On September 21, Club de Madrid (CdM) led an official SOTF Action Day’s side event at UN Headquarters in New York titled “Pact for the Future and Beyond: Towards the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development“. As co-leader of the ImPACT Coalition on International Financial Architecture Reform and Financing for Development (IFA-FFD), CdM collaborated with GPIN and other impact coalition members towards this significant gathering.
The event brought together key stakeholders including representatives of Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, European Union and four UN Under-Secretary Generals (UN DESA, UNCTAD, UN Habitat, ECLAC) to assess progress on financial reforms and development financing, focusing on aligning international efforts with the 2030 Agenda. This timely discussion set the stage for the upcoming 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (4FFD) in 2025.
Participants highlighted the importance of making the financial system more inclusive, particularly for the Global South, and ensuring that development financing aligns with both the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and climate resilience efforts. Additionally, there were calls to enhance the role and resources of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and Public Development Banks (PDBs), along with advocating for a more strategic use of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to provide liquidity to struggling economies. These proposed reforms aim to create a more equitable and responsive international financial system, better equipped to tackle complex sustainable development challenges.
The discussions further emphasised addressing inequality’s root causes both internationally and domestically while advocating for more equitable global financial governance. Participants also highlighted the necessity of incorporating gender perspectives into all financing mechanisms and enhancing cooperation on global tax policies to combat illicit financial flows.
Club de Madrid’s Action Lab on Financing for Development
On September 27, Club de Madrid hosted the Action Lab “Driving Sustainable Futures for All” in New York, serving as a preparatory step for its upcoming Annual Policy Dialogue. The event brought together leaders from the UN, international organisations, civil society, and notable Club de Madrid Members, including Carlos Alvarado, Tarja Halonen, Tsakhia Elbegdorj, Helen Clark, Moussa Mara, and Danilo Türk. Participants engaged in discussions on international financing for development to shape the agenda towards the 4FFD and the Second World Summit for Social Development Summits in 2025. Key topics addressed included scaling up financial resources, reforming multilateral financial institutions, and tackling debt sustainability in the Global South.
The Action Lab’s second session featured presentations from the leaders of three preparatory working groups: Kevin P. Gallagher (Boston University) on Scaling Up Financing and Reforming Financial Institutions, Joseph Upile Matola (South African Institute of International Affairs) on From Debt to Development, and José Antonio Ocampo (Club de Madrid) on International Tax Cooperation. Their recommendations addressed pressing challenges in the international financial architecture, emphasising more inclusive systems to support developing economies. These insights will directly inform discussions at Club de Madrid’s upcoming Annual Policy Dialogue.
Bridging Dialogues: Key Recommendations for EU-CELAC and Americas Summits
In recent months, Club de Madrid and the Atlantic Council have consulted diverse stakeholders—including former heads of state, government officials, multilateral organisations, civil society, and the private sector—as part of the project Bridging Dialogues for a Unified Trilateral Agenda: The EU-CELAC Summit and the Summit of the Americas Collaboration Towards 2025. These discussions included representatives from future host countries of both summits and focused on identifying key priorities and developing recommendations for a formal dialogue mechanism between them.
Recognizing Spain’s vital role as a European, transatlantic, and Ibero-American actor, the session on September 27 in New York presented preliminary recommendations and facilitated exchanges on their implementation. Notable attendees included Danilo Türk, President of CdM and former President of Slovenia; Carlos Alvarado, Member of CdM and former President of Costa Rica (2018-2022); Diego Martínez, Spain’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs; María Elena Agüero, Secretary-General of CdM; Jason Marczak, Vice President and Senior Director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center; Diego Area, Deputy Director for Strategic Development at the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center; Maria Celina Conte, Director of the Summits of the Americas Secretariat; Jennifer Showell, Deputy Director for Summit Coordination at the U.S. Department of State; and other high-level officials. The session underscored the collaborative effort needed to advance this important trilateral agenda.
Empowering Youth Voices: Key Insights from WYDE at the Summit
WYDE Young Decision-makers actively participated in key events during the Action Days of the Summit of the Future.
On September 20, Emma Theofelus, Namibia’s Minister of Information and Communication Technology, joined the event “Building Foresight Competencies and Networks to Empower Youth in Africa,” organised by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), and the African Union (AU). She highlighted challenges young leaders face, particularly the lack of funding, stating, “youth engagement will come with or without permission.” Notable attendees included Jamila Bio Ibrahim, Nigerian Youth Minister; Monica Geingos, 3rd First Lady of Namibia; and Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, head of SAIIA. Geingos emphasised that “the people who carry the voice of young people are not just young people talking about politics; they are leaders.”
Later that day, Theofelus and Nicolas Albertoni, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay, participated in the #YouthLead Session on Governance for Human Rights, Peace, Security, and Political Processes. Co-organized by Club de Madrid, OHCHR, UNDP, UNESCO, and other youth-focused organisations with support from the UN Youth Office. Theofelus stressed the need for public institutions to engage youth meaningfully by co-designing policies and advocated for using technology and social media to involve young people in decision-making on critical issues like privacy and cybersecurity. Albertoni addressed the political challenges and inequalities faced by Latin American youth, noting a troubling trend toward authoritarian solutions in the region.
The session also addressed key topics such as human rights education, support for marginalised groups, sustained funding for youth organisations, and the necessity of youth participation in environmental policy.
On September 23, WYDE leaders Theofelus, Albertoni, and Temirlan Sultanbekov, Chairman of the Social Democrats (Kyrgyzstan), met with Club de Madrid Members Danilo Türk, Aminata Touré, Stefan Löfven and Secretary-General Agüero to discuss outcomes from the Summit of the Future. They exchanged insights on enhancing youth engagement in global decision-making and leadership development.
On the same day, the UN Youth Office hosted a High-Level Side Event titled “Advancing Youth Political Participation,” gathering around 100 participants from over 30 countries, including youth activists, government officials, civil society leaders, and private sector representatives. Discussions focused on enhancing youth involvement in policy making. Key figures such as Felipe Paullier, Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs; Martin Chungong, Secretary-General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union; and Kevin Casas former Vice President of Costa Rica and Secretary-general of International (IDEA) attended. A highlight was Theofelus’s speech urging young people to actively participate in politics: “The world of the future needs young people with a seat at the decision-making table.” Her message underscored youth’s critical role in shaping global governance.
Implementation of the Voice and Value of Democracy Campaign
The campaign’s second regional exchange, held in collaboration with New York University and its Wagner Global Government Network (WGGN), focused on the theme “Youth for Future: A Crucial Moment for Youth Democratic Participation.” This session emphasised the importance of youth engagement in democratic processes and the defence of democratic values amid rising authoritarianism. Panellists included Club de Madrid Members Danilo Türk, Elbegdorj Tsakhia and Moussa Mara, along with Temirlan Sultanbekov. Additionally, Amanda Sourek from International IDEA, Taylor Grace, NYU Undergraduate student and Ryan Arecco, MPA candidate at NYU Wagner contributed to the discussion.
In a separate session, held in collaboration with Human Rights Watch, the topic “Economic Rights and Democracy” addressed how the lack of economic rights and increasing inequality contribute to the erosion of democratic institutions and norms. This session aimed to identify actionable strategies to tackle economic grievances that fuel protests and explore policy frameworks that promote economic justice while strengthening democratic governance. Key participants included Kevin Casas Zamora from International IDEA, Abby Maxman from Oxfam US, Christina Refhilwe Mosalagae from the Institute for New Economic Thinking, Luiz Vieira from The Bretton Woods Project, alongside Club de Madrid Members Danilo Türk, Moussa Mara, and George Papandreou. This session was live-streamed and is currently available online.
We continue to work towards net zero:
Leadership for Net Zero
Club de Madrid is supporting efforts to achieve climate neutrality by emphasising the importance of strategic partnerships among political, business, and civil society leaders to build a sustainable future and safeguard generations to come.
Since 2022, through our project Leadership for Net Zero we have engaged with the private sector, decision-makers, and citizens to stimulate reflection on the value and necessity of assertive leadership in achieving net zero emissions. Last year, we published a policy report containing concrete recommendations for political, business, and civil society leaders on how they can contribute to a just transition toward climate neutrality. In this new phase of the project, we will collaborate with partners for implementation and identify specific actions aimed at fostering new municipal, local, and national regulatory frameworks that achieve climate neutrality while reinforcing increased ambition in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The final outcomes of this process will be presented at COP30 in Brazil. However, initial advances and findings will be shared at COP29, along with the project’s roadmap.
In this context, this past September 26, we had the opportunity to bring together our members Carlos Alvarado and Elbegdorj Tsakhia along with the leaders of the working groups and members of the project. Among other things, the session underscored the collaborative effort needed to advance this important trilateral agenda.
Read the report here.
Innovating for Impact:
Unleashing AI’s Potential to Catalyze Global Transformation
President Danilo Türk participated in the exclusive event “Innovating for Impact: Unleashing AI’s Potential to Catalyze Global Transformation,” held during UNGA 2024 on September 23. Co-hosted by Club de Madrid and the International Research Center for AI (IRCAI), with support from the UN Tech Envoy’s Office, UNDP, and AWS, this high-level gathering brought together global leaders and experts to explore the transformative potential of AI in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event showcased AI-driven solutions in areas like humanitarian aid, disaster risk reduction, and peacekeeping. Additionally, it launched a new AI-themed hackathon addressing gender and climate change in collaboration with key partners such as Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative (ASDI) and Gender & Environmental Data Alliance (GEDA). Some of the speakers were Amandeep Singh Gill, UN Tech Envoy; Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences at UNESCO; Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprise and Made of Italy; Cristina Pombo, Senior Advisor to the President of the Inter American Development Bank, Felix Mutati, Minister of Technology and Science of Zambia, and Shannon Kellogg, Vice President of Amazon Web Services Public Policy Americas.
Annual UNGA Dinner 2024
