On December 15th and 16th, the United Nations Office at Geneva and the World Academy of Art and Science(WAAS) organized the virtual event titled “Global Leadership for the 21st Century” which focused on catalytic strategies to address the challenges of global leadership. The event hosted a series of panels on peace, environment, youth, the economy, health, education, food security, and many more.

Environment and Climate

Ana Hanhausen, Mentor of the POP Movement participated during the session titled “Environment and Climate” among Elise Buckle from the Planetary Emergency Partnership Network; Sandrine Dixson Decleve, Co-president of the Club of Rome; Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Michel Jerraud, Secretary-General Emeritus at the World Meteorological Organization; Bruno Pozzi, Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, Europe Office; and Oliver Greenfield, Convener at the Green Economy Coalition.

Ms. Mizutori talked about the importance of good risk governance in order to turn crisis into opportunity as well as the importance of including all generations. Michel Jerraud spoke of the cross-cutting challenges we are facing and how we need a new approach to leadership at all levels while encouraging decision-makers to integrate facts and solidarity into their decisions. Bruno Pozzi spoke of the importance of multilateralism and the need to transmit the desire to change. Oliver Greenfield very eloquently remarked how recent movements have been people-driven and that social movements need a global culture change, with the interests of people at the center of decisions and overcoming trust to empower leaders.

Finally, Ana, POP Youth Mentor spoke about the importance of immediate action to secure a safe future for the younger generations. She spoke of the need for inclusion and collaboration for lasting and effective solutions and remarked the hope of the climate emergency to be taken with as much urgency as the current health emergency of COVID-19.

Mobilizing youth networks and social movement

In another session titled, “Mobilizing youth networks and social movements”  during the conference, key imperative strategies to promote multilateralism and participatory solutions were discussed. Moderated by Olena Prykhodko, 2021 Vice President, Junior Chamber International, the session’s speakers included Ash Pachauri, POP Senior Mentor; Kehkashan Basu, Founder, President, Green Hope Foundation; Jodi Cullity, Head of Partnerships, Youth Leadership Network; and Luke Addison, UK Rotaract Chair. According to Ash Pachauri, POP Senior Mentor, “While we’re talking about multilateralism, trilateralism and collective approaches, we also coincidentally, paradoxically, are living through a time of extreme nationalism and rapidly driven approaches that are inward looking and isolationist.” Recognizing the role of the 1.8 billion youth in the world, he stressed the importance of creating inclusive spaces to encourage greater youth involvement and support their meaningful engagement.

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