Global Minority Parliamentarians Caucus, Geneva.
On 12 April I was honoured to participate as speaker at a UN Pre-Conference ahead of the Summit of the Future, organised by Global Minority Parliamentarians Caucus.
I delivered a compelling speech that underscored the need for increased minority representation in European governance. The event, titled “Shaping the Futures: Amplifying Minority Voices through Youth, Traditional, and Political Leaders for Sustainable Development and Global Governance,” was held at the Palais du Wilson, United Nations Geneva.
The conference was organized by the Global Minority Parliamentarians Caucus which was founded and chaired by Hon. Yvonne Apiyo Brändle-Amolo, representing the Social Democratic Party of Switzerland, and counted with a keynote speech by H.E. Clara Delgado Jesus, Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative of Cabo Verde to the United Nations and to the WTO. Watch my full intervention below.
This event provided a platform for discussing the integral role of diverse voices in shaping policy and governance on a global scale. She highlighted a significant disparity in representation within the European Parliament, noting that, despite the continent’s population of 120 million people, only seven members of African descent currently hold seats, whereas at least fifty members would be a more representative figure.
We must empower our youth and ensure that our political spaces reflect the diversity of the people they represent.
I urged her audience, particularly young attendees, to become vocal advocates for change and to actively participate in shaping the future of not only Europe but the world.
On Saturday 13 the Caucus organised dinner titled "From Siganagana to Afrofuturism" with storytelling from minority groups based on a traditional dish.
More info and source: Geneva Times.