Session 1: Sustainable development in a time of global transformation

The first session of the event takes stock of SDG implementation in an era when humanity faces growing catastrophic and existential risks, but also rapid advances in knowledge, science, technology, and innovation. Present and past policy makers will assess how we can shift the focus from short-term gains to long-term sustainable development progress, for current and future generations.

Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica

Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission for Democracy and Demography
Jokate Urban Mwegelo, Secretary General of the Chama cha Mapinduzi's Youth Wing in Tanzania, and part of the WYDE Network of Young Decision-Makers of Club de Madrid
Luís Roberto Barroso, President of the Supreme Federal Court of Brazil
Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London (UCL)
Wawira Njiru, Founder and Executive Director of Food for Education
Yasar Jarrar, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, International Advisory Group, The Gulf Cooperation Council

Session 2: International Tax Cooperation – A new frontier for inequality reduction

The session will explore the role of taxation as an instrument to mitigate inequalities to close the the financing gaps. Novel proposals including carbon taxes, levies on fossil fuels, taxing the super rich, corporate taxation etc. will be discussed to address contemporary manifestations of inequality, including post-pandemic economic divergence, climate injustice, rising conflict, and gender inequality.

Amar Bhattacharya, Senior Fellow at the Global Economy and Development Program at Brookings Institution
Eva Maria Granados Galiano, Secretary of State for International Cooperation of Spain
Laura Sabogal, Senior Policy Advisor at Third Generation Environmentalism

Session 3: Addressing debt challenges for sustainable development  

Debt levels in developing countries have risen sharply compounded by high debt servicing and refinancing costs, narrowing the fiscal space for SDG implementation. The session will consider bolder, multilateral solutions for addressing this problem.

Betty Wainaina, Program Director of the Multilateral Reform Program at New York University's Center on International Cooperation (CIC)

Rebeca Grynspan, Secretary-General of UNCTAD
Uzo Aduba, Actress and gender advocate

Lunch

Session 4: Scaling up development and climate financing

The investment needs and financing gap for sustainable development has grown. 

Speakers will propose concrete actions to radically scale up development and climate finance to meet the SDG investment needs of developing countries to counteract the highly volatile financial landscape while emphasizing that the most vulnerable are at the heart of financing considerations.

Ilona Szabo De Carvalho, Co-founder and President of the Igarapé Institute
Li Junhua, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

Mahmoud Mohieldin, United Nations Special Envoy for Financing the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda
Namita Vikas, Founder and Managing Partner, auctusESG
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, UNDP Goodwill Ambassador
Rémy Rioux, CEO of Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and Co-chair of Finance in Common (FiCS) Executive Board
Samaila Zubairu, President of the African Finance Corporation
Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact
Sergio Mujica, Secretary-General of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Session 5: International Financial Architecture for the 21st Century

Through high-level dialogue and expert remarks, the session will address how leading multilateral institutions are preparing for the future, the need for an international financial architecture that supports sustainable development, and the risks they must overcome to fulfil the expectations of global citizens, for 2030 and beyond.

Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
John Kerry, 68th U.S. Secretary of State
José Antonio Ocampo, Advisor, Club De Madrid
Mary Robinson, Chair of The Elders and Former President of Ireland

Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning and Economic Development of Egypt