ABOUT US
OUR HISTORY
In 2015, the international community reached historic milestones through the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change – two frameworks reflecting long-term intergenerational commitments advancing economic, social, and environmental equity for all under the leadership of former UN Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon. Both Agreements highlighted the fact that challenges faced by the world – both local and transnational - are growing more complex, interconnected and cross-cutting, and that their solutions must be comprehensive, systemic, and long-lasting.
©Scott Heins / Board of Directors at the Ban Ki-moon Foundation office in New York, USA.
From the beginning, the Ban Ki-moon Centre Network has recognized the urgent need to mobilize both existing and emerging leaders of all backgrounds toward its mission – particularly across geographies, sectors, and religious and political backgrounds.
It was out of this ethos that the first office under the Network, the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens, was established in Vienna in partnership with Heinz Fischer, the 11th President of the Republic of Austria, to advance efforts in Europe and globally. Another office was established in Seoul, Korea called the Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future in 2019, serving the East Asia region.
©Scott Heins / Ban Ki-moon launching the Ban Ki-moon Foundation at Columbia Business School on November 3, 2022.
The U.S.-based Ban Ki-moon Foundation was launched in 2022 in New York City, with the goal of mobilizing stakeholders in the U.S. and Americas across sectors to advance progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement. The Foundation’s work in the U.S., in collaboration with global partners, currently focuses on five timely issues: Gender Equity in all Sectors; Climate and Sustainability; Public Health Equity; Global Citizenship Education; and Peace, Security, and Justice.
OUR GUIDING FRAMEWORKS
The Sustainable Development Goals or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked global goals designed to be a “shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future”. The SDGs were set up in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be achieved by 2030.
The Paris Climate Agreement adopted at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference by 195 countries is a legally binding global climate change agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, tackle the climate crisis, strengthen resilience, and enhance abilities to adapt to climate change before the end of the century.
OUR NETWORK
Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens
Vienna, Austria
Ban Ki-moon Foundation for a Better Future
Seoul, South Korea