HH Closing Remarks at the SDG Pavilion

Twelve years ago, I asked: “If not now, when?”

I asked that question in relation to a football tournament — the FIFA World Cup, which is taking place now.

But it is a question clearly to be asked of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – the SDGs.

If not now, when?

Striving to meet those goals is not something we can postpone, any more than France and Argentina can delay striking when the opportunity arises, tomorrow.

France and Argentina have to score the goals.

And we — governments, NGOs, corporate entities, civil societies — every one of us — must contribute to scoring the goals our planet desperately needs.

Across the last four weeks, while the World Cup has played out here in Qatar, we have hosted Heads of State, ministers, and other global leaders.

Beyond football, these world leaders have participated in SDG advocacy, several of them making commitments here, outside the corridors of the UN, in our pavilion.

We have used the platform created by a world event to highlight matters crucial to all of us — and this can be done wherever the limelight is falling.

Wherever people gather — in a fan or arts festival, a stadium or conference hall — let there be a focal point, such as this pavilion, to shine a light on the goals that must unite us.

This pavilion is, in itself, a commitment to sustainability.

It was designed by the great architect Zaha Hadid, to be dismantled and re-used.

This tent will be taken apart and sent to a war-torn country to be used as a classroom for displaced children.

Other tents that have been used for the World Cup will be sent to Syria and Yemen.

Some are already in use in Turkey and Pakistan, as classrooms and medical centres, bringing hope to refugees and others forced to flee their homes.

Each tent is a relatively small thing.

But from little things, big things grow, and every one of the UN goals is interconnected.

Health — education — eradicating poverty.

They are all part of ensuring a sustainable planet.

Unlike the teams in this World Cup, the SDGs do not compete, and every one of them must be achieved.

If every action we take — from refilling a water bottle to building a school — is made with thought and purpose, then our planet has a future.

Let us strive for that future.

Like France and Argentina, let’s aim for the goals that matter.

.I would like to thank all those who contributed to this pavilion; The late Zaha Hadid and the team at Education Above All Foundation

And all those who contributed to making it an enjoyable destination for visitors.

Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 was a great opportunity to welcome the world to Qatar and the SDG Pavilion.