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On Wednesday, September 16, from 1:00-2:30 PM EDT, the Brookings Institution and the UN Foundation will cohost American Leadership in Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals, a high-level virtual event to showcase the power of the SDGs in the United States.

The devastating health and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have exposed and exacerbated stark inequalities and vulnerabilities in the United States. At the same time, protests sparked by the tragic killing of George Floyd have put the spotlight on America’s long history of racial injustice. The commitment to equity, justice, and environmental preservation reflected in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is more critical today than ever – a foundation to respond to these crises and to build a future that leaves no one behind. Building off a successful first gathering last year on the margins of the UN General Assembly, this event will showcase local innovation, leadership, actions, and commitments from all parts of the American society, including cities, businesses, universities, philanthropy, and youth activists. Their leadership is crucial to a recovery that advances equity and sustainability here at home and provides a fundamental basis for U.S. credibility and leadership abroad on the defining issues of our day.