The Big pitch

Action Groups will pitch their final initiatives or campaigns in front of a panel of leading thinkers, activists, and policymakers for insight, guidance, and feedback. A prize will be awarded to the most creative and ambitious initiative.

Panelists Included:

Sofia Borges, Senior Vice President and Head Of The New York Office, United Nations Foundation
Alaa Murabit, Director, Program Advocacy and Communications, Gates Foundation
Nina Boel, International Board, Amnesty International
Isra Chaker, Syrian-American Civil Rights Activist

Courtney Kimmel, Vice President, Captain Planet Foundation
Oby Ezekwesili, Senior Economic Adviser at the Africa Economic Policy Development Initiative
Ulrika Modéer, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Bureau of External Relations and Advocacy, UNDP
Anna Brodowsky, Vice President Public Affairs, Essity

The event will closed with a performance from MC Millaray, an emerging 16 year old music star in Chile using her fierce lyrics to advocate for transformative change for young people and future generations. MC Millaray’s personal journey was recently featured in the New York Times.

Spotlight 1

The grand ambition to change trajectories in the second half of the SDG era

Multiple crises have hit young people the hardest. Compared to adults, young people are two times more likely to live in poverty and three times more likely to lose their job. Most young people also live in countries that are underrepresented and marginalized in global bodies, and it is only through international cooperation that we can more effectively protect their interests in the future. Halfway into the 2030 era, it’s time to change our approach and start investing in young people.

Guest speakers Included:

Laurel Patterson, Head of the SDG Integration, United Nations Development Program
H.E. Keisha McGuire, Former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Grenada to the United Nations
Nikolai Hegertun, Senior Adviser, Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation
Corina Kwami, Director of Strategy, Purpose
H.E. Xolisa Mabhongo, Deputy Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations

Moderated by Inés Yábar, UN Foundation Next Generation Fellow Lead

Spotlight 2

Equipping young people with the skills to thrive

After the largest disruption of education in history, many are questioning fundamental standards and inequities of the global education system. In many places of the world, lack of digital access and resources, formalistic teaching, and outdated curriculums does not prepare young students adequately for their future. Still, many young people leave school without basic knowledge in reading, writing, and mathematics.

Guest speakers Include:

Soledad Patiño, Global Skills Academy Coordinator, Section of Youth, Literacy and Skills Development,  UNESCO
Maryjacob Okwuosa, Youth Leader, The Global Partnership for Education
Jaïri Terpstra, Global Future of Work Manager – Youth
Cecilia (Thea) Soriano, Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education
Amy Parker, Senior Learning through Play Advisor, Save the Children

Moderated by Alice Mukashyaka, UN Foundation Next Generation Fellow

Spotlight 3

Preparing for the future of work

Imagine if all young people worldwide entered the workplace with the right skills, experiences, and resources. The potential for their personal development – and global progress – would be unlimited. From raising productivity and reducing inequality to creating businesses and improving communities, there’s no end to the benefits their talents and ideas could bring. However, young people today face extraordinary economic, social, and cultural challenges and demographic shifts, technological advances, and climate change which brings additional challenges.

Guest speakers Include:

Matthieu Cognac, Senior Multilateral Cooperation Advisor, International Labour Organization
Ruth Khakame, ITUC Africa Youth Chair
Sue Duke, Vice President, Head of Global Public Policy & Economic Graph, Linkedin
Mona Iddrisu, Head of youth employment and skills at Africa Center for Economic Transformation (ACET)

Moderated by Saru Duckworth, UN Foundation Next Generation Fellow

Spotlight 4

Renewing multilateralism and the rising prominence of Africa

With global demographic and economic dynamics shifting, the future will be heavily concentrated in Africa. The continent will play a key role for any future efforts in global cooperation. Considering the current challenges to multilateralism, greater African leadership and innovation are needed to inspire new multilateral formats and approaches, with a focus on next and future generations.

Guest speakers Include:

Landry Signé, Senior Fellow, Africa Growth Initiative, Brookings Institution
Jawhratelkmal Kanu, Founding member, Sudanese Women Economists Association (SWEA)
Nathalie Gabala, Executive Director, Pan-African Programs Mastercard Foundation
Emmanuel Ametepey, Executive Director of Youth Advocates Ghana and Convener of the African Youth SDGs Summit
Mayowa Kuyoro, Partner, McKinsey Nigeria

Moderated by Kelechi Achinonu, UN Foundation Next Generation Fellow

Spotlight 5

How innovations in technology and storytelling can help us break through

Looking into the future is always challenging, especially as progress on the Sustainable Development Goals has stagnated during the pandemic. The promise of emerging technologies and communications can help break through bureaucratic and political hurdles stalling progress and stretch our imagination to achieve ambitious progress.

Guest speakers Include:

Hilary Smith, EVP Corporate Social Responsibility, NBCUniversal
Ileri Jaiyeoba, Creative Producer, Code Red Co
Jonah Kessel, Deputy Director, Opinion Video, The New York Times
Olasumbo Olaniyi, Researcher, African Contemporary Institute of Design and African Futures Institute
Nneka Norville, Global Marketing Communications Executive, Nike

Moderated by Anita Dywaba, UN Foundation Next Generation Fellow

Spotlight 6

Meeting the challenge of climate change

Despite more than three decades of global climate diplomacy efforts, a meaningful consensus about which strategies work best in response to the crisis remains elusive. Meanwhile, the likelihood of crossing the 1.5 degrees above the preindustrial levels threshold in the next five years is steadily rising, and national and global security risks induced by climate are multiplying.

Guest speakers Include:

Daniel Sherrell, Author of Warmth: Coming of Age at the End of Our World
Shuva Raha, Head, New Initiatives at Council on Energy, Environment and Water
Jonathan Moyer, Associate Director, Pardee Center for International Futures
Indu Murthy, Head of Climate Environment and Sustainability, Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy

Moderated by Butti Almheiri, UN Foundation Next Generation Fellow

Spotlight 7

Thinking, Planning and Acting for Future Generations

Unexpected crises and the pressing development needs of today tend to take center stage in political discourse, at the expense of matters of the future. 10.9 billion people are likely to be born this century, mostly in low and middle income countries, while richer countries still control and consume the overwhelming majority of global resources. Any future generations agenda must reconcile this imbalance and reimagine how the multilateral system can deliver for future generations.

Guest speakers Include:

Aarathi Krishnan, Strategic Foresight, UNDP
Maxime Stauffer, Chief Executive Officer, The Simon Institute for Long-term Governance
Eiko Tsukamoto, Senior Manager, Schmidt Futures
Cecil Abungu, Researcher, Legal Priorities Project, Cambridge

Moderated by Claudette Salinas Leyva, UN Foundation Next Generation Fellow