Times went on to quote her, "But these crises didn't happen by chance, but they can be fixed with a plan. We have that plan. The UN Sustainable Development Goals, a to-do list for the world."
The actor said there is an action plan to change the situation, with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. “The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a to-do list for the world. These goals were created hand-in-hand with people around the world in 2015. Together, we have an extraordinary opportunity to change the world. We owe it to our people. We owe it to our planet. We all deserve a just, safe and healthy world to live in. The present and the future rest in your hands, in our hands,” she said.
Chopra, stressing the plan’s urgency, said that the world doesn’t have a moment to lose and immediate steps must be taken to ensure it remains a habitable place for all. “But time is running out. We are nearly halfway to the 2030 deadline to achieve these goals. In the Secretary General’s own words, we don’t have a moment to lose. In this room are representatives of the very countries that signed up for those goals in 2015. Leaders who can make that plan a reality in partnership with all of us. So today is about action. It’s about ambition, but it is also about it is about what we must do together to make the SDGs a reality,” she added.
“We owe every child this basic birthright, an equal chance to learn and reach their full potential. And as the incredible Amanda Gorman said, 'I dare you to shape our fate. Above all, I dare you to do good, so that the world might be great'. Here are some highlights from today," the Baywatch star concluded.
On the work front
On the work front, Chopra will be seen in several projects. The actor is all set to star next in It's All Coming Back To Me. She will also be a part of the series Citadel along with Richard Madden. Produced by Russo Brothers, Citadel will hit the OTT on Prime Video. The upcoming sci-fi drama series is being directed by Patrick Morgan. In Bollywood, Chopra will also star with Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif in Farhan Akhtar's Jee Le Zaraa.
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