NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dr. Joanna Nurse
11 October 2024 drjonurse[at]interactioncouncil.org
Launch of an intergenerational Global Existential Security Threats Board
to Create a Safer World for All
BEIJING, China – Members of the InterAction Council met with President Xi on 11 October on the conclusion of its 38th Annual Plenary Meeting in Beijing, China, where critical global trends and recommendations were shared. Building on previous meetings and reports, the inaugural meeting of the Global Existential Security Threats (EXIST) Board was convened as part of the plenary proceedings on 9 October. The overall purpose of the EXIST Board is to strengthen global security efforts to prevent and reduce risks from existential threats, to ensure the survival of humanity.
The first meeting of the EXIST Board was co-chaired by Bertie Ahern, Co-chair of the InterAction Council, and Ella Robertson McKay, Managing Director of One Young World. Bertie Ahern stated that: “The world is facing ever increasing threats to the survival of humankind. By bringing courageous young people, committed former world leaders and international diplomats together today, we hope to make the world a safer place for everyone.”
Young leaders have been at the helm of driving this initiative forward, with the establishment of the Global Youth Security Council for Existential Threats in 2023, by One Young World in partnership with the InterAction Council. A young leader’s committee of the InterAction Council has also been established to further enable intergenerational exchange and learning.
Olusegun Obasanjo, Co-chair of the InterAction Council, reflected that “We know the causes, and we know the effects of our global challenges. What remains is political will and political action. Securing our future generations requires creating cooperative and transformational leaders who act for everyone with values and purpose.”
To help to achieve this, at the end of the plenary, the InterAction Council leaders launched the new World Young Leaders Academy in partnership with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Ambitions include strengthening intergenerational and diverse leadership that shares wisdom and learning for the prevention and reduction of risks to humanity, including from our planetary emergency, further pandemics, nuclear catastrophe and threats from emerging technologies.
The EXIST Board aims to enable further collaborative action that strengthens multilateral governance, and to design living plans for Strategy X-EXIST to be advanced collaboratively with supportive partners committed to this agenda.
Strategic and innovative solutions will be scaled up and enabled by the Global Futures Platform for Planet, People and Peace, which already provides over 400 digital tools as a global good. Further partners are welcome to work together to create the world that we want, and to secure the lives and well-being of our future generations.