Muscat to address Global Citizen Festival in New York

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat will be one of international speakers to address the Global Citizen Festival in New York, advocating an end to extreme poverty.

The Global Citizen Festival is a free-ticketed event on the Great Lawn in Central Park in New York City on Saturday, September 26, 2015. The Festival is timed to coincide with the launch of the United Nations’ new Global Goals designed to fight inequality, protect the planet and end extreme poverty by 2030.

On 26Sept, I will be at #GlobalCitizen Festival to advocate an end to extreme poverty: http://t.co/uHR9qBoYPP -JM pic.twitter.com/QrAyoQhTCT

— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) September 21, 2015

The festival – the highlight of the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations – will push the launch of an ambitious set of global development goals. Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Pearl Jam and Coldplay will be headlining this year’s concert.

Additional celebrities include Usher, Common, Tori Kelly, Laverne Cox, Katie Holmes, Connie Britton and Sunidhi Chauhan.

According to Forbes, the festival has seen major successes in the last four years, and has taken almost 3 million actions in the fight against poverty. These actions have resulted in 87 commitments and policy announcements, including cash commitments valued at $18.3 billion in the United States.

“The festival provides a unique method of drawing fans into the festival, as it requires each person to earn their tickets by getting involved with the movement by completing eight ‘Global Steps’,” Forbes reports.

“The Global Steps include proactive deeds, such as tweeting about the festival’s mission, or signing a petition that urges Congress to pass the Global Food Security Act. After completing the steps, every fan will be entered into a raffling system."