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SDGs CONFERENCE 2024

25 September 2024, Tuesday | 10:00am – 4:00am EST | New York

630Second - Grand Ballroom | 630 Second Ave New York, NY 10016

Register for In-Person

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PANEL 3

Transforming an Inclusive Global Governance

2:00 – 3:30 PM EST

Since its inception in 2014, the Journalists and Writers Foundation’s flagship event has convened over 171 high-level UN diplomats, heads of state, civil society leaders, and human rights advocates from around the globe. This signature event has generated valuable insights on the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and tackled pressing issues related to peace and security. The three-day program features side events and diplomatic engagements that promote global collaborations with a wide range of developmental stakeholders, creating an inclusive space for civil society organizations to exchange best practices. 

 

At this critical moment, civil society leaders, human rights advocates, journalists, and intellectuals from diverse backgrounds must intensify their partnerships to amplify the progressive efforts of the United Nations as the world navigates a significant period of transformation. The SDGs Conference 2024 will convene renowned experts and high-level speakers from various disciplines to tackle three pressing issues: (1) The Summit of the Future: Revitalizing the Pact for the Future, (2) Information Integrity on Digital Platforms and Mainstream Media, and (3) Transforming Inclusive Global Governance.

25 September 2024, Wednesday

2:00 – 3:30pm

PANEL 3: Transforming an Inclusive Global Governance

Bringing globally recognized experts and high-level speakers from various disciplines, the Panel 3 will address the following topics:

 

  • Transforming an Inclusive Global Governance: Best Practices of Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Decline of Democratic Principles and the Erosion of Global Peace and Stability
  • Escalating Geopolitical Conflicts: Intensifying Polarization and Reversing Progress of the SDGs
  • Sustainable Financing and Public-Private Partnerships for SDGs
  • Strengthening Public Institutions: Multiplier Effects of Sustainable Development and Inclusive Prosperity for All
  • The Role of Civil Society Organizing in Fostering Inclusive Global Governance

OPENING REMARKS
Transforming an Inclusive Global Governance: Best Practices of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Darko Zelenika

Minister-Counsellor, Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Darko Zelenika is an experienced diplomat and economic expert with a diverse background in both international relations and engineering. He currently serves as Minister-Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the UN in New York, a position he has held since October 2023. Formerly, he led the Information Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Throughout his career, Mr. Zelenika has held several key diplomatic positions, including Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Spain, Italy, Jordan, and Sweden. He also served as a non-resident ambassador to countries such as Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, Finland, and Estonia. Darko Zelenika has been a Charge d’affaires a.i. in the Russian Federation and the Swiss Confederation and served as Minister-Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Washington D.C. Darko Zelenika’s academic background includes a Master’s degree in Economic Sciences from the University of Mostar.

MODERATOR

Luciana Micha

Director, Center for International Policy Studies, University of Buenos Aires

Argentina

 

Luciana Micha is an accomplished professional with a distinguished career in political science, public management, and education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science, graduating with honors from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), where she has been a tenured professor since her graduation. She also holds a master’s in communication and is currently a PhD candidate in Political Science, with postgraduate studies in educational planning, public resource management, human rights, and leadership. Currently, Ms. Micha serves as the Director of the Center for International Policy Studies at UBA, where she is responsible for academic management, research, and fostering international educational cooperation. With 24 years of teaching experience, she has contributed to various academic institutions, including UBA, UADE, and the National Institute of Aeronautical and Space Law (INDAE).

PANELIST 1: Escalating Geopolitical Conflicts: Intensifying Polarization and Reversing Progress of the SDGs

Kamran Bokhari

Senior Director, Eurasian Security and Prosperity, 

New Lines Institute 

USA

Dr. Kamran Bokhari is the Senior Director of the Eurasian Security and Prosperity portfolio at the New Lines Institute. He served as Director of the Analytical Development Department from 2019 to 2023. He is also a national Security and Foreign Policy Specialist at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute. Dr. Bokhari has also served as the Central Asia Studies Course Coordinator at the U.S. State Department’s Foreign Service Institute. He has been a Senior Consultant with the World Bank since 2009. He has 15 years of experience in the private sector intelligence space, where he provided intellectual leadership in publishing cutting-edge geopolitical analysis and forecasts. He is the author of “Political Islam in the Age of Democratization”. Dr. Bokhari`s core areas of expertise include Central and South Asia, the Middle East, Intelligence Analysis, Foreign Policy, National Security, and Counterterrorism. He earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Westminster after successfully defending his thesis on “Moderation Among Salafists & Jihadists.”



PANELIST 2: Decline of Democratic Principles and Erosion of Global Peace and Stability

Ana Carolina Evangelista

Executive Director, Institute of Studies in Religion 

Brazil

 

Ana Carolina Evangelista is a Political Scientist with MSc in International Relations (PUC-SP), MA in Public Management and Policy (FGV/EAESP) and a PhD Candidate in Social Sciences and Contemporary History at CPDO/FGV. With more than twenty years of experience in civil society organizations and political and technical advisory activities on governmental institutions, she is a Senior Researcher and the Executive Director of Institute of Studies in Religion in Río de Janeiro (Brazil). Her research studies are focused on democratic innovation in Latin America, the Brazilian political system, elections and the role of religious groups in politics. Ms. Evangelista is also a Political Columnist at Revista Piauí and Canal O Meio.



PANELIST 3: Sustainable Financing and Public-Private Partnerships for SDGs

Mcebisi Jonas

Former Deputy Minister of Finance Founder, Nucleus 

South Africa

 

Mcebisi Jonas is the Founder and Director of Nucleus, a non-profit think tank based in Johannesburg, which conducts in-depth, nonpartisan research to improve policy and governance. He leads to drive democratic reform and activate the citizenry behind a new agenda for South Africa geared towards growth and prosperity. Mr. Jonas is the Group Chairperson of the South African multinational mobile telecommunications provider MTN. He is a former Deputy Minister of Finance in South Africa. He served as the Chairperson and Non-Executive Director of Public Investment Corporation Limited. Mr. Jonas served as a Member of the National Assembly in the Parliament of South Africa for the African National Congress. Mcebisi Jonas was previously appointed by the President of South Africa as part of his four special envoys on investment.




PANELIST 4: Strengthening Public Institutions: Multiplier Effects of Sustainable Development and Inclusive Prosperity for All

Prof. Collins Odote

Associate Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Nairobi

Kenya

 

Prof. Collins Odote is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya with a Doctor of Philosophy in Law from the University of Nairobi. He is an Associate Professor of Law, Associate Dean at the Faculty of Law, and Research Director of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy at the University of Nairobi. He is also an arbitrator, a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, and a member of the Law Society of Kenya. Prof. Odote is the Chairman of the Council of Legal Education and the President of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in Africa, which focuses on capacity building and knowledge exchange in environmental law across African universities. His research interests include governance, elections, land law, and environmental and natural resource management. Prof. Odote has consulted various government bodies, non-state actors, and international organizations. His publications include works on Kenya’s Community Land Act, the 2013 and 2017 elections, and election technology and political violence in Kenya.

PANELIST 5: The Role of Civil Society Organizing in Fostering Inclusive Global Governance

Firmesk Rahim

Fulbright Scholar, University of Massachusetts Boston 

Iraq-Kurdistan

 

Firmesk Othman Rahim is currently a Fulbright Scholar pursuing a master’s degree in Global Governance and Human Security at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She is from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and holds a master’s degree in English literature from the University of Sulaimani. Ms. Rahim has served as an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Garmian and as a Project Coordinator at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani, where she contributed to numerous initiatives and projects supporting young Iraqi innovators. Beyond academia, her interest in politics has made me an active member of society. Firmesk Rahim has participated in several leadership and development programs, including being a Perennial Leadership Fellow in 2020 and an Iraq Leadership Fellow in 2019. From 2018 to 2019, Ms. Rahim worked as a Political Assistant in the Office of the Presidency of Iraq.