NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, on Sept. 22, the inclusive online Global People's Summit in New York will be 'joined' by millions of people, including President of the General Assembly, H.E. Maria Fernanda Espinosa of Ecuador.

The Global People's Summit avoids the typical approach to global forums that require transport, accreditation and special passes, amongst other things, in favour of a completely accessible approach and dialogue.

Intended to build on the success of the Sustainable Development Goals, which drew on the voices of millions of people prior to their adoption in 2015, the Summit aims to ensure that an equally high number of people can contribute with their thoughts and ideas for achieving the 17-goals, which present a roadmap to achieving a better and more sustainable future.

The Global People's Summit website sets out its ambition by saying: "We are re-imagining a world in which every single person is part of the solution to solve some of the most challenging global problems. We believe that do so, we need to democratize access to conversations and information that shape the world and put people at the centre of decision making."

Having taken the Oath of Office on Monday the 17th of September, President Espinosa has outlined a theme for the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly that focuses on making the UN relevant to all people, everywhere. The Global People's Summit thus compliments the vision of the President, as well as her priorities, which include ensuring access to people with disabilities; empowering women and youth; and supporting access to decent work for all, amongst others. Asked about her participation in the Global People's Summit, the President said: "I am delighted to support this important global, digital initiative and very much look forward to hearing from people across the world and continuing to work together in the future."

The President also noted: "The UN General Assembly is the most deliberative, most inclusive forum for the countries of the world to come together. It is truly the 'Parliament of Humanity'. And yet, to remain relevant to the billions of people around the world for whom we serve, we need to ensure that their voices are heard and that our decisions and discussions are accessible to them. I want this Presidency to be the most transparent, most inclusive, and most accessible of any before."

Conceived and curated by Hazami Barmada, the Global People's Summit is organized by the Humanity Lab Foundation, in partnership with the UN Office for Partnerships and supported by the Office of the President of the 73rd United Nations General Assembly. After working at the UN where she forged creative partnerships to make the organization more accessible to people around the world, Barmada saw an opportunity to create a digital platform that would leverage technology and innovation to bridge the gap between access, opportunity and impact.

"I wanted to shatter silos of access and opportunity and empower people around the world to be the change," said Barmada. "Our goal is to take conversations out of conference rooms and give everyone a seat at the table, regardless of passport, identity, or background. The SDGs are not the UN's goals, they are the People's Goals and they can only be achieved if we unlock human capacity and create more pipelines for action. No government, business, organization, or person can achieve change alone," she said.

To further her commitment and ensuring her presidency is inclusive and transparent, President Espinosa is supporting the Humanity Lab Foundation to display the historic and innovative Global People's LIVE social media wall in the Headquarters of the United Nations in New York City. For the first time in history, the Global People's Wall will bring voices from around the world into the "corridors of power" during the UN General Assembly High-Level week, a visual commitment to democratizing conversations taking place around global development.

The Global People's Summit is set to take place on Sept. 22 across the world, and will be accessible by registering online at: https://www.globalpeoplesummit.org

For further information or for media contacts, please liaise with Mark Seddon in the Office of the President of the General Assembly: seddon@un.org

For press access to the Global People's Summit (22 Sept) or to cover the Global People's Wall (24-28 Sept set up as part of the World Food Programme exhibition in the visitor entrance of the UN Headquarters), please liaise with Michelle Martin: media@globalpeoplesummit.org.

Related Links

http://www.globalpeoplesummit.org

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SOURCE Global People's Summit