Digital summit returns this Saturday ahead of the G20, convening government leaders, civil society, grassroots advocates and the private sector, calling for urgent action to address the biggest challenges facing humanity and the planet
September 5, 2024 – Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI) and Global Citizen, the world’s leading advocacy organization, working in partnership with a worldwide consortium of civil society organizations, think tanks, and universities, today announced its fifth annual virtual Global Town Hall, taking place this Saturday, September 7 (GMT+7). The virtual Global Town Hall will convene government leaders, private sector executives, grassroots advocates and philanthropic experts to discuss our planet’s most pressing challenges.
Under the theme “Keeping Course: Actions and Solutions for a Messy World” the Global Town Hall will convene sectors for high-caliber discussions and debates on the state of the world involving leading minds worldwide. The virtual summit aims to engage global citizens with different perspectives and ideas on addressing global challenges, facilitating a genuine and high-quality East-West and North-South dialogue at the grassroots level.
The virtual 15-hour marathon discussions commencing at 8.30am Jakarta time on September 7 will feature speakers including Sarah, Duchess of York, Ana Toni, National Secretary for Climate Change, Brazil, Bola Ray, CEO of EIB Network and Empire Ghana, Carl Bildt, Prime Minister of Sweden (1991-1994), Ambassador Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Comfort, President and CEO of International Crisis Group; Felipe Paullier, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, Janja Lula Da Silva, First Lady of Brazil, Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network & Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University; H.E José Manuel Albares, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain; former Minister of Health of Malaysia (2021-2022), H.E. José Ramos-Horta, President of the Democratic Republic of Timor Leste, H.E. Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia, Simon Birmingham, Shadow Foreign Minister of Australia and H.E. Subrahmanyam Jainshankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, with more to be confirmed.
Both FPCI and Global Citizen aim to elevate communities and civil societies worldwide whose voices must be considered in global discussions, especially by those informing national and multilateral policies that affect their lives.
Taking place ahead of the G20 meetings in Rio de Janeiro in November and the Global Citizen Festival in New York City on September 28, this Town Hall serves as a crucial platform for fostering discussions focused on Al and technology, the UN Summit of the Future, geopolitics, the climate crisis, democracy, world conflicts, global financial architecture, human rights, global health, food security and more.
The Global Town Hall has gathered over 30,000 people from more than 140 countries since its inception.
“Civil societies have become the most impactful factor in world affairs. They want their voices heard, they want their actions to count, and they want to be part of solutions to today’s problems. This is what the Global Town Hall is all about: connecting civil societies from North-South East-West where they speak as equals and connect with one another and with policy makers on the basis of mutual respect.” FPCI Founder and Chairman Dr. Dino Patti Djalal stated.
“At a time when news cycles are dominated by crises, conflicts, and seemingly intractable issues, the Global Town Hall is a powerful reminder that lasting change can be achieved through unity, inclusive dialogue and collective action”, said Michael Sheldrick, Global Citizen’s Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact, and Government Affairs Officer. “This initiative equips advocates worldwide with the tools to tackle urgent issues – whether it’s fighting climate change, advancing human rights, or rethinking global governance. Our actions matter, and the best response to apathy and despair is action. Now more than ever, we must join forces and push for the institutional change needed to build a just and equitable world for all.”
Registration for Global Town Hall 2024 is now open at www.gth2024.com.