6 min readThe 12th Annual One Young World 2022 Summit took place in Manchester from 5 - 8 September 2022. Manchester was thrilled to welcome over 2,000 young leaders from 190+ countries who gathered in person and digitally, empowering and developing the world's most impactful young leaders with the aim of tackling some of the most pressing issues of our time, such as gender inequality, conflict prevention, health equity, ethical leadership, and oceans.
For young leaders, the Summit is the landmark event of the year. It is a chance for the individuals responsible for shaping the future of our world, to come together to confront the biggest challenges facing humanity. The Summit is the ultimate place to be inspired, share learnings, and connect.
Originally scheduled to take place in Tokyo, Japan, the decision to switch host city was made to ensure as many delegates as possible from across the globe could attend.
Delegates participated in four transformative days of speeches, panels, networking, and workshops. They also had the opportunity to apply to give keynote speeches, sharing a platform with global leaders with the world’s media in attendance. Participants had the opportunity to challenge world leaders, engage with, and be mentored by expert industry influencers and make lasting connections.
To further nurture engagement and interaction between young leaders, a digital platform was built to support the in person Summit. All the live content was streamed and was also available on demand after the Summit, making for an immersive and unforgettable experience for all.
At the Summit – The Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony was hosted in the internationally renowned concert venue, The Bridgewater Hall, home of the Hallé Orchestra. The Summit welcomed Counsellors, Delegates and special guests to an evening of sensational entertainment from the very best of local Manchester talent.
The keynote was delivered by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, touching on her experience at past One Young World Summits. Other speakers included the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, musician and activist, Bob Geldof, as well as a digital message from the Nobel Prize winning social entrepreneur, Professor Muhammad Yunus.
The flag ceremony brought together Delegates from around the world, highlighting the global scale and impact of the Summit.
At the Summit – Manchester Central
Delegates and special guests spent a transformative three days at the award-winning and iconic venue of Manchester Central, for a variety of speeches, panels, workshops and networking events.
Presentation stage sessions included keynote speeches, fireside chats, and panel discussions addressing some of the biggest global challenges. These sessions were delivered by Counsellors, guest speakers, Delegates and Ambassadors. Beyond the presentation stage, delegates had the incredible opportunity to network with their peers, attend workshops or mentorship sessions and watch more content across three Interactive Stages.
At the Summit – Social Programmes
Evening social programmes took place at a selection of Manchester venues and delegates were hosted at nine different locations on each Summit night. Participants had time to network, relax and experience Manchester’s unique historic locations and thriving food and drink scene. Over 24,000 meals were served, and all dietary requirements were catered for.
The Summit concluded with the Closing Ceremony in Central Hall in Manchester Central. Mayor Andy Burnham passed the One Young World baton onto Belfast – hosts of the 2023 Summit.
Press Coverage of the Summit
The Manchester Summit received international media attention from a wide variety of broadcast, print, online and social media outlets.
- The One Young World International Media Report can be downloaded here
- The One Young World Summit Report can be downloaded here.
Kate Robertson and David Jones, Co-Founders, One Young World said:
“We’re delighted to bring the One Young World Summit to Manchester. From football and music to innovation, Manchester is known around the world as a city that truly inspires young people, not least in its efforts to become a fairer, greener place to live and work. We know it will be a truly inspirational host for the One Young World delegates and the team is excited to make the Summit in September the best one yet for everyone attending in-person and virtually.
“The world has changed so much in the last two years, and it has been heartening to see how many people are stepping up and taking action to lead us into a brighter future. This year our Summit will focus on some of the world’s biggest challenges such as conflict prevention, safeguarding our oceans, and ethical leadership. The time to act on these issues is now.”
Rishi Sunak, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:
“It’s an absolute privilege and honour to welcome the One Young World Summit back to the UK. As we all recover from the impact of the pandemic, it’s more important than ever for young leaders from across the world to come together in the spirit of cooperation and help shape our future. Manchester is one of the UK’s most vibrant cities, a melting pot of culture and creative thinking. So I couldn’t think of anywhere more fitting to host this year’s summit.
“Thousands of delegates including the most inspirational young minds will come together to strike up new connections and share the new ideas that will have a lasting positive impact for the world. I’m enormously impressed by the ambition and innovation that One Young World Ambassadors have already demonstrated, with programmes to tackle climate change and global inequality, increase access to quality education, and improve the supply of clean energy and water. Already their work has helped millions of people around the world. And now this year’s delegates take on the responsibility to continue that work and help build a better future for us all.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said:
“There is no better place than Manchester – the home of ‘deeds, not words’ – for exceptional young leaders, heads of state, activists, and business leaders to come together to find solutions to some of the most important issues facing our world. This is the largest global gathering of young people representing every single country in the world outside of the Olympics, and one of the most significant, and we are proud to be a part of that. I look forward to welcoming all the One Young World delegates to Manchester.”
Credit: Images and text courtesy of One Young World.
