After seeing the giant reminder notes for the World’s To Do List covering buildings in cities around the world and posts on social media with the hashtag #WorldsToDoList, you might have some questions, and we’re here to help you answer:

What are the World’s To Do List and these sticky notes?

The World’s To Do List is an initiative to remind us all of the major challenges facing our world, and was started by the nonprofit organization “Project Everyone,” a global partner of the United Nations (UN). Created as a reflection of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the World’s To Do List is designed to take those 17 goals and render them actionable and approachable for not only nations, cities and corporations, but motivated individuals as well.

Part of the visual design goal of the World’s To Do List was turning the Goals into sticky notes—the same kind many people use every day for reminders. For big goals, we sometimes need big reminders, so the campaign focuses on plastering these notes around visible places in cities or virtually through social media in an eye-catching way, usually overlapping logos or other objects in a way that visually signifies that these goals are, and should be, a top priority.

So why am I seeing these World’s To Do List post it notes on large buildings or social media now?

Right now, the UN is holding its general assembly in New York City in person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, September 19-25 is Climate Week in NYC. Coinciding with these two events, Project Everyone is launching the #WorldsToDoList campaign this week to draw attention to the SDGs, as well as the things we individuals all can do if we want to help make the world a better place.

And also, importantly, by hijacking the social media posts (and even actual buildings!) of cities around the world, this campaign highlights the impact that local cities’ actions have on our world, and aims to increase public awareness, and availability of funding and technical assistance to those cities who are striving to achieve the global goals on the World’s To Do List.

Yokohama is one of these cities, and during the campaign will provide information on Yokohama City’s SDGs-related initiatives, such as urban development support for emerging cities and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine.

Many other cities are participating alongside Yokohama, including (as of September 7, 2022): London, Bristol, New York, Freetown, Bogota, Milan, Mexico City, Liverpool, Cannes, Durban, Doha, Barcarena, Londrina, Paris, Glasgow, and Oxford.

Can I join the World’s to Do List campaign?

Of course! For groups and individuals who support the message, we and Project Everyone fully encourage you to share your thoughts on these goals on social media with the hashtags #WorldsToDoList and #TheGlobalGoals.

Share the daily posts made by the Yokohama International Affairs Facebook page

Or our post on LinkedIn

Share your own posts made with the Words To Do List sticky notes provided by Project Everyone, or use* the premade images of Yokohama’s landscapes below!

*These images are restricted to non-commercial use related to this campaign.