Basel Forum on Peace, Climate Protection and the UN Summit of the Future: The roles of cities and youth.
Thursday May 30, 2024, Basel, Switzerland. 10:30-16:15
Register Event flyer Program In-person only. Forum language: English
A regional consultation sponsored by Basel Peace Office, Basel Stadt Kanton President’s Office, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament, Physicians for Social Responsibility Switzerland, United Nations Association of Switzerland, UN Youth Association of Switzerland, World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy, World Future Council, World's Youth for Climate Justice, and Youth Negotiators Academy.
Forum Outline:
Armed conflicts – including the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Israel/Hamas conflict – are causing devastating impacts on civilians and the environment and are increasing the threat of nuclear weapons use. Meanwhile, the climate crisis is bringing humanity closer and closer to a catastrophic collapse of the planetary ecosystem that could end civilization as we know it.
The United Nations provides vital processes and forums to address these critical issues and build cooperation and common security for peace, climate protection and a sustainable future, free from the threat of nuclear war. Key opportunities in 2024 include the UN Summit of the Future, scheduled to take place September 22-23, 2024, and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) cases on climate change and genocide. There are also concrete initiatives in the UN Security Council and UN General Assembly that could make a difference.
This regional consultation included representatives of government (local and national), civil society organizations and youth from the ‘three country region’ connecting Germany, France and Switzerland (with Basel at the centre). Each of these countries has important roles in the UN Summit of the Future and related initiatives including the UN New Agenda for Peace and the current case in the International Court of Justice on the RObligations of States with Regard to Climate Change.
The roundtable event included an update on relevant ICJ cases and the New Agenda for Peace, plus civil society proposals to the UN Summit of the Future which will be discussed at the 2024 UN Civil Society Conference in Nairobi (May 9-11, 2024) and released as a People’s Pact for the Future. A related event for Swiss parliamentarians took place in the Swiss Parliament in Bern on May 29.
Video Presentations and information pack
- Engagament of Mayors and Cities in Peace and Disarmament. Mayor Alba Barnusell (Spain). Mayor of Granollers. President, Mayors for Peace Europe (video presentation)
- Civil socicety engagement in the UN Summit of the Future: Peace, climate protection and youth. Nudhara Yusuf (USA). Co-chair, UN 2024 Civil Society Conference, Global Youth Coordinator (video presentation)
- Peace, nuclear Abolition and Climate Engaged Youth (PACEY) Award, information flyer.
- Legal Alternatives to War - LAW not War information brochure;
- Successes of the International Court of Justice information brochure;
Program
Session 1: Youth engagement and civil society proposals for the Summit of the Future
K-Haus, Kasernenstrasse 8, 4058 Basel
TurmZimmer room, 4th Floor, North end of K-Haus
10:30: Registration. Coffee
11:00: Introductory presentations followed by roundtable discussion
12:45 Lunch: K-Haus
Session 2: Cities, legislators & youth. An intergenerational dialogue on the Summit of the Future
Basel Town Hall (Rathaus des Kantons Basel-Stadt)
14:15: Plenary session. Speakers followed by interventions and Q&A
16:15: Close
Speakers
- Dr Conradin Cramer LL.M (Switzerland), President, Cantonal Government of Basel-Stadt
- Nudhara Yusuf (USA). Co-chair, UN 2024 Civil Society Conference, Global Youth Coordinator, Coalition for the UN We Need (by video message)
- Alba Barnusell (Spain). Mayor of Granollers. President, Mayors for Peace Europe (by video message)
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Dan Carden MP (UK). President, Inter-Parliamentary Union Forum of Young Parliamentarians. Member, World Future Council.
- Prof Andreas Nidecker MD (Switzerland). President, Basel Peace Office
- Lukas Ott (Switzerland). President’s Office, Basel-Stadt Kanton.
- Samira Ben Ali (France), World’s Youth for Climate Justice, Outreach & engagement coordinator
- Yvonne Apiyo Braendle-Amolo (Switzerland). Member, Zurich Parliament. Moderator, Global Minority Parliamentarians Caucus.
- Nicolas Cavadini (Switzerland), President of UN Youth Association of Switzerland.
- Marie-Claire Graf (Switzerland). Co-founder, Youth Negotiators Academy. United Nations Youth Climate Champion of Switzerland. Member, World Fuutre Council.
- Ilka Essig (Germany). UN Youth Delegate for Germany 2023-2024.
- Alyn Ware (New Zealand/Czech Republic). Director, Basel Peace Office. Global Coordinator, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament. Member, World Future Council. Program Director, World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy.
Background documents
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Neutral countries and the Doomsday Clock Opportunities for Switzerland to advance nuclear risk reduction and disarmament in the period 2023-2024. A food-for-thought paper published by the Basel Peace Office (also in German)
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Proposal for a UN Special Envoy for Future Generations and similar representatives at city, national and regional levels;
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Peoples Pact for the Future, prefinal version May 23. Produced by global civil society with recommendations for the UN Summit of the Future. .
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Rev 1 of the Pact for the Future, the draft declaration negotiated by governments to be adopted at the UN Summit of the Future.
Contact: Basel Peace Office. info@baselpeaceoffice.org. + 41 788 912 156. www.baselpeaceoffice.org