17
At about 10 years to the 2030 deadline, UNDP launches a global initiative to accelerate the progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. UNDP builds Accelerator Labs within its offices in 60 countries to find solutions to such global problems as climate change and growing inequalities. As a part of this network, UNDP Turkey Accelerator Lab was launched on 3 September 2019.
At the event moderated by UNDP Turkey Goodwill Ambassador Mert Fırat, representatives of ministries, ambassadors, UNDP’s private sector partners, international financing institutions, UN Agencies, participants from social good, innovation and enterprise ecosystems had the opportunity to meet one another, discover the Accelerator Lab, make suggestions on this new global initiative, and meet UNDP Turkey Accelerator Lab team.
Underlining that the Accelerator Lab would support Turkey in overcoming development challenges, UNDP Turkey Goodwill Ambassador Mert Fırat said: “While we are working to realise the 2030 Agenda and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we observe that traditional approaches to development issues do not work against today’s social and environmental problems. Problems in the 21st Century rapidly evolve, get associated with others in such a way that may make efforts unfruitful. UNDP set out to establish Accelerator Labs in 60 countries to make good use of the remaining limited time, find more innovative solutions, test such solutions more rapidly, and address those that have not been addressed. We are lucky that one of those labs will be in Turkey.”