Citizens call on world leaders to act, in a creative campaign installed at COP27 by UN Development Programme

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) today unveiled an exhibition based on its Webby-award winning campaign Dear World Leaders at COP27 in Egypt. The installation features 200 voices from around the globe, speaking directly to world leaders on how climate change is impacting their lives and what kind of action they want to see.

The campaign has received nearly 400 submissions to date. The digital platform has reached over 29,000 unique users who have collectively watched more than 231 hours’ worth of video content. About a quarter of the videos come from the African continent.

The installation at COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt brings 200 of these videos to the attention of 35,000 participants and over 100 Heads of State attending the conference, including President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Mia Mottley.

“In order to address the climate crisis, we need all people at the table,” Cassie Flynn, head of Climate Promise at UNDP, said. “Through Dear World Leaders, we are proud as UNDP to be able to gather voices from across the globe, particularly those most underrepresented, and bring them to these important negotiations. In doing so, we aim for world leaders to hear these calls and take bold, urgent action in Egypt.”

A truly global campaign, the exhibition features messages from more than 100 countries, including scientist Dr. Lucky Tran from the United States, actor Bhumi Pendekar and Prajakta Koli from India, Miss Viet Nam H'Hen Niê, and Danish actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau.

Dear World Leaders initially launched at COP26 in November 2021. It gave a platform to people from all over the world, who posted video messages telling decision makers how climate change is affecting them, and what’s at stake. These were messages of anxiety, anger, frustration and fear, but also messages of hope, and most importantly calls for action.

Dear World Leaders was voted ‘People’s Voice Winner’ in the Activism category at this year’s Webby Awards, which is hailed as the “Internet’s highest honor” by The New York Times.

The submitted videos that make up the campaign can be viewed at www.dearworldleaders.org.