In the week of 25 September 2024, more than 80 organizations in Switzerland and Liechtenstein celebrated the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by raising over 120 SDG flags to show their commitment to the Agenda 2030.
September 2024 marks nine years since the SDGs were adopted by 193 UN member states. The SDGs call for global collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society to deliver a powerful vision for improving our world by 2030. More than halfway to 2030, we need significant change if we are to achieve this agenda.
The SDG Flag Day campaign was initiated by the UN Global Compact (UNGC) country network Netherlands in 2020 and has grown to include hundreds of businesses, government agencies, civil society organizations, and schools worldwide that raise an SDG flag every September to mark the adoption of the SDGs and show their support for them. Since then, an increasing number of UN Global Compact country networks have joined the initiative. Throughout the week of 25 September, more than 120 SDG flags were prominently displayed by over 80 organizations in Switzerland & Liechtenstein which generated strong engagement on platforms such as LinkedIn under the hashtag #TogetherfortheSDGs. Participants took creative approaches, using the flag day as an opportunity to engage employees in sustainability initiatives, host educational events, and connect with their communities around the urgency of the SDGs and the 2030 Agenda.
Here are some highlights and impressions from our participants and partners in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us to make this year's SDG Flag Day a success. We look forward to continuing this tradition in 2025!
Would you like to include your images? Please email us and we will gladly add it to our gallery: info@globalcompact.ch
What's Next? From raising the flag to accelerating action.
While the symbolic act of raising the SDG flag is a powerful gesture of solidarity, it's clear that much more needs to be done. The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024 shows that only 17% of the goals are on track, while a worrying 18% show stagnation and 17% have regressed from the 2015 baseline. Despite these challenges, the SDGs are still within reach - if we act with urgency and commitment. The UN Global Compact offers several programs and resources for organizations looking to deepen their engagement and drive tangible progress on the SDGs:
Forward Faster Initiative: A pathway for companies to focus their efforts where they can have the biggest, most immediate impact before 2030.
Accelerator Programmes: These three- to six-month programmes provide guidance on embedding SDG-aligned practices across business operations and the value chain (available to UN Global Compact participants).
SDG Focus Area: Explore a wealth of resources and tools to help scale up and align your organization’s actions with the SDGs.
Join the UN Global Compact Network: Connect with peers and experts, and gain access to more opportunities to drive sustainable change.
The time for action is now. Let's continue to raise awareness and mobilize action around the SDGs to ensure that the world we pass on to future generations is just, equitable, and sustainable.