During the United Nations meeting in New York, a “climate science fair” was held at an elevated park showcasing efforts in nature, food, and energy transition. The event was organized by the Emerson Collective, funded by billionaire Laurene Powell Jobs, as a counterprogramming to the U.N. General Assembly. Gabe Kleinman, a partner at Emerson Collective, highlighted the fair’s openness and focus on immediate impactful solutions for climate change compared to the closed-door U.N. meetings.
The fair is part of numerous events that take place in September alongside the official U.N. meetings, where nonprofits, advocates, and fundraisers engage with world leaders, billionaires, and funders to plan strategies and advocate for their causes. These interactions occur in elite spaces and involve high-stakes negotiations aimed at influencing policies and decisions affecting global crises.
UNICEF’s deputy executive director of partnerships, Kitty van der Heijden, emphasized the increasing crises worldwide, with a significant rise in the number of people needing humanitarian assistance, particularly children. She called for more involvement from the private sector and philanthropy to address these needs, noting that philanthropic funding, while flexible and long-term, cannot match the resources governments can provide.
Billionaire Bill Gates urged nations to fully support the vaccines alliance GAVI and invest in reducing malnutrition, especially among children, at the annual Goalkeepers event by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation recognized Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for his efforts in poverty alleviation and reducing child malnutrition during his tenure.
Organizations like Oxfam closely monitored the commitments made by nation states at the U.N. meetings, advocating for specific language changes in agreements such as achieving gender equality. These nonprofit groups play a crucial role in holding governments accountable and ensuring promises align with actual actions to achieve sustainable development goals.
Efforts to combat gender-based violence received attention at the Free Future 2024 conference, where funders discussed the overwhelming demands from feminist organizations for support. The UN Trust Fund, dedicated to addressing violence against women and girls, faces a substantial gap between funding requests and available grants, highlighting the urgent need for more financial support in this area.
At another event, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency secured $350 million in new funding for family planning and health services, with British billionaire Sir Chris Hohn pledging $100 million through the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. Hohn stressed the importance of supporting women’s reproductive rights and attributed the lack of full government funding to “stupidity” and a lack of empathy.
Civil society groups emphasized the importance of their messages and discussions with policymakers during panel sessions, keynotes, and private meetings to ensure that world leaders understand the critical issues at hand and the impact on people globally. The collaboration and support received by the Associated Press for philanthropy and nonprofit coverage underlines the significance of these efforts on a global scale, with ongoing initiatives to address pressing challenges and drive positive change.
