The Anthem Awards is one of the largest and most comprehensive social impact awards program that honors incredible, purpose-driven work from individuals, companies and organizations around the globe. The 4th Annual Anthem Awards marked the most competitive season yet, with over 2,300 entries submitted from 34 countries. By recognizing projects and initiatives that drive global change, the Anthem Awards establish a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires action in communities worldwide.

“We are truly honored to have our commitment to the Global Goals recognized by the Anthem Awards,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is dedicated to harnessing the power of technology to inspire collective action, open collaboration and creating a better future for all. As we advance towards 2030 alongside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Samsung Global Goals app will remain vital for driving action and progress toward achieving the Global Goals.”

Developed in partnership with the UNDP, the Samsung Global Goals app empowers millions worldwide to contribute directly to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals. Launched in 2019, the app now has nearly 300 million Galaxy users[1] around the world and has raised over $20 million[2] to support UNDP initiatives through user donations, in-app advertisements and matching donations from Samsung.

▲ The Samsung Global Goals app has engaged millions of Galaxy users and raised substantial funds to support UNDP’s work in advancing the Global Goals and contributing to their achievements.

For more information about the partnership, read the 2024 Global Goals Report here. To learn more about the Samsung Global Goals app, download the app from the Google Play Store.

About UNDP
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is one of the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. www.undp.org

[1] Total number of users as of September 2024

[2] Total contributions as of September 2024

Central to this mission is the belief in the potential of young people, particularly millennials and Gen Z. As tech-savvy global citizens, their optimism and conviction drive progress on issues like climate change and social equity. With the right tools and platforms, they have the power to influence policymakers and businesses toward a more sustainable future.

As the 2030 deadline for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approaches, Samsung and UNDP remain committed to the Global Goals. Both organizations have made significant strides in creating real-world impact by prioritizing innovation. In celebration of United Nations Day, Samsung has released a report that marks our five-year relationship, highlighting progress in raising awareness of the Global Goals through initiatives like the Samsung Global Goals app and Generation17.

“We believe in the power of collective effort to create a better future for upcoming generations and using technology for the greater good,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “Our partnership with UNDP over the past five years has been a meaningful step in this journey, as we’ve worked together to support young changemakers and raise awareness of the Global Goals. We’re grateful for the opportunity to contribute to a better future for all, and we look forward to continuing our journey to 2030 with the Galaxy community.”

“The only way we are going to confront the world’s biggest challenges is through cooperation. Our partnership with Samsung shows the power of true collaboration between the public and private sectors,” added Achim Steiner, Administrator of UNDP. “We are proud of the progress that we’ve seen in both the Samsung Global Goals app and the Generation17 initiative to empower youth to advance the SDGs. We look forward to continuing and exploring new frontiers in our partnership to drive sustainable development in the years ahead.”

Samsung Global Goals App

▲ The Samsung Global Goals app allows Galaxy users to work toward the Global Goals in an easy, collaborative way.

Samsung and UNDP partnered in 2019 to launch the Samsung Global Goals app[1]— a platform that educates Galaxy users about the 17 Global Goals and allows them to generate donations through in-app ads, using wallpapers to increase their earnings and direct contributions. Samsung then matches all proceeds from the in-app ads, maximizing our collaborative efforts to support UNDP’s work in advancing the Global Goals and contributing to their achievement.

To further engage Galaxy users, we introduced new interactive features such as the Donation Leader Board in 2023. In 2024, we launched limited-edition wallpapers as “Thank-you Gifts” as a token of appreciation to active users. The wallpapers, available on Samsung Galaxy smartphones and watches, highlight different endangered species supported by UNDP Global Goals initiatives.

▲ The Samsung Global Goals app has engaged millions of Galaxy users and raised substantial funds to support UNDP’s work in advancing the Global Goals and contributing to their achievements.

Since its launch, the Samsung Global Goals app has reached nearly 300 million Galaxy users[2] and raised more than $20 million[3] for UNDP. Users have identified Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) as their top priorities, offering valuable insights into the global issues that matter most to them.

▲ Galaxy users have identified Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) as their top priorities.

Looking ahead, we are dedicated to expanding the app’s impact to inspire collective action and create lasting change.

Generation17

In 2020, Samsung and UNDP launched Generation17 to support young changemakers advancing the Global Goals with the belief in the power of youth to create meaningful change. The initiative provides technology, mentorship and networking opportunities to Young Leaders worldwide — supporting 16 such individuals across six regions to date and sharing their stories through Samsung and UNDP’s global platforms.

Through the initiative, the Generation17 Young Leaders have been able to attend major global events such as the Mobile World Congress, the UN Economic and Social Council Youth Forum and the UN Summit of the Future Action Days. These engagements give them a platform to collaborate with global decision-makers across different sectors.

In just four years, UNDP and Samsung, through Generation17, have supported Young Leaders who believe this initiative has significantly contributed to achieving remarkable results and making a resounding impact on their communities. While Generation17 has provided valuable resources and opened doors for the Young Leaders, their success is ultimately a testament to their drive, creativity, entrepreneurial skills, networks and passion for advancing the Global Goals. Through these combined efforts, the Young Leaders feel that this initiative has scaled the impact of their work, allowing them to reach more people within their communities, raise awareness of their work and advance all 17 Global Goals through the power of technology.

Samsung Newsroom highlights how Generation17 leaders Efe Johnson, Thùy Anh Ngô and Tafara Makaza are leveraging technology to address challenges such as reproductive health education, care for the elderly, economic mobility and more — demonstrating how innovative solutions can inspire change and action.

Efe Johnson

A reproductive and sexual health advocate from Kaduna, Nigeria, Efe Johnson founded Xari Africa to break taboos surrounding sexual and reproductive health across Africa after experiencing shame and confusion during her first menstrual period. Xari Africa educates girls on topics like menstruation, birth control and sexual health.

Xari Africa has impacted 4,500 girls across Africa through school workshops, online courses and Efe’s practical health guide Just Period It. She now aims to expand her platform to reach 1 million girls.

▲ Efe prioritizes Goal 1 (No Poverty), Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 5 (Gender Equality) in her work to empower and educate girls across Africa.

Thùy Ang Ngô

Thùy Anh Ngô founded HASU, a mobile platform in Vietnam that improves the physical, mental and social well-being of older adults. Inspired by her late grandfather’s fear of burdening his family, she developed HASU to meet the needs of Vietnam’s aging population. The app offers health advice, exercise routines and social forums to keep seniors connected and active.

Thùy Anh has concentrated on stabilizing internal operations and optimizing services for seniors over the past year, contributing to HASU reaching over 50,000 individuals. Her newest program, a memoir-writing service, has been helping clients from various backgrounds — including key opinion leaders, politicians and retired professionals — preserve and cherish their treasured memories.

▲ Thùy Anh prioritizes Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), Goal 4 (Quality Education) and Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities) in her work to support older adults in Vietnam.

Tafara Makaza

A social entrepreneur and technologist from Zimbabwe, Tafara Makaza co-founded Fixa — a digital platform that connects informal workers with safe, reliable employment opportunities in Africa. Dubbed the “LinkedIn for the linked out,” Fixa helps workers create digital profiles and gives them access to formal jobs and financial services.

Tafara has connected over 8,000 workers to more than 300,000 job opportunities, disbursing more than $2 million in salaries since starting the platform in 2021. He is empowering individuals across Africa to achieve economic independence.

▲ Tafara prioritizes Goal 1 (No Poverty) and Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) in his work to improve employment in Africa.

Looking Towards 2030

With 2030 on the horizon, Samsung’s commitment to driving global progress has only strengthened. The company continues to harness its technological expertise to fuel collective action for meaningful change by supporting UNDP and young changemakers worldwide. Through initiatives like the Samsung Global Goals app and Generation17, Samsung remains focused on building a more sustainable future for all.

Click here to download the full report.

[1] Samsung Global Goals app seen on the image is simulated for illustrative purposes. Availability and supported device models may vary by market and are subject to change
[2] Total number of users as of September 2024
[3] Total contribution as of September 2024

Generation17 is an initiative in partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) that aims to harness technology to elevate the voices of young leaders around the globe who are working to achieve the Global Goals in less than 10 years. Established by the United Nations in 2015, the Global Goals—or Sustainable Development Goals—provide a framework to address pressing global challenges including poverty, inequality, climate change and peace and justice, to build a better future for all by 2030.

To get involved, visit the Samsung Global Goals App and visit us here:  http://smsng.co/generation17_undp

When I started my career at Samsung 25 years ago, I was a young engineer with a passion for technology and all it could do. Over the years, the capacity of mobile innovation has exceeded even my ambitious expectations. It has brought us conveniences and capabilities that make our lives better, but it has also given us the opportunity to be better. The ability to connect without proximity empowers us to break down barriers and work together to make progress. And with humanity facing some of its most complex challenges yet, we need to collaborate and innovate solutions more than ever before. That’s why I believe mobile technology has a vital role to play in helping us protect our planet.

Samsung has always challenged what’s possible with technology. And now, we are taking our next step towards putting sustainability at the center of our innovations. From eco-conscious materials to global partnerships, we are exploring every opportunity to help power the world with mobile technology that serves as a tool for positive change.

Innovation With Impact

We’ve been on a journey for years at Samsung, marrying sustainability and innovation by using recycled materials in our smartphones, wearables and accessories. In addition to our on-going effort to use more eco-conscious materials including recycled PCM (post-consumer materials), the new Galaxy smartphones and tablets that were unveiled at our latest Unpacked used select components containing 20% recycled ocean-bound plastic from discarded fishing nets.

We focused our innovation efforts on a pervasive and especially hazardous type of plastic waste that is harming marine life and our natural ecosystems – discarded fishing nets. Every year, 640,000 tons of fishing nets are abandoned in and around our oceans. With help from like-minded partners, we found a way to repurpose them into a new, high-performance material that can be incorporated into critical components of the Galaxy S22 series. From now on, more and more Galaxy devices will play a small part in reducing plastic waste in our oceans.

I know we still have a long way to go. And at Mobile World Congress 2022, we will share our next wave of innovations that incorporate recycled ocean-bound plastics.

Using Technology as a Force for Good

At Samsung, we believe in making mobile technology that has positive environmental impact and putting the power of our Galaxy ecosystem into the hands of passionate change makers.

I’ve seen this firsthand with our growing Generation17 initiative, which Samsung leads in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme. Generation17 empowers young activists to take on pressing issues like climate change, education, and more, so the world can make headway towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, by 2030. And with the recent addition of six new Young Leaders, the program now spans countries in Africa, Asia & The Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Middle East and supports work across all 17 Global Goals.

That’s how mobile innovation fuels transformation. It amplifies simple actions and individual voices and brings them together to amount to big, global change.

We Need Collective Action

I am in awe of the impactful ways people are helping to change the world with Galaxy, and I promise our work does not end here. Samsung will continue developing innovative technology that bridges barriers, connects communities and addresses the climate crisis.

Samsung is ready to do more. We will take real action, hold ourselves accountable and share our journey – from our successes to our challenges and lessons learned. We will act with our industry peers, with developers, with the Galaxy community, with everyone, to strengthen technology as a force for good.

Samsung Electronics today announced that the company ranked fourth out of 150 companies in the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA)’s Digital Inclusion Benchmark in 2021. Samsung’s consistent, multifaceted efforts to be digitally responsible have earned the achievement from global tenth place in 2020 to fourth in this year.

The WBA represents an alliance forged among more than 200 global, regional and local organizations to shape the private sector’s contributions to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. The WBA examines companies with a focus on seven key categories, including human rights, the environment and digital inclusion. The WBA launched its very first Digital Inclusion Benchmark last year, which evaluated companies’ progress in improving access to technology, enhancing digital skills, fostering trustworthy use and innovating both openly and ethically.

Samsung was recognized for its efforts on digital responsibility as the company had established its artificial intelligence (AI) ethics principles. Having recognized the importance of emphasizing social and ethical responsibility in technology development, Samsung established a set of AI ethics principles to put into practice.

Samsung strives for accessibility in its products, enhancing them with technologies that make it easier for all users to utilize them. WBA recognized Samsung’s SeeColors app¹ that makes color adjustments to aid those with color vision deficiency (CVD) and helps them enjoy a better viewing experience with optimized colors on Samsung TVs.

The company’s C-lab Outside program in Korea that is designed to foster the startup ecosystem was singled out for its social contribution activities, while Samsung’s devotion to support digital education also garnered recognition. With its vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’, Samsung has been and will continue to operate social contribution activities focusing on youth education and growth for their sustainable development. Samsung operates its global Corporate Citizenship Program, the Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) to provide support in the form of job opportunities in future technology fields.

As a company that develops products and technologies that enhance users’ lives, Samsung is committed to promoting digital responsibility. Going forward, the company will continue to explore ways to make it easier for people to access and utilize a wide range of convenient and meaningful digital technologies.

¹ This app is not intended for use in the diagnosis of disease or other conditions, or in the cure, mitigation, treatment or prevention of disease or medical problem. Any information found, acquired or accessed through this app is made available for your convenience and should not be treated as medical advice.

Since 2009, the Reuters Responsible Business Awards celebrates businesses that showcase world-class sustainability strategies and deliver positive impacts on society and the environment. The Circular Transition Award recognizes innovations that help the world’s transition to a more circular economy.

Honored at a virtual award ceremony, Galaxy Upcycling at Home is an initiative that gives new life to older Galaxy smartphones by repurposing them into IoT (Internet of Things) devices with a simple software update. Through the SmartThings app, users can repurpose unused smartphones into convenient smart home devices such as a childcare monitor or a pet care solution.

Judges noted that Samsung’s upcycling solution is “A simple initiative with a basic idea, which helps shift the mindset on the value of old phones. A genuine closed loop versus recycling of e-waste with an innovative twist.”

This innovative program exemplifies Samsung’s global efforts to transition to a circular economy through greater use of sustainable materials, reusing resources and extending product longevity with added value and alternative purposes. Embodying Samsung’s determination to create a better world through promoting more sustainable production practices and consumer behaviors, Galaxy Upcycling at Home enables users around the world to make a positive impact and help build a better future for generations to come.

“Samsung is dedicated to finding new, innovative ways to minimize global e-waste and we’re proud to be recognized for our leadership in integrating sustainable practices into our product lifecycle,” said Sung-Koo Kim, VP of the Sustainability Management Office, Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics. “We invite the larger Galaxy community to join us in our mission to breathe new life into unused devices and increase reuse habits, and we hope our efforts will serve as a blueprint for a more sustainable and prosperous future for all.”

Galaxy Upcycling at Home is a part of Samsung’s continued commitment to use the power of technology to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Galaxy Upcycling at Home specifically focuses on Goal 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production – by minimizing environmental impact and promoting eco-conscious habits. The program also supports Galaxy for the Planet, Samsung’s recently announced sustainability platform for its Mobile Communications Business.

But what exactly does this look like? In order to provide a sneak peek into these global citizenship efforts, Samsung has recently released its ‘Journey to a Better Future’ video series, which features the stories of Samsung employees across the globe in charge of the company’s corporate citizenship programs that focus on providing education for future generations.

Turning Dreams Into Reality to Find Solutions for Society

The Journey to a Better Future series presents experiences from Samsung’s corporate citizenship managers around the world, as well as real testimonies from the students who have participated in their programs.

From Samsung Russia, Sergey Pevnev and Anna Kolganova share their favorite memories from throughout their citizenship careers; Pevnev reminisces about the amazement in the young students’ eyes during the live-streamed lesson he organized featuring Russian astronauts in space, while Kolganova shares her story of launching Samsung Innovation Campus with the same determined mindset of the athletes competing in the Sochi Winter Olympics being held at the same time.

Additionally, students from Samsung Innovation Campus (SIC) in Italy share how much closer they are to realizing their dreams of becoming tech experts following the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and programming education they received through the program, and students from the U.K. who participated in Samsung Solve for Tomorrow discuss with their mentors how they developed creative problem-solving skills in the process of realizing their solutions for society during the program.

The stories of the students of Samsung’s education-focused corporate citizenship programs around the world, as well as the managers and mentors who are helping them realize their dreams, will continue to be shared on Samsung’s corporate citizenship website, Samsung Global Newsroom and across social media.

Take a look at some of those stories in the video below.

Enabling People for a Better Future

Under the CSR vision “Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People”, Samsung operates a range of educational programs around the world to create more inclusive, quality learning experiences for young people from all walks of life and to empower future generations to achieve their full potential.

Samsung’s leading global corporate citizenship programs for youth education include Samsung Solve for Tomorrow and Samsung Innovation Campus. Samsung Solve for Tomorrow encourages students to use their STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) knowledge to create solutions that can solve societal problems and fosters their creative problem-solving skills.

Furthermore, Samsung Innovation Campus concentrates on developing the young generation’s employment capabilities through ICT education. From 2012 through 2020, Samsung’s global employees have devoted a total of 9.07 million hours to corporate citizenship activities, and around 21.5 million people have participated in Samsung’s youth education programs.

Samsung’s corporate citizenship programs are aligned with Goal 4 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. Samsung cooperates closely with the world’s governments, policy makers and institutions to provide diverse and equal opportunities for young people. Samsung will continue to devote both the technologies and the resources in order to bring high-quality educational experiences to young people in every corner of the world.

As part of the company’s effort to support the Sustainable Development Goals, which include the aim to promote inclusion and equality for all, Samsung is committed to taking feedback from all users, and is collaborating with companies like Google to make the Galaxy experience accessible to everyone.

These collaborations have led to the development of a wide range of accessibility features that are designed to serve diverse needs. What’s more, to celebrate this year’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Samsung has produced a video tutorial to help users make the most out of the accessibility features on Galaxy smartphones.

Check out the video below to learn more.

In order to provide simple ways for Galaxy users to come together to support the Global Goals, Samsung and the UNDP launched an education and donation-based app, Samsung Global Goals. The app provides Galaxy users with the ability to learn more about the Global Goals and take part in small actions to help address the issues that matter most to them.

To provide the best user experience possible, along with more ways to get involved, Samsung is bringing a range of updates to the Samsung Global Goals app this January.

More Ways to Join in and Give Back

The Samsung Global Goals app offers a range of ways for users to support and give back to the Global Goals. By engaging with advertisements in the app, users are able to donate 100% of an ad’s revenue to the Global Goals. Samsung also recently announced that it will match all proceeds generated through the in-app advertisements to help maximize donations and make an impact, meaning that effectively 200% of ad revenue from the app will be donated to the UNDP by Samsung¹.

The app also allows users to donate directly in support of the Global Goals to the UNDP. With the latest app updates, users will be able to use both Samsung Pay and Google Pay² native payment mechanisms when donating. This will allow users to directly donate to the UNDP and the Goal of their choice by simply clicking and then confirming using biometric authentication – making it easier than ever to make a difference and donation to the #Global Goals campaign.

Samsung is also making it easier for users to opt into features that help generate more ad earnings, even when their phone is charging. Users can currently opt into the ‘Charge Screen ads’ feature in the Donate tab of the app, which will show ads on the device’s lock screen when it is plugged in to charge. As part of the update, the app will now prompt new users with a pop-up message providing information on this feature once their device has been plugged in to charge. This feature can be easily toggled off and on anytime in the Donate tab.

Additionally, users will be able to enjoy a wider range of lock screen options in the app’s Global Goals Lockscreen Wallpapers section, which can easily be managed in the app’s Settings page. The new wallpapers now support a wider selection of inspirational quotes, dynamic visuals, and graphic styles, making easier to stay engaged and inspired to contribute.

The update also brings several other UX upgrades to the Samsung Global Goals app. App notification messages have been streamlined for improved usability, each Goals’ Facts and Figures information is now more clearly linked to each Goal and users can more easily see which version of the app they are running. Galaxy users in Korea will also now be able to learn about the K-SDGs, or Korean Sustainable Development Goals, in the Samsung Global Goals app thanks to a collaboration with Korea’s Ministry of Environment.

The Samsung Global Goals app is available for download through the Galaxy Store and Google Play. To learn more about the Samsung Global Goals, visit here.

¹ Samsung has pledged to match donations with ad proceeds generated through the Global Goals app; up to US$5 million annually.

² Donations through Samsung Pay or Google Pay will be available in 5 markets following the current update, including the U.S., Singapore, Australia, the U.K., and Canada. This feature will be available in more regions in the future.

Samsung believes that a crucial first step in the journey to tackling the Goals is to increase understanding and raise awareness of the challenges the Goals stand for. In order to do so, Samsung has created simple ways to help people worldwide address the issues that matter to them.

Read on for a comprehensive guide to the Samsung Global Goals campaign and learn how you can join the campaign.

Grow Your Awareness with the Samsung Global Goals App

Once you’ve downloaded the app¹ from the Galaxy Store or Google Play, you will be met with the app’s Updates page. This home page is a place for you to learn about the Goals and how people around the world are working to achieve them.

The Global Goals app follows Samsung’s affirmation that the first step to enacting real societal change is through spreading awareness, so by clicking the ‘Learn more’ button or the Goals tab at the bottom of the app, you can find a comprehensive and dedicated guide to each of the 17 Global Goals agreed upon by world leaders.

Each Goal’s page comes with a comprehensive explanation of what the Goal addresses, as well as key facts and figures to grow your understanding of the challenges this Goal intends to mitigate.

Once you’ve thoroughly explored each of the 17 Goals on the app, if you would like to donate directly to the campaign, you can follow a link on the app’s homepage to make an easy one-off or monthly donation. You can even make a donation in someone’s honor or dedicate a contribution to a loved one’s memory, if you wish.

Another way you can support the campaign with the Global Goals app is by engaging ads. The Updates tab of the app will present you with ads you can engage with; tapping on these ads will generate revenue for the Global Goals that you can then donate to the Goal of your choice in the Donate tab of the app.

While exploring the Updates page, you will also come across the option to receive ads on your lock screen while your device is charging; tapping these ads will generate even more money. Select ‘Turn on’ to opt in; you are able to easily toggle this option on and off at any time in the Settings tab of the app.

The Donate tab not only shows the money you have earned and donated, but also keeps you connected to the donation history of all Samsung Global Goals users around the world.

To learn more about the Samsung Global Goals, visit https://www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/apps/samsung-global-goals/

¹ The Samsung Global Goals app will come pre-loaded on Galaxy Note10 and depending on the users’ market, will be available for download on the Galaxy S8, Galaxy Note8, Galaxy S9, Galaxy Note9, and Galaxy S10 through Galaxy Store and Google Play starting from Aug 23, 2019.