The Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will shortly open the seventh annual One Young World Summit at a spectacular opening ceremony on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, seat of Canada's Government.
Mr Trudeau will address the One Young World 2016 delegation at a ceremony in which young leaders representing more than 190 countries will carry their national flags before laying them down in a symbolic display. Other speakers this evening will include the former Secretary-General of the United Nations and One Young World counsellor Kofi Annan, and Sir Bob Geldof, the founder of Live Aid, singer with the Boomtown Rats and also a One Young World counsellor.
The former Irish President Mary Robinson, a returning One Young World counsellor, is due to address this evening's audience on the subject of climate change. Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the Grameen Bank, Professor Muhammad Yunus, is to speak on the power of scoial business to eliminate unemployment, poverty and carbon emissions.
David Jones and Kate Robertson, the co-founders of One Young World, the premier global forum for young leaders, will welcome to Ottawa a line-up of counsellors that includes world business leaders and stars from the worlds of film, music and sport. Those set to address the 2016 Summit include the actor and Goodwill Ambassador for UN Women Emma Watson and the singer and Oscar-winning actress Cher. Speakers from the world of business include Carlos Brito, CEO of AB InBev, the world's largest brewer, and Ronan Dunne, the new EVP and Group President of telecoms giant Verizon Wireless.
During the three-day Summit, young leaders from all around the world will present their work and stories to an audience of more than 1,300 at the Shaw Centre in Canada's capital. Delegate speakers will show the critical role young people have to play in generating solutions to the world's most pressing problems. Across six Plenary Sessions, delegates will address Environment, Education, Human Rights, Peace & Security, Global Business and Mental Health.
The opening ceremony, which includes a performance by Orkidstra, a children's orchestra aiming to build community through the language of music, will be streamed in its entirety on the One Young World website from 18.30 EST.