Campaign aims to catalyse global action to Defeat Poverty, Defend the Planet and Demand Equity

Global Citizen, the world’s leading international advocacy organization on a mission to end extreme poverty, has announced the lineup of the 2024 Global Citizen Festival, set to take place on Central Park’s Great Lawn on September 28. Post Malone, Doja Cat, Jelly Roll and RauwAlejandro will headline this year’s festival, with additional performers to be announced in the coming weeks. Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman will host the event, which will also feature appearances by Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder, the Jane Goodall Institute & UN Messenger of Peace, and Global Citizen Festival Curator, Chris Martin of Coldplay. 

The hunger crisis continues to grow, infectious diseases are still spreading, debt is on the rise, and last year was the hottest on record. Meanwhile, governments everywhere are reducing their contributions to foreign aid, with more than half of G7 countries having proposed cuts this year. Despite the emerging gap between what the world needs and what seems politically possible, the plight of the world’s most vulnerable communities is more urgent than ever. This is a critical year for the global community to support frontline organizations, invest in lifesaving solutions, and act today, to save tomorrow.  

The 2024 Global Citizen Festival takes aim at these major issues perpetuating extreme poverty around the world. Tickets to the Global Citizen Festival are free and can be earned by taking action on the Global Citizen app or at globalcitizenfestival.com to demand change from governments and private sector leaders. This year, global citizens everywhere will unite to call for urgent action to:

Defeat Poverty 

Global Citizen is calling on the G7 countries – Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, the UK and the US – to increase their support for anti-poverty programs worldwide, including increasing their contributions by at least 25 percent to the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund dedicated to defeating poverty in the world’s 75 lowest-income countries. Achieving an IDA replenishment of at least $100 billion will support the social and economic development of more than 1.5 billion people, including providing 250 million people with access to electricity by 2030, addressing malnutrition for over 40 million women and children per year, and driving domestic investment in healthcare, agriculture and education. Global Citizen’s campaigning for the IDA replenishment will include hosting the Economic Development Assembly just days after the festival on October 9-10 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, in partnership with Bridgewater Associates, Harith General Partners, and the Government of Côte d’Ivoire. 

Defend the Planet 

Global Citizen is calling for businesses, philanthropic foundations and governments to protect and restore the Amazon rainforest by investing $1 billion, including supporting indigenous communities, who are guardians of 80 percent of the world’s biodiversity. The Amazon is one of the world’s largest carbon sinks, storing 150 billion tons of carbon – equivalent to 15-20 years of global greenhouse gas emissions – making it vital to slowing climate change. The EU and G20 countries should also set specific timelines by which they will phase out coal, oil and gas, in line with the historic decision made at COP last year, to ensure a swift and equitable green transition and avoid more human suffering due to climate change.

Demand Equity

Global Citizen is calling for equitable access to nutritious food, stronger health systems, and quality education. Governments such as Australia, Canada, European Commission, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the US must commit at least $5 billion collectively to organizations working to provide equitable access to meet peoples’ basic needs. Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, must also be fully funded through 2030, significantly to help reach the more than 14 million “zero-dose” children who have never received a life-saving vaccine.

Organizations Global Citizen is campaigning for this year include CGIAR, Education Cannot Wait, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, The International Fund for Agricultural Development, International Labor Organization, United Nations Population Fund Supply Partnership, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the World Health Organization, and for domestic resource mobilization for women, health, food, and education. Global Citizen is also calling for a world where everyone’s human rights are respected and protected, including the rights of advocates and activists worldwide, particularly defenders risking their lives to take action on extreme poverty and protect the planet.

“There’s undoubtedly a divide between what the world needs to end extreme poverty and what currently feels possible. Our mission has never been more critical,” said Hugh Evans, Co-Founder & CEO, Global Citizen. “Together, we must hold our governments to account, and demand that businesses and foundations use their power for good. We must call for ambitious action to defeat poverty and defend the planet — there are 700 million people depending on it.”

The 2024 Global Citizen Festival campaign and its policy goals are supported by a global coalition of over 90 organizations and leading media companies around the world.

“For countries like Zambia, Global Citizen’s support of the World Bank’s IDA replenishment could not have come at a more critical time,” said Hakainde Hichilema, President of Zambia. “As our worst agricultural season in over 40 years takes hold, our nation and our neighbours are facing dire food shortages and severe instability in our power supply. The participation of the world’s wealthy nations in this replenishment is not just generousity — it is life or death for millions experiencing the worst impacts of climate change.” 

Global Citizen Festival is presented by Citi and Cisco. Major Partners are Bridgewater Associates, Delta Air Lines, Motsepe Foundation, P&G, Verizon and World Wide Technology; Production Partner Live Nation; Exclusive US Audio Partner iHeartMedia; and Location Partner New York City Parks. The event is produced by Diversified Production Services.

For more information visit globalcitizenfestival.com, download the Global Citizen app, and follow Global Citizen on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.