Queen Rania Reads SDG 4 at Annual Social Good Summit

(Office of Her Majesty – Press Department – New York) "I am Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan. And I believe in the power of education to create lasting change", said Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah at opening session of the 6th Annual Social Good Summit, in partnership with Project Everyone, as she read the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 4.

Her Majesty presented the Sustainable Development Goal number 4 to the audience, a goal that aims to give every child quality education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Queen Rania highlighted everyone has a right to education saying, “Deprive children of quality education, and you deprive them of the opportunities that can help them break out of the cycle of poverty.”

Her Majesty described the cycle of poverty as “a cycle that traps people in disadvantage,” adding that it is “a cycle that puts girls at risk of violence. And slows the growth of our global economy.”

“Everyone has a right to education. Tell Everyone.” – Queen Rania

The Sustainable Development Goals were set after 193 countries arrived at a consensus on the seventeen proposed goals which aim end poverty and hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages and inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all, build resilient infrastructure, reduce inequality within and among countries, and take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, among others.

Reading the other SDGs were Ms. Helen Clark, Administrator of UNDP, Ms. Graça Machel, widow of former South African president Nelson Mandela and of Mozambican president Samora Machel, Ms. Amina Mohammed, Special Advisor to the UN SG, Ms. Karen Quintos, Senior VP and Chief Marketing Operator of Dell Inc., Mr. Pete Cashmore, CEO and Founder of Mashable, , Mr. Mo Ibrahim, Founder of Mo Ibrahim Foundation, Mr. Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, along with Ahmed Mohammad, Victoria Beckham, Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Adrian Grenier and others.