At the UN, 21 countries join dialogue on resilience concepts at Ukraine’s initiative

An event initiated by the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform was held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska presented the Global Vocabulary of Resilience, while First Ladies and spouses of Prime Ministers from 21 countries shared their approaches to resilience.

The theme of the event was “World 2026: Finding Stability in Times of Uncertainty. A Mosaic of Experiences”, continuing the theme of the Sixth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, which was held in Kyiv on Ukraine’s Independence Day. At the Summit, countries from around the world shared their own experiences of resilience. One of the outcomes of the Summit was the Global Vocabulary of Resilience — a publication bringing together the experiences of more than 40 countries.

This was the third event of this level that the Global Platform has held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly; previous events took place during the 79th and 80th sessions.

“Every country and every society has its own unique experience of resilience. Our Summit became a platform where 38 countries from around the world shared their knowledge and resilience practices through the Global Vocabulary of Resilience. For the first time, everything that has helped societies and countries survive and live despite everything for years and even centuries was brought together under one cover. Today, I am at the UN to invite all societies and countries to share their own experiences of resilience. Each is different, but together they will strengthen us all. At a time when unpunished aggressors and dictatorships are active in the world, we all need reliable points of support. We need everything that can support our people and help them withstand and even grow after any trauma,” the First Lady of Ukraine said.

Olena Zelenska presented the Global Vocabulary of Resilience, including the Ukrainian philosophy of resilience — sophiynist, which combines the will to live, the strength to fight and the wisdom to learn.

The co-organisers of the event were: First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska; First Lady of Austria Doris Schmidauer; spouse of the Prime Minister of Belize Rossana Briceño; First Lady of Benin Nathalie Willette-Wadani; First Lady of Bolivia Marilena Urquidi; spouse of the Prime Minister of Canada Diana Fox Carney; First Lady of Estonia Sirje Karis; First Lady of Guatemala Lucrecia Peinado Villanueva; First Lady of Lithuania Diana Nausėdienė; spouse of the Prime Minister of Malta Lydia Abela; First Lady of Panama Maricel Cohen de Mulino; First Lady of Romania Mirabela Grădinaru; spouse of the Prime Minister of Slovenia Urška Bačovnik Janša; and First Lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands Delthia Russell-Missick.

The conversation was also joined by spouse of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas Ann Marie Davis, First Lady of Honduras Lissette del Cid, Her Serene Highness Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein, Secretary-General of the General Women’s Union of the UAE Noura Al Suwaidi, First Lady of Serbia Tamara Vučić, spouse of the Prime Minister of Tuvalu Tausaga Teo, First Lady of Fiji Emily Lalabalavu, UNICEF Global Director of Emergency Programmes Lucia Elmi, and UN Women Director of Policy, Programme and Intergovernmental Division Sarah Hendriks.

In total, First Ladies, Gentlemen and representatives of 21 countries, as well as representatives of UNICEF and UN Women, took part in the event.

Each co-organiser shared how her country had gone through crises and periods of change, and named a concept, tradition or value in which her society recognises resilience. The concepts differ, but they all answer the same question: what helps people stay together and act.

The digital edition of the Global Vocabulary of Resilience will continue to grow. The Global Platform invites countries to join and contribute to this mosaic of experiences.

See photos from the event here.

About the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform

The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform is a permanent international initiative founded in 2021 by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska. It brings together spouses of heads of state who seek to use their influence to address today’s humanitarian challenges. The annual Summit is the Platform’s central event.

Over five years, more than 55 First Ladies and Gentlemen from around the world have joined the Platform, and its work has produced concrete results. In 2022, more than USD 6 million was raised to purchase 92 ambulances. In 2023, a medical partnership was launched, initially bringing together 25 international memoranda of understanding — today, there are more than 100. In 2024, the leaders adopted a joint declaration on protecting children’s rights during armed conflicts and wars, which was presented at a special event during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. The outcome of the Sixth Summit in 2026 was the Global Vocabulary of Resilience, which now includes resilience concepts from 43 countries around the world.

Each year, the Summit selects a global humanitarian theme — education, mental health, child safety, the environment — and does more than hold the event itself: it works on the theme throughout the year through research, advocacy campaigns and international partnerships, as well as events during the UN General Assembly and on other international platforms.