Thousands of young people attend global leadership summit in Belfast

Thousands of young people from more than 190 countries have arrived in Belfast to attend the opening ceremony of an international leadership summit. The One Young World Summit opens at the SSE arena on Monday evening and has brought together 2,000 future leaders from across the world to discuss some of the biggest issues facing the world and how to accelerate social impact. The summit has been recognised by the City of Belfast and the UK Government as being part of the official celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Delegates were welcomed to Belfast City Airport on Sunday evening with a Riverdance-style line-up of dancers from the Causeway Coast and an award-winning brass band from County Down performing on arrival.

Tourism NI Aine Kearney said the summit is an exciting opportunity for Northern Ireland to showcase itself to the world. She told UTV: "It is fantastic to open our doors to the international and global world once again and to work with partners like Belfast City Council, The Executive Office, and a whole range of other public and private businesses that been instrumental in bringing One Young World to Belfast. "We are ready and primed and have our arms opened to the world. "I think it is fantastic in this year of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement to open our arms to a global delegation of youth leaders that really are all about trying to make this world a better place, and what better destination than here in Belfast and Northern Ireland to bring and show them just how far we have come. "We had a large delegation of inspirational people that have been inspired by the work of One Young World that went out and bid to bring it here to Belfast. "It has been two years in the planning and a huge amount of work has been done by One Young World organisers in terms of the Summit programme itself, but also working with other partners to make sure they have an absolutely giant welcome and a giant experience. "So a full programme planned across the next four days, just to show them what an amazing city and destination we are. "We are open to the world, that we have confidence in ourselves, our amazing tourist destinations, and the 100 global companies here to show them just how fantastic a place we are to invest as well as study and live. "It has been a real Team NI plc that have come together to put on the best show we can." One Young World managing director Ella Robertson McKay said the team have been blown away by the welcome they have received in Northern Ireland. “There is a real energy about this wonderful diverse city and we are so thrilled to be bringing the One Young World summit to Belfast. “The next four days will be truly transformative for the young leaders attending. This is an opportunity for a global delegation to come together to shape the future of our world. “We have some of the most influential people in the world gathered here in Belfast, to inspire, share learnings, and connect with a truly international delegation. The delegates will be counselled by political, business, and humanitarian leaders such as former Irish president Mary Robinson, Queen Rania of Jordan and Didier Drogba. Additional counsellors include footballer Rio Ferdinand, Rugby World Cup winner Francois Pienaar and British-Iranian journalist and author Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe. The One Young World Summit has named its Journalist of the Year Award 2023 the Lyra McKee Award for Bravery, in honour of the Belfast journalist who was killed during riots in Londonderry in 2019.

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