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Yonsei Commits to Sustainability with Ban Ki-moon and World Leaders

World leaders discuss UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with Ban Ki-moon at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea.

World Leaders Discuss UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with Ban Ki-moon at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea
World Leaders Discuss UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with Ban Ki-moon at Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea

Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea is leading the way to a sustainable future in partnership with Ban Ki-moon, the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, and key leaders of the global community.

The inaugural Global Engagement & Empowerment Forum on Sustainable Development (GEEF) was held at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea during February 7-8, 2018 in the presence of distinguished international and national dignitaries. Co-hosted by the Institute for Global Engagement & Empowerment at Yonsei University and the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, the forum’s main theme was “Putting People and Planet at the Center”, serving as a platform for all stakeholders and actors to collaborate towards accomplishing the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Current and former leaders of governments and international organizations, including António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations; Miroslav Lajčák, President of the UN General Assembly, Lee Nak-yeon, Prime Minister of Korea, and Heinz Fischer, former President of Austria, as well as the world’s top business leaders such as Jack Ma, Founder and Executive Chairman of Alibaba Group; and Chey Tae-won, Chairman and CEO of SK Holdings, and world-renowned experts on sustainable development such as Jeffrey Sachs, Director of Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, were among the forum’s main speakers and panelists.

GEEF was established to further contribute to the global efforts for the accomplishment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted at the United Nations in 2015 under then Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the current Honorary Chair of IGEE and Co-chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens. Kim Yong-Hak, President of Yonsei University and GEEF Organizing Chair, said “GEEF will find ways to improve partnerships among international organizations, civil society and academic institutions, especially in collaborative education and research.”

Over 1,300 participants attended the three main plenary sessions addressing partnerships, good health, and climate action, as well as the 12 parallel sessions and special talks covering a wide spectrum of issues on sustainable development, ranging from ICT for higher education to co-prosperity with social enterprises.

Just in time for the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, the Forum also collaborated with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and served as a platform for all participants to discuss issues surrounding world peace, security and development.

Updated in Feb 2018

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