Date: Sep 24, 2026
Registrations are open only for New York based participants
Programme
Welcome Remarks:
Ruptures & Ramparts: Building Bridges for a Changing World
The development paradigm has fundamentally shifted in this decade of the 21st century. As progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) slows, the global development agenda is confronting an increasingly complex operating environment. Geopolitical fragmentation, conflicts, climate change, economic uncertainty, and technological disruption are reshaping development priorities, exposing the limits of traditional models of aid and international cooperation.
These pressures are fundamentally altering the conditions under which development can be delivered. Wars increasingly disrupt fuel, fertiliser, food systems, supply chains, and livelihoods, while the global economy is becoming increasingly organised around war economies rather than peace dividends. At the same time, fiscal constraints and competing strategic priorities are limiting development finance, requiring countries to rethink how growth, resilience, and prosperity are achieved.
Meeting these challenges will require a new development compact built around innovation, technology, finance, and partnerships. Governments, businesses, philanthropy, and multilateral institutions must forge new models of cooperation capable of delivering development at scale. Climate resilience, food security, and the clean energy transition are no longer sectoral priorities; they are central to economic growth, social stability, and long-term prosperity. Parallelly, AI is emerging as a foundational layer of development. Beyond boosting productivity, it has the potential to transform healthcare, education, agriculture, public services, and economic opportunity. Its success, however, will depend less on frontier breakthroughs than on how effectively it is deployed to solve real-world challenges at scale, supported by investments in energy, digital connectivity, compute, data, and human capital.
This high-level session will examine how AI, climate action, and innovative partnerships can redefine the global development agenda. It will explore how countries can accelerate progress towards the SDGs, strengthen resilience, and forge new models of cooperation that deliver sustainable and inclusive growth for the next seven billion people.
- What new compact between governments, business, philanthropy, and multilateral institutions will define development cooperation in the decades ahead?
- Can AI become the great equaliser for development, or will unequal access to energy, compute, data, and digital infrastructure create a new generation of global divides?
- As conflict increasingly shapes development outcomes, how should countries rethink development strategies to build resilience while sustaining economic growth and progress towards the SDGs?
- How can countries embed climate resilience into development strategies while sustaining economic growth and accelerating progress towards the SDGs?
Vote of Thanks
Gala Dinner
Contact
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