Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, will host the One Young World 2016 Summit. They beat off strong competition from other world cities in the bidding process.
Alongside delegates, Ottawa will welcome the One Young World Counsellors who have in recent years included: Former UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan; activist and musician Sir Bob Geldof; Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus; founder of the Huffington Post, Arianna Huffington; entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Richard Branson; Unilever CEO Paul Polman and Barclays CEO Antony Jenkins.
Ottawa's Mayor, Jim Watson, said: "A modern and multicultural city built on old world charm, Ottawa is excited to welcome young leaders and decision makers from around the world as they come together to chart our future. While Canada’s capital gets ready to celebrate the 150th anniversary of our nation in 2017, we know you will play a key role in shaping with us the next 150 years of global leadership."
One Young World co-founder Kate Robertson said: “With every One Young World Summit we hope to push the boundaries of what is possible, to ensure that we continue to be the premier gathering for young leaders globally.”
Ottawa will welcome young people from every country in the world in a gathering that brings together more nations than any other youth-dominated event - with the exception of the Olympic Games.
Ottawa is unique amongst North American cities because it has two official languages to celebrate its multicultural heritage; English and French. Most people speak English, but one third of the population speak French as their first language.
The city is known as the administrative seat of the Canadian government, multi-national corporations and NGOs – but a new generation of Ottawans are striving to place their city on the world stage by creating opportunities in high-tech industries, arts and culture.
Ottawa’s selection will see the main Summit sessions take place at the Shaw Centre, located on the Rideau Canal.
