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Samsung, UNDP Partner to Push Progress on the SDGs

New mobile app, special-edition accessories aim to raise awareness of, funding for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Published 5 years ago | About a 3 minute read

Image: Samsung

Samsung Electronics and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have partnered in support of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Global Goals) — launched in 2015 to address 17 of the biggest challenges faced around the world, including inequality, poverty, climate and environmental degradation, and education.

Samsung and UNDP are joining forces to provide simple ways for Galaxy users to come together to support the Global Goals and address the issues that matter most to them. Through this new initiative, Samsung and UNDP will release the ‘Samsung Global Goals’ application, an education and donation-based mobile application, along with special edition accessories.

“Now more than ever, we have the potential to use the power of technology to address the world’s most pressing challenges,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications at Samsung. “Our partnership with the UNDP will provide Galaxy users with easy, impactful ways to learn about the Global Goals and support the causes important to them, so we can collectively make a difference.”

Samsung and UNDP believe that a crucial step in tackling the Global Goals is to increase awareness and understanding of the challenges these goals address and why they are important. Their partnership is the latest in a growing number of educational resources created for this purpose — including Sekisui Chemical’s recently launched online SDGs Academy, for children; and Taylor & Francis’ new online library for college students and tutors.

As an additional step, Samsung and UNDP are providing simple ways that people can donate to help address the challenges and fuel the actions needed to accomplish the Global Goals.

“This partnership with UNDP and Samsung will not only harness technological innovation in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, but will mobilize the next generation of global citizens to take action and achieve the goals together,” says UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. “Only with a joint effort by everyone — private sector, civil society, and people across the world — can we truly have impact and change the world for the better.”

The Samsung Global Goals app, available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones, aims to increase awareness and raise funds for UNDP to support its work around the world. Samsung is also launching special-edition accessories, donating a portion of revenue from sales of each accessory directly to UNDP in support of the Global Goals. The Galaxy Note10 cover with Global Goals-themed design and a wireless charger will be introduced at the device launch.

The new Samsung Global Goals app will give consumers easy and effective ways to learn more about each of the 17 Global Goals and take part in small actions to help support the issues that matter most to them. People can use the application to donate directly to the Global Goals via the UNDP website. Galaxy users can also easily donate to the SDGs by choosing to engage with advertisements in the application. Galaxy users will be able to donate 100 percent of the advertisement revenue Samsung would have generated to the Global Goals.

The application will be available in 19 languages3 and will come preinstalled on the Galaxy Note10, while it will be available for download on other Galaxy smartphones2 later. The special-edition accessories will be available through Samsung.com and select Samsung Experience Stores in the US and Korea.

* All features and services may differ by market and mobile operator.

* All announcement and product information provided in this document including, but not limited to, the details, availability, and timing of the app and special edition products are subject to change without notice.

2The app will come pre-loaded on Galaxy Note10 and depending on the market will be available for download on the Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note9, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy A Series except A10s, A20s through Galaxy Store and Google Play starting from Aug 23, 2019.

3 Arabic, English, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish and Vietnamese.