The 4th Board meeting of the Ban Ki-moon Centre takes place in Vienna

August 30, 2019

“Half of my heart lies in Vienna,”

said Co-chair Ban Ki-moon at the beginning of the 4th Board meeting held on August 27-28th. Following the first Board meeting hosted in Seoul, the second in Alpbach, and the third in Kuwait, the fourth was hosted at the City Hall of Vienna in Austria.

Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig welcomed the BKMC Board members and expressed his appreciation for having the Ban Ki-moon Centre based in Vienna as well as its contributions to the city’s development in the field of multilateralism and its leading role in international affairs.

The participants included:

Ban Ki-moon, BKMC Co-chair & 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations
Heinz Fischer, BKMC Co-chair & 11th President of Austria
Márcia Balisciano, Director of RELX Corporate Responsibility
Irina Bokova, Former Director-General of UNESCO
Maurice Lévy, Chairman of Publicis Groupe
Ed Futa, Former General-Secretary of Rotary International
Ambassador Kim Won-soo, former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
Ambassador Sadiq Marafi, Permanent Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations in Vienna
Andrea Pfanzelter, Senior Advisor of the KAICIID International Dialogue Centre
Michael Sheldrick, Co-founder and Vice President, Global Policy and Government Affairs at Global Citizen
Ambassador Shin Chae-hyun, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations in Vienna
Jean Todt, President of the FIA and United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Road Safety
Dimitri de Vreeze, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of DSM Netherlands
Monika Froehler, Chief Executive Officer of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens
Ambassador Choi Sung-ju, Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future

CEO Monika Froehler moderated the meeting, briefing the Board on the Centre’s past engagements and development. The Board discussed strategic methods for promoting the activities and projects of the Centre as well as effective ways to amplify the messages through the Centre’s various partnerships and affiliated offices. Ambassador Choi from the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future based in Seoul also presented the Foundation’s vision and mission to the BKMC Board and discussed possible collaborations.

RELX SDG Inspiration Day Delhi: Inspiring collaborative action on the 17 global goals

May 2, 2019

On 2 May 2019, BKMC partner RELX held its fourth SDG Inspiration Day in Delhi to catalyze action on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This event took place at the iconic Imperial Hotel in partnership with Global Compact India, Responsible Media Forum and the Ban Ki-Moon Centre for Global Citizens. The theme Sustainable Cities: SDG 11, critical to the rest inspired rich discussion among participants from business, government, civil society and academia who explored the interconnection of SDG 11 with cross-cutting themes, such as health and the rule of law.

In the opening plenary, BKMC Board member Marcia Balisciano, Director, Corporate Responsibility at RELX, explained that India is in the top 10 countries for research on SDG 11 and in the last five years India’s research output on sustainable cities has more than doubled. A keynote from Ambassador Kim won-soo, BKMC Board member and former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, highlighted the need for smaller cities and the role of technology to harmonize this.

The day featured an expert café with contributions from Arunava Dasgupta, Head , Department for Urban Design, Centre for Urban Design Innovation; Amit Sharma, BU Head, Energy and Sustainability Services, Schneider Electric India and Aditi Haldar, South-Asia Director, GRI among others, who explored the challenges of health planning for urban populations, the role of data, technology and smart infrastructure, circular and green energy systems and the future of jobs and skills.

Youth were well represented during the partnership fair, with a number of student presentations from the School of Urban Planning who shared their proposals for cities that were greener, more resilient and were more caring for older populations.

SDG Inspiration Day Delhi was the fourth of a series of inspiration days held across the world: London in 2017, which launched the RELX SDG Resource Centre; Silicon Valley which explored disruptive technology to advance the SDGs and Amsterdam on the importance of partnerships for the Goals, both in 2018.

Photo: RELX Group

BKMC Board members get welcomed by South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon in Seoul

February 20, 2019

Upon their visit to Seoul, South Korea to participate in the Global Engagement & Empowerment Forum (GEEF) 2019, some of the Board members of the Centre were welcomed by South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon on February 15th, 2019. Prime Minister Lee has also welcomed the BKMC Board last year on the occasion of the Centre’s first Board meeting held on the margins of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

During the meeting this time, Prime Minister Lee and Ambassador Choo Jong-youn, who is Diplomatic Advisor to the Prime Minister, were informed of the Centre’s implemented projects with the fund received from the Korea Foundation at the end of last year. Including the GEEF 2019 that took place on February 14-15th, the Centre exchanged its successful ongoing and upcoming projects in close partnership with its partners in Korea. BKMC Co-chair Heinz Fischer, who is former President of the Republic of Austria, and Prime Minister Lee also discussed the peace process in Korea, including denuclearization in the Korean peninsula.

Other BKMC Board members who were present at the meeting were Ambassador Sadiq Marafi of the Kuwaiti Embassy in Vienna, Ambassador Shin Dong-ik of the Korean Embassy in Vienna, Dr. Irina Bokova who is former Director General of UNESCO, Dr. Márcia Balisciano who serves as Director of Corporate Responsibility of RELX Group, and Monika Froehler, CEO of the Centre.

The Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens looks forward to further strengthening its close relationship with Korea throughout pursuing the upcoming cooperative projects with its partner organizations in Korea.

Photo by the Prime Minister’s Office

BKMC Board members actively participate in the parallel sessions of the GEEF 2019

February 15, 2019

At the Global Engagement & Empowerment Forum (GEEF) 2019 co-organized by the Centre, the IGEE, Yonsei University, KOICA, and Seoul Institute in Seoul on February 14-15th, some of the BKMC Board members who participated in the Forum featured at different parallel sessions.

Ambassador Sadiq Marafi of the Embassy of the State of Kuwait & Permanent Mission to the United Nations participated in the panel of the session for “Financing for the SDGs.” At the discussion, he shared recent contributions and achievements the Kuwaiti government has made in advancing each Sustainable Development Goal. He spoke about the Kuwaiti government’s donation of 1 million dollars to BKMC (2018), 3 million dollars to the IAEA in Vienna (2015), 500 million dollars to the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank as well as a number of other international organizations and governments that Kuwait has supported.

At the session entitled “Saving Children from the Horrors of War,” Senior Advisor Andrea Pfanzelter of KAICIID spoke about the important roles of international community in mediating cultural and religious conflicts, pointing out that

“Children are the single most vulnerable group in conflict-affected areas. Without adequate safety, justice and support they fall victim to the abuses of war, which destroys a society’s chance of recovery by eroding the social cohesion of a future generation.”

Director of Corporate Responsibility of RELX Group, Dr. Márcia Balisciano, moderated a session “International Young Scholars’ Perspectives: Spotlight on National Initiatives for the SDGs I” where speakers discussed various topics covered by the papers that the scholars have submitted. Senior professionals and experts in the relevant field exchanged their insights and knowledge with the young scholars and the audience. An award ceremony followed the session where the winners of the selected papers received awards.

For the “Youth as Partners to Achieve the SDGs” session moderated by Sam Okyere, a TV host in Korea, Co-founder and Vice President Michael Sheldrick of Global Citizen participated as an advisor to the youth presenters who presented their innovative ideas and project plans for advancing the SDGs. Sheldrick did not only mentor the students, giving them his insights on their projects, but also introduced existing mentoring programs and potential partners they could approach to further develop their projects.

This youth session introduced various student-led initiatives such as the Environmental Group “Yongreen,” “YeS” that works to free the world from urban waste, “Rhythm of Hope” for rescuing patients for disaster medical cost, “Education for Democratic Citizenship,” Medical Volunteering Club “Uichung,” and “YMDU” that aims to reduce inequality through Yonsei Hope Expedition.

Read more about the other sessions held during the GEEF 2019: geef-sd.org

Photo credit for the cover picture: BKMC / Others: IGEE

The 3rd BKMC Board meeting takes place in Kuwait

February 12, 2019

On February 11-12th, the 3rd Board meeting of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens took place in Kuwait. The ‘Why Group’ (Márcia Balisciano, Susan Myers, Arrey Obenson, and Michael Sheldrick) of the Centre presented a document based on their discussion on the “Why” of the Ban Ki-moon Centre, suggesting clearer vision and missions, measurable projects and investments, and the Centre’s position in correlation with its Co-chairs and Board members.

After discussion, the Board agreed on the following adjusted mission statement:

“The Ban Ki-moon Centre – working with global citizens across boundaries to create a better and safer future.”

The Centre will continue to put efforts in achieving its goals by

* Focusing on implementing the project plans

* Measuring deliverables

* Dividing responsibilities between the affiliated offices

* Branding and consolidating the Centre’s activities

* Fundraising for 2020 budget objective

BKMC features at the partnership fair of the “SDG Inspiration Day”

November 7, 2018

“SDG Inspiration Day: The Power of Partnerships to advance the SDGs” was hosted by BKMC partner RELX Group in Zaandam near Amsterdam, the Netherlands on November 6th, 2018. The Centre’s Board Member Márcia Balisciano, who is Director of Corporate Responsibility at RELX, delivered welcome remarks at the opening session.

During the event, the Centre’s Associate Minji Kwag participated in the partnership fair, introducing the vision, mission, and work of the Centre to the participants of the event and potential partners. During the Expert Cafe workout session, people went around the round tables to exchange ideas on how to advance the SDGs. Some of the discussion topics included, but were not limited to, dealing with cultural gaps, addressing the importance of education, building an effective partnership, and empowering the young generation in Africa.

Since RELX Group launched SDG Resource Center to provide a free, interactive education platform curating content related to sustainability research in June 2017, the group has also organized “SDG Inspiration Day” events to inspire more people with the goals and to help them inspire others. As an early signatory of the UN Global Compact (UNGC), RELX uses the SDGs to chart the participation of businesses in achieving the goals.

For more information on the “SDG Inspiration Day” in Amsterdam 2018, visit the event website: https://info.relxgroup.com/nl-sdg-event-2018/index.html
The “SDG Inspiration Day” previously held in San Francisco can be watched on RELX Group’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/REEnvChallenge

BKM Centre Board members featured at breakout sessions during EFA 2018

August 26, 2018

Some of the Board members of the Ban Ki-moon Centre were featured with other world leaders and experts at different breakout sessions of the political symposium during European Forum Alpbach 2018 on August 26, 2018.

A session co-hosted by the Centre and Austrian Development Agency (ADA) had a discussion focused on “Women and Youth Empowerment – the Sustainable Development Goals in Practice.” The featured panelists were:

Márcia Balisciano, Director of Corporate Responsibility, RELX Group in London
Michael Sheldrick, Global Director of Policy and Advocacy, Global Poverty Project, Global Citizen in New York
Karin Kneissl, Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Österreichisches Außenministerium
Martin Ledolter, Managing Director, ADA
Nour Barakeh, a youth representative

Other youth representatives including a Syrian refugee, Doaa Al Zamel, also presented their thoughts during the panel discussion. The panelists listened to their concerns and ideas regarding various social issues and proactively shared their expertise.

The live-streamed videos of this session can be found on the Centre’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Another breakout session was hosted by Bertelsmann Stiftung and Environment Agency Austria with the topic on “Implementing the SDGs: the challenges countries face and the solutions they offer.” During this session, BKM Centre Co-chair Ban Ki-moon gave comments and the featured panelists were:

Aart Jan De Geus, Chairman and CEO, Bertelsmann Stiftung in Gütersloh
Christian Kroll, Senior Expert, Bertelsmann Stiftung in Gütersloh
Susan Myers, Senior Vice President, UN Foundation in New York
Monika Mörth, Managing Director, Environment Agency Austria in Vienna
Herbert Ritsch, Director of Business Ethics, Bankhaus Schelhammer & Schattera AG in Vienna
Jeffrey Sachs, Director of SDSN and the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, Professor of Economics; Special Adviser to the UNSG on SDGs; Bestselling Author; Syndicated Columnist based in New York

Tag: Márcia Balisciano