Creating Debate

You are here: :

Promoting constructive discussion for solutions to major humanitarian challenges.

Driving debate

Providing a leading independent global platform for frank deliberation on pressing and emerging humanitarian concerns, such as climate change.

Our annual centrepiece event and the foremost gathering point for humanitarian community leadership. The event is held each summer in the humanitarian capital of Geneva and is personally chaired by Kofi Annan.

The inaugural Annual Forum was held in Geneva on 24-25 June 2008. It gathered some 300 senior international participants from a wide range of different backgrounds in the largest ever conference exclusively dedicated to the human dimensions of climate change. Entitled “The Human Face of Climate Change”, it received wide coverage and helped to place the humanitarian aspects of the climate issue high on national and international agendas. A number of the Forum’s key initiatives also stemmed from the event, including: the Human Impact Report and Weather Info for All. The second annual forum was held on 23-24 June 2009 also in Geneva. The 2010 Forum will be held on 28-29 June.

The 2009 Forum is the second edition of our annual centrepiece event.

The 2009 Forum was held on 23-24 June 2009. Entitled “Human Impact of Climate Change”, the event was 2009’s leading global platform for addressing today’s greatest emerging humanitarian challenge. Since our inaugural event in 2008, the need for concerted action continues to grow: scientists continue to report that climate change is happening faster than previously thought. And we are also closer to the December 2009 conclusion point of negotiations for a new global climate agreement - humanity’s best opportunity for tackling this crisis.

Over 400 high-level international participants from wide-raging sectors, including heads of state and government, ministers, and heads of major corporations, and development and humanitarian organizations attended the two-day event.

Our inaugural Youth Forum took place in Geneva immediately prior to the 2009 Forum on 17-19 June 2009.

Entitled “Youth Adults for New Results”, the Youth Forum brings together extraordinary young adults from different backgrounds and nationalities around the world to examine various aspects of the human impacts of climate change. Participants were challenged to develop innovative solutions – the best of which can be found here. The general outcomes of the Youth Forum also formed a manifesto from a younger generation to spur action, which was presented to the 2009 Forum.

The initiative is a partnership with Geneva’s Graduate Institute.

For more information please visit the Youth Forum website.