The Role of Music in Achieving Our Sustainable Development Goals

Music is the global universal language. It not only conveys stories, but it is also a tool to improve well-being, develop skills and education and create pathways out of poverty. Yet, music has never been looked at a standalone use case and benefit to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Yet, music is creating new pathways to meeting these goals, from making health care more effective to keeping children in education. In this session, the first ever for the UN, a number of global experts on music's role in development will discuss the role of music tourism in poverty reduction, social cohesion and employment. Using the Americana Music Triangle as an example - a series of tools to create employment, skills and economy across the American south and the use of music in tourism in the City of Ambon in Indonesia - this session will explore how if a country or organisation uses music directly, it brings significant national, regional and local benefits across a number of SDG goals. Following this session will be a networking reception and Q&A; to explore the role of music across the SDGs as a whole, focusing on music tourism but also touching public health, social wellbeing and poverty eradication.