2017 Concordia Summit to Focus on Advancing SDGs through Partnerships

August 10, 2017

Concordia, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that builds partnerships for social impact, will host the 2017 Concordia Annual Summit on September 18 and 19 at the Grand Hyatt, New York. Held alongside the 72^nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly as a Global Goals Week event, the Summit will bring together over 2,000 top influencers, including current and former heads of state, C-suite executives, prominent nonprofit leaders, and senior Congressional and Administration officials, to identify collaborative solutions to addressing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Through the lens of partnership, Summit programming will reflect major issues impacting the U.S. and the global community at large, including the mounting refugee crisis, investment in sustainable infrastructure, and technology’s impact on the future of the workforce, among many others. In partnership with the New York City Mayor’s Office and the Columbia University Global Policy Initiative, Concordia will also co-host the Global Mayors Summit on Migration and Refugee Policy, focusing on how cities are implementing policies that promote migrant and refugee integration, rights protection, and civic engagement. With the help of leading nonpartisan news publication, POLITICO, Concordia aims to give a platform to marginalized populations, socially-minded innovators, and entrepreneurs who are creating meaningful solutions to pressing global issues.

“It’s become clear that many of the problems that exist in this world cannot be solved by one actor alone. They must be solved in a partnership,” said Concordia’s Co-Founders Nicholas Logothetis and Matthew Swift. “Given POLITICO’s expertise at the intersection of policy and business, we will demonstrate the transformative power of cross-sector collaboration in achieving the SDGs.”

As the official Media Partner for the 2017 Concordia Annual Summit, POLITICO will enhance event programming by featuring journalists as moderators for select plenary and strategic dialogue sessions. These co-hosted sessions, along with on-site POLITICO Playbook briefings, will be live-streamed at POLITICO.com, ensuring that expert insights from the Summit reach key global audiences.

“Never has it been more essential to understand what drives the decisions being made in global power centers—and their consequences. Digging into the real story behind politics and policy is what POLITICO does best,” said POLITICO Editorial Director Luiza Savage. “We’re proud to partner with Concordia to develop important dialogue around the UN General Assembly and shed light upon the world’s most pressing political and economic challenges during a time of global disruption.”

The Annual Summit will feature over 250 experts from around the world who are working collaboratively to create a more prosperous and sustainable future. Confirmed speakers include:

Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus
José María Aznar, Former President of the Government of Spain
Stephen Badger, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mars
Paul Bulcke, Chairman, Nestlé
Kathy Calvin, President and CEO, United Nations Foundation
David Cohen, Senior Executive Vice President of Comcast Corporation
Dwight Evans, U.S. Congressman of Pennsylvania
Robert Fraley, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Monsanto
Gregory Hayes, CEO of United Technologies
Gilbert F. Houngbo, President, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)
Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist
Carolyn Miles, President and CEO, Save the Children
David Miliband, President and CEO, International Rescue Committee
General (Ret.) David Petraeus, Former General Director, Central Intelligence Agency
Jim Perdue, Chairman, Perdue Farms
Maria Noel Vaeza, Director of Programmes, UN Women

Concordia is working with select Programming Partners to curate topical content that will be discussed at the Summit. Programming Partners include:

Americares
Atlantic Council
The B Team
George W. Bush Institute
International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
MIT Solve
New America
Palladium
Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy
Walk Free Foundation
Wilson Center

Additional information about the 2017 Concordia Annual Summit, including the agenda, confirmed speakers, livestream, Global Mayors Summit, Day of Engagement, P3 Impact Award, and Concordia Leadership Award, can be found on the event website here.

Follow Concordia on Twitter @ConcordiaSummit, on Facebook at facebook.com/TheConcordiaSummit, and on Instagram @concordiasummit, and join the conversation using #Concordia17.

For press inquiries and media accreditation, contact media@concordia.net.

Photo credit: Riccardo Savi/Getty Images