The 75th session of the UN General Assembly opened on Tuesday 15 September, the first ever to be held virtually in history.
In parallel to the high-level meetings, a series of events is taking place to assess progress on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, drive avenues of collaboration and ensure we continue to address the most pressing issues of our time.
This year, One Young World has partnered with several organisations and forums to put young leadership and action at the centre of their programming.
Check out our spotlight list of events:
15 September: Changing the law on domestic violence
Hosted by the UN Population Fund, One Young World & Thrive
To kick-off UN General Assembly week, we co-hosted an event to highlight the progress being made on domestic abuse laws in Mauritania, and hope to share the country’s remarkable legislative reform with other countries considering creating or reforming laws on domestic abuse.
The Mauritanian government embarked on this reform because of the national outrage in response to the domestic abuse and murder of a young woman called Khadiata Omar Sow.
Chair: Mme Lô Khadijetou Cheikh. Gender and Human Rights Lead, UNFPA Mauritania.
Panellists:
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Dickel Dia, Gender Equality Activist & One Young World Ambassador
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Zeinebou Mint Taleb Moussa, Activist of 20+ years & initiator of the current draft laws
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Mr Abdallahi Diakité - Ministry for Social Affairs, Mauritania
Organiser: Jemima Lovatt, One Young World Ambassador & Founder, Thrive
16 September: Pan-African Youth Virtual Consultation, Malaria & Universal Health Coverage
Hosted by: African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA)
H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, as Chair of ALMA, seeks to establish the ALMA Youth Army to create a broader social movement to fight malaria, improve maternal and child health, and improve access to universal healthcare. He believes there must be increased leadership and participation of youth in his legacy agenda.
Organiser: Petrider Paul, One Young World Ambassador
Ambassadors speaking include:
- Aya Chebbi: AU Youth Envoy
- Dr. Isaac Olufadewa: Managing Ambassador for Africa
- Aminetou Bilal: AU Youth Advisory Council
21 September: Sustainable Development Impact Summit
Hosted by the World Economic Forum
For TopLink members only
The Sustainable Development Impact Summit is the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting for integrating and leveraging the best examples of public-private cooperation, systems thinking and Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies to develop the Sustainable Development Agenda.
This year, over 20 Ambassadors will be participating in the Summit and representing One Young World.
Ambassadors speaking and moderating sessions at the Summit include:
- Barkha Mossae: Mauritian Diplomat & Co-Founder, #SeeingBlue
- Grace Forrest: Founding Director, Walk Free Foundation
- Ismael Essome Ebone: President & Founder, Madiba & Nature
- Olya Krestyaninova: Strategy Analyst, Slimmer AI
22 September: Instagram Live Session with Vanessa Nakate
Join us Sept 22nd 2020 for an Instagram Live session on “Advocacy and Leadership for Social Change” with Vanessa Nakate.
Vanessa is a climate activist from Uganda. She was the First Fridays For Future climate activist in Uganda & is the founder of the Rise up Climate Movement.
4:00pm - 5:00pm EAT
21 September: Peace One Day Digital Experience
This year’s Peace One Day event is going virtual on the UN International Day of Peace.
The event will bring together actors, musicians and live action from the continents of the world. One Young World’s Co-Founder Kate Robertson will be speaking on the Education panel focused on driving peaceful societies through the provision of knowledge.
Alongside Kate, panelists include:
- Dr Anantha Duraiappah. Director, UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development
- Dr Scilla Elworthy. Founder, Business Plan for Peace & One Young World Counsellor
- Afua Nkansah-Asamoah. Activist, Childnet's Youth Advisory Board
- Ann Amstutz Hayes. SVP, Scholastic National Partnerships
- Boniface Mwangi. Kenyan photojournalist, politician and activist
22 September: Putting Intersectionality into Practice: Business Action for an Equitable Future
Hosted by Business Fights Poverty & Business In The Community
Watch it back:
Part of the UN SDG Action Zone, One Young World has supported the host organisations in bringing the panel to life.
This session is bringing together leading experts and practitioners to unpack the multiple and inter-related sources of discrimination, such as gender, race, sexual orientation and disability, that people face and that inhibits progress across multiple SDGs. They will explore the role that business can play, in partnership with others, to drive an equitable future - providing practical guidance and a space for peer discussion.
Moderator: Alice Allan, Business Fights Poverty
Speakers include:
- Zubair Junjunia - ZNotes Founder and One Young World Ambassador
- Professor David Grayson, Cranfield University
- Sandra Kerr - Business In The Community
- Dr Jane Pillinger - Open University, Gender Expert
- Jodi Harris, Global Vice President Marketing ABInBev
- Maria Noel Vaeza, Regional Directors, Americas and the Caribbean, UN Women
Collaboration with Global Goals House
Hosted by the UN, freuds & Project Everyone
For the annual UNGA week Goals House, the hosts are partnering with Soho House for their annual pop up. This year, they will be hosting a week-long series of events across global Soho House venues. With hubs in London, New York, Berlin and Copenhagen, they're hosting a set of panel discussions alongside virtual events in satellite locations; Abu Dhabi and Kigali. They are taking their content online and streaming to other Houses and via their online platform.
One Young World is supporting the team by identifying young leaders to participate in their programming in their various locations.
Featured Session: 25 September: Embracing Circularity and Social Impact
Join as speakers from the private and third sectors address the topic:
- Kate Robertson, Co-Founder, One Young World
- Ezekiel Chisenga Sekele, Director of Corporate Affairs, AB InBev - Zambia
- Tinashe Machiridza, Programme Coordinator, Oxfam South Africa
- Ashish Gadnis, Co-Founder and CEO, BanQu Inc
The session will be followed by a Fireside Chat and One Young World Announcement with Maisie Devine, Global Director, 100+ Accelerator, AB InBev.
RSVP to: [email protected]
22-23 September: World Humanitarian Forum
Hosted by WHF and Aid&Trade
WHF is the largest and most inclusive nonpartisan forum in humanitarian aid and international development.
Hosted both in New York and virtually, the Forum will bring together world leaders, government and non-government actors, the United Nations, and civil society, including youth organizations, to share their insights, experiences and learn from success stories shaping the future for a better tomorrow. It will be the biggest event in the sector celebrating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
Members of One Young World staff and Ambassadors will be participating in the programming.
23 September: Roundtable, Youth: Our Future
With approximately 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10 and 24, the UN has recognised that there is a need to engage and mobilize young people to act on the SDGs.
Join to hear from One Young World’s Community Director, Safoora Biglari, and Ambassador Mete Coban, Founder of My Life My Say.
23 September: Panel, Can Equality Wait? An agenda to end discrimination
One Young World’s People Director, Simon Rodgers, will be joining this panel and discussing approaches to address discrimination on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation and beyond.
23 September: Main Stage Session, Education
Education enables development and makes all other SDGs possible, training future generations for the workforces that they will enter. But Covid-19 has changed the way in which learning happens around the world and many children, including young girls, still do not have access to quality education. This session will bring leaders in the sector, including One Young World Ambassador Breshna Musazai of Afghanistan.
25 September: Second Annual Rise & UN Survivor Town Hall
Hosted by Rise & the Permanent Missions of Argentina, Sierra Leone and the European Union to the UN
The world’s 1.3 billion survivors are calling on leaders to stand with them to prioritize care and access to justice for survivors. This event will bring survivors to the same table as the world’s decision makers, allowing them to share their concerns and discuss the changes needed on an international and national level, especially as global economies start to re-open post COVID-19.
Members of the One Young World Community speaking include:
- Amanda Nguyen. Founder, Rise
- Terry Crews. Actor & Survivor leader
- Ella Robertson. Managing Director, One Young World
- Grace Forrest. Founding Director, Walk Free Foundation
- Dickel Dia. Founder, AFPHY, Mauritania
- Yeonmi Park. Human rights activist
- Sebastian Sanchez. Youth Network Against Human Trafficking, Colombia
28 - 30 September: #YOUNGA2020 Youth Forum
Hosted by BridgingTheGap Ventures
One Young World is proud to be participating in BridgingTheGap Ventures’ inaugural YOUNGA™ Forum making history as the first-of-its-kind global youth town hall using VR and XR technology. Through an inclusive, forward-looking youth-driven dialogue YOUNGA will connect young people like yourself directly with influential decision-makers and industry leaders to co-create solutions for a more inclusive, sustainable world.
Learn more: http://youngaforum.com
As a Youth Delegate, you will get first access to YOUNGA’s interactive sessions on September 28-29, 2020. Youth Delegates can virtually get up close to world leaders, decision-makers and celebrity influencers to exchange ideas, develop action plans and build their network like never before.
Organiser: Kelly Lovell, One Young World Ambassador
If you would like to join as part of One Young World's delegation, please contact [email protected] to be sent a unique Youth Delegate code.
Are you a One Young World Ambassador speaking or participating in an #UNGA75 event?
Get in touch: [email protected]