Join Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations and representatives from the EU Delegation to the UK, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Central Lancashire to explore how to empower, connect and engage with youth. You can follow the lecture and the Q&A in person or online.

During his tenure as UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon tackled some of the most challenging issues of our time, from peace-keeping to climate change to global inequalities. He led the efforts for the landmark Paris Climate Agreement and, under his leadership, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda were created. Ban Ki-moon currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens which seeks to empower youth and women to become active global citizens in creating a sustainable future for all.

Today, there are 1.2 billion young people aged 15 to 24 years, accounting for 16 per cent of the global population. The challenges we face today require us to think beyond national borders and dividing lines and instead focus on what unites us. As the role of the youth is critical, the public lecture will urge the next generation to be more active, take initiative and raise its voice for climate change and a sustainable and resilient future. 

The Kapuściński Development Lectures are the European Commission’s initiative jointly organised with the United Nations Development Programme and leading European universities. They aim to raise awareness and trigger debates on a broad range of developmental issues such as climate change, human rights, aid effectiveness, and the Sustainable Development Goals through a series of high-level public lectures. Since the series started in 2009, over 40,000 participants attended more than 130 lectures that have been delivered by leading policy thinkers, international experts, and Noble Prize laureates. 

The lecture series are named after Ryszard Kapuściński (1932-2007) whose chronicles of the world’s poorest and most dangerous places won him an international reputation. According to his American publisher, Alfred A. Knopf, Kapuściński witnessed 27 coups and revolutions, and was sentenced to death four times.

More information: https://kapuscinskilectures.eu/lecture/role-of-the-youth-for-a-sustainable-and-resilient-future/

You can join the lecture by:

• coming to the event – register here
• joining the event online on Zoom – register here
• following livestreaming from the event at kapuscinskilectures.eu
• asking your questions to Ban Ki-moon via Twitter using #KAPTalks hashtag