Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen will take place in Kyiv

This year, for the fifth time, Kyiv will host the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, a global event launched by Ukraine at the initiative of the First Lady Olena Zelenska. This unique international format annually brings together the First Ladies and Gentlemen from around the world, opinion leaders, statesmen and humanitarian ambassadors to find answers to key challenges together.

This year’s theme, ‘Education Shaping the World,’ is intended to draw the global community’s attention to the role of education in shaping a more humane and secure future. Education is not only a basic right or need, but also a foundation for peace, sustainability, equality, economic growth and coexistence. At a time when more than 250 million children around the world do not have access to education, and millions more do not acquire basic skills, education can ensure stability, protect an entire generation, build sustainable societies and prevent wars.

The summit will be attended by First Ladies and Gentlemen, Ministers of Education, leading educators, government officials, innovators in the educational field, teachers with exceptional stories, and Nobel Laureates who will participate in panel discussions and deliver public lectures at leading universities in Ukraine.

A special feature of this year’s summit is that teachers from their home countries will be joining the First Ladies and Gentlemen.

The educators will not only share their experiences, but also visit Ukrainian schools and network with colleagues. 

Among the key topics to be discussed at the summit: 

• Equal access to education despite war, geography, religion or social barriers.
• Teaching: teachers as carriers of values and agents of change.
• Technology and innovation: the ethics of progress and the balance between humanity and digitalisation.
• The role of education in promoting peace and humanitarian values: education as a basis for a culture of coexistence and conflict prevention.

In addition, the summit will be held in a new format – it will last for two days. The programme will include panel discussions, ministerial dialogues, TED talks, a thematic exhibition of innovations in education, and a presentation of an international research on education. 

The goal of the summit is not only to bring together influential leaders and experts around a common theme, but also to initiate concrete changes at the level of strategic decisions, educational systems and the global humanitarian agenda.

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Background. The Fifth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen is the anniversary event of the annual international event of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform, which was launched by Ukraine. Founded on the initiative of the First Lady Olena Zelenska, the Summit has become an effective soft power platform in a world experiencing a crisis of trust, security and humanitarian guidelines. 

Results of previous summits: 

The inaugural 2021 ‘Soft Power in the New Reality’ Summit launched a new format of global cooperation and solidarity at the level of humanitarian leadership.

The second summit in 2022, ‘Ukraine and the World: The Future We (Re)build Together’, had a strong practical result, raising $6.2 million to purchase 92 ambulances for Ukraine.

The third summit in 2023, ‘Mental Health: Fragility and Resilience of the Future’, launched a global health initiative that covered 11 countries and led to the creation of 25 international health partnerships (currently there are 64 in 24 countries).