Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the SDGs
Goalkeepers is an initiative launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2017 to bring together leaders from around the world to accelerate progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The initiative also provides reports and data flow charts over SDGs progress since 1990.
Its core event is the annual "Goalkeepers Conference" (which usually takes place during Global Goals Week and the UN General Assembly) at which the "Changemaker Award" is bestowed to 'extraordinary individuals who are driving progress in their communities and countries'. Invitations are issued to global leaders and aspiring personalities who have been personally selected by the board. Previous attendees include Barack Obama, Emmanuel Macron, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Amina J. Mohammed, Erna Solberg, Malala Yousafzai, and Trevor Noah. Past award winners have included Yusra Mardini, Amika George, Ria Sharma, and Nadia Murad, who later went on to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Conferences and awards.
2024.
The fifth in-person Goalkeepers event was held in September 2024 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Speakers included:
The winner of the Global Goalkeeper award was:
Further awards went to:
2022.
The fourth in-person Goalkeepers event was held in September 2022 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Speakers included:
The winner of the Global Goalkeeper award was:
Further awards went to:
2021.
The 2021 Goalkeepers conference could not take place physically, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had to be held virtually. The winner of the Global Goalkeeper award was:
Further awards went to:
2020.
The 2020 Goalkeepers conference could not take place physically, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but had to be held virtually. The winner of the Global Goalkeeper award was:
The Global Goals awards went to:
2019.
The third annual Goalkeepers event was held September 25–26, 2019, at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Speakers included:
The Global Goalkeeper Award was given to:
Ahead of the ceremony, human rights groups and three Nobel Peace Prize winners – Shirin Ebadi, Tawakkol Karman and Mairead Maguire – criticized in a letter to the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation the decision to bestow an award upon Modi, stating that under his leadership, “India has descended into dangerous and deadly chaos that has consistently undermined human rights, democracy.’’
The Global Goals awards went to:
2018.
The second annual Goalkeepers event was held September 25–26, 2018, in New York City. Speakers included:
The Global Goals awards went to:
2017.
The first annual Goalkeepers event was held September 25–26, 2017, at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Speakers included:
Advisory board.
The Goalkeepers program is being advised by several individuals, including the following:
References.
 ;templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" / ;