Ban Ki-moon Centre Annual Report 2019

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19
Annual Report
Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens

2019 IN REVIEW
Letter from the Co-chairs
Dear friends of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens,
All around the globe, 2019 has been a year of political and social activism, opening the stage to
young people and particularly to women. Ranging from the climate debate to social movements,
their united voices finally gained power and lead to progress in climate policies and peacebuilding
processes. But there is still a long way to go, which is why our organization has once more grown in
staff, projects and ideas to continue the support of women and youth empowerment to achieve the
Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
The launch of a Mentorship Program for Austrian Muslim Women, a pilot project to empower unwed
mothers in Korea and two Women´s Empowerment Programs for the GCC and Asia region exceeded
our expectations. We had the pleasure to not only give young female changemakers an open and
safe space to express their thoughts and ambitions, improve their skillset and learn from female
leaders and experts. We also had the chance to connect them and thus create a network of stellar
Global Citizens who will pass on their knowledge and transform their communities.
In close collaboration with the Austrian Federal Chancellery, the Ban Ki-moon Centre furthermore
created a Synopsis Paper with 14 recommendations regarding the implementation of the Sustainable
Development Goals in Austria, that should inform the upcoming Voluntary National Review of
the country at the High-Level Political Forum in New York in 2020.
The Annual Report 2019 will portray flourishing young people whose passion and indomitable
endeavors make us hopeful for the future. Something which would not have been possible without
our determined Board, whose guidance and loyalty we deeply cherish. Numerous generous
governments, institutions and individuals have lent us the crucial financial, organizational or
consultative support to pursue our goal to create a more peaceful and prosperous world for all.
2020 marks the 5-year anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals giving us the chance to
review the successes and drawbacks of the past five years and to intensify our efforts in the new
decade. The Ban Ki-moon Centre will offer guidance towards innovative solutions and strong
partnerships needed to face the challenges yet to come. May we inspire one another along our
common path towards universal global citizenship.
Ban Ki-moon
Co-chair
United Nations Secretary-General
2007 - 2016
Heinz Fischer
Co-chair
Federal President of the Republic of Austria
2004 - 2016
1

Letter from the CEO
Dear friends of the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens,
2019 was an exciting year for the Ban Ki-moon Centre.
The Ban Ki-moon Centre supported its Co-chairs Ban Ki-moon and Heinz Fischer in their leadership
roles and helped to plant many seeds inspiring the next generation of leaders to step up to changing
the world for the better. All to boost the SDGs and the Paris Climate Agreement.
We supported hundreds of young people in Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. This world
needs more leaders who have the broad “global citizen” outlook on humanity and not only the lens
of their own nation, tribe, ethnicity or community. We will only rise to the challenges of
populism, increasing nationalism, overpopulation, the digital divide, climate crisis, increasing
disparities and ongoing armed conflict through collaboration not confrontation. All the solutions
need global citizen values.
Women and young people constitute 75% of the current world´s population and must have a seat at
the table of decision making, conflict resolution and business life with access to the right education
to equip them with 21st century skills, global citizen values and SDG knowledge. BKMC offered
fellowships, mentorships, scholarships, lectures, workshops, conferences, publications and online
courses to this end, supported advocacy for the SDGs, promoted universal human rights as well as
Climate Action and stood up to stop violence against women.
Thank you to every single member of our Ban Ki-moon Centre family who showed their support with
social media posts and likes, donations and collaborations, thank you. Our dedication to supporting
global citizen mindsets and empowering youth and women around to world with education and
participation is at the heart of who we are.
It drives us to work harder, improve our programming and deepen our relationships with local
and global partners.
As I look back on 2019, I am immensely proud of the leap forward we have taken, and I hope you
feel equally as proud. Together we will continue to strive towards our goal to empower women and
youth to determine their own future in an ever more complex world.
Monika Froehler
Chief Executive Officer
2

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MISSION 4
IMPACT 5
PILLARS OF WORK 6
LEADERSHIP 7
MEDIATION 15
ADVOCACY 19
EDUCATION 25
BKMC FAMILY 33
BOARD 34
PARTNERS 35
DONORS AND CONTRIBUTORS 36
HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS AND VISITS 37
FINANCIAL OVERVIEW 39
ON THE HORIZON 40

MISSION
The Ban Ki-moon Centre is working with global
citizens across boundaries to create a better and
safer future for all based on the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate
Agreement.
The Ban Ki-moon Centre empowers women and
youth with SDG knowledge, 21st century skills
and global citizen values to live in a peaceful and
prosperous world.
WHY WOMEN?
Half the world is women. All around the world, in
every country, women and girls still struggle to
exercise their full human rights.
Women are particularly vulnerable in times of
global crises. Access to quality education and
skills training has never been so important to
ensure the dignity of all women around the
world.
There is no gender equality yet in matters of
access to education, professional opportunities,
pay and public representation. Women remain
underrepresented in top positions. Violence
against women and girls is perhaps the most
obvious manifestation of the deep imbalances
in power in our societies. Empowering women
and girls means understanding and addressing
these effects holistically.
WHY YOUTH?
Half the world is under 27 years of age. Globally,
one out of five people are between the ages of 15
- 24 with nearly 90 percent of youth worldwide
living in developing countries.
This generation is one of the greatest
determinants of whether or not the Sustainable
Development Goals will be achieved, and a
climate crisis can be avoided.
Decreasing youth mortality, supporting
education and youth entrepreneurship and
raising awareness for global citizenship and
climate action issues, are important measures to
support solutions to today´s global challenges.
Young people, women and men, of all cultures
can make a significant contribution to society by
looking beyond the narrow scope of personal or
national interest to act as global citizens.
4

IMPACT
PROGRAMS
& PROJECTS
6k
Online Course Registrations
50
Scholars and Fellows
70
SDG Micro-Projects
44
Mentees and Mentors
6
Programmatic Publications
PARTNERSHIPS
& OUTREACH
25+
Ban Ki-moon Leadership roles
20+
New Partner Organizations
7
MoUs Signed
100+
Speaking Engagements
12
Donor Organizations
GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
& EMPOWERMENT FORUM
Speakers
2k
Participants
80
Countries Represented
13
Partners and Sponsors
66
Organizations Represented
SOCIAL MEDIA
& WEB PRESENCE
16k
Followers on Twitter
15k
Followers on Facebook
36k
Views on Youtube
150+
Blog Posts
3k
Followers on Instagram
5

PILLARS OF WORK
Leadership and mediation are essential to
peace, security and exercising 21st century
skills; advocacy is critical to empowerment and
spreading global citizenship; and education is
fundamental to SDG knowledge.
Working publicly as well as through diplomatic
channels, the Centre engages with leaders,
governments, youth, academia, international
organizations, private sector and civil society at
all levels for enhancing global citizenship.
LEADERSHIP
The Centre supports the Co-chairs’
leadership efforts in multilateralism, advises
governments, and most importantly builds
leadership capacity, opportunity, and agency
for young global citizens and women with
tailor-made empowerment programs.
MEDIATION
The Centre actively promotes and highlights
meaningful and effective inclusion and
impact of youth and women in peace-making,
conflict prevention, and mediation efforts by
working with international organizations:
the OSCE, the UN Youth Envoy, mediator
networks, and The Elders.
The Centre is active in advocacy work on
global issues such as climate change, global
peace, empowerment of women and youth,
gender equality, education, sustainable cities,
road safety, and global citizen action.
ADVOCACY
EDUCATION
The Centre is working with UNESCO and
focuses on SDG 4 and global citizenship
education. Offering scholarships, mentorships
and online courses the Centre engages
with universities, schools and pedagogical
institutions in promoting SDG knowledge,
global citizen values and 21st-century skills.
6

LEADERSHIP
THE CO-CHAIRS’ GLOBAL LEADERSHIP EFFORTS
Our Co-chairs hold numerous leadership
positions that share the Centre’s mission for
promoting the Sustainable Development Goals,
supporting multilateralism and advancing
international cooperation through a global
citizenship mindset.
In 2019, Co-chair Ban put emphasis on tackling
the most pressing global issues, including
adapting to climate change with the Global
Commission on Adaptation (GCA) and the
Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) as well
as mitigating the fine dust issue in Asia with
the National Council on Climate and Air Quality
(NCCA) in the Republic of Korea. Furthermore,
Ban serves as Chair of the BOAO Forum for
Asia, as Chair of the Ethics Commission of the
International Olympic Committee and as Vice-
Chair of The Elders, besides other roles. He
also took over the leadership at the Ban Kimoon
Foundation for a Better Future which was
established in Seoul in April 2019 to reach out to
the South Korean private sector.
Co-chair Heinz Fischer holds numerous
leadership roles, including as member of the
International Advisory Committee of the Institute
for Sustainable Development Goals of Tsinghua
University. Several institutions count on his
leadership as the 11 th President of the Republic
of Austria. He is also a highly esteemed lecturer
at various universities. For two years now he has
been active as President of the Austria-Chinese
Friendship Association.
“Every state should make choices for humanity
rather than its own selfish national interests. It is
the responsibility of sovereign states to engage
in transnational cooperation and participate in
global challenges.”
- Ban Ki-moon
© EFA / Iryna Yeroshko
7

ADVISING THE AUSTRIAN GOVERNMENT TO ACHIEVE THE SDGS
© Andreas Wenzel
The Ban Ki-moon Centre has served in an
advisory role to the Austrian government in
their implementation of the SDGs through
a partnership with the Austrian Federal
Chancellery. The objective of the project in 2019
was to improve SDG implementation efforts in
Austria and subsequently improve the ranking
of Austria in international SDG indexes. The
BKMC organized a series of multi-stakeholder
consultations while working on a set of concrete
recommendations for the Austrian government.
© Harald Klemm
8

The recommendation paper was based
on the input formulated at these multistakeholder
consultations. Several other
events also contributed to the creation of the
recommendation paper: an event on European
best-practices at the Swedish Permanent
Mission in Vienna in order to facilitate peer-topeer
exchange, a multi-stakeholder workshop
for the Austrian government’s 2020 Voluntary
National Review (VNR), a distinguished panel
at the Political Symposium of European Forum
Alpbach in August. As well as a high-level
workshop retreat with Co-chairs Ban Ki-moon
and Heinz Fischer, the Austrian Foreign Minister
and other high-level participants, on promoting
the SDGs in Europe. Furthermore, the BKMC
also hosted a peer-learning round table on
the topic of SDG implementation, writing the
VNR and reporting to the High-Level Political
Forum (HLPF), which featured interventions
from government representatives from the
Netherlands, Finland, Slovakia, and Estonia. As a
result of all these efforts, in 2019 summer, the Ban
Ki-moon Centre prepared the paper distilling 14
recommendations for the Austrian government
on the improvement of SDG implementation.
© Andreas Wenzel
The paper was issued to the coalition government
negotiators in fall 2019 to find reflection in the
governmental coalition agreement.
At the end of 2019, Austria moved four ranks up
from 9 to 5 (on par with Germany) in just one
year, in the index and dashboard produced by
the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the Sustainable
Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
Moreover, in the recently published 2019 Europe
Sustainable Development Report, Austria was
ranked number 4.
Highlighted Recommendations:
Focusing the next decade on achieving
the SDGs
Recognizing the climate emergency
and driving climate commitments
Strengthening initiatives to close the
gender pay gap
Raising awareness of the SDGs across
society, in particular, in schools
Strengthening the exchange with
Parliament on the SDGs
9

WOMEN’S EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM
GLOBAL CITIZEN FELLOWSHIP TRAINING FOR
YOUNG WOMEN LEADERS
2019 marked the launch of the BKMC Women’s
Empowerment Program (WEP), offering unique
fellowship trainings to young women leaders
that seek to become changemakers for sustainable
development and women’s empowerment.
This past year the Centre organized two cohorts,
inviting a total of 40 women to participate in the
program.
The WEP is executed in co-operation
with the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna,
a centre of excellence for the study of
international affairs, and consists of two
main components:
Two-weeks of in-person training in
Vienna
Six months of SDG Micro-Project
implementation period
Training Contents:
Sustainable Development Goals and
Global Citizenship Education
Women’s Empowerment from a
Human Rights Perspective
Social Entrepreneurship
Justice and Anti-Corruption
Climate Action
Leadership, Communication and
Negotiation Skills
10

SDG MICRO-PROJECTS
At the end of the two weeks of intensive
training, the fellows were asked to pitch an SDG
Micro-Project. The fellows independently
implement this SDG Micro-Project within the
six months after the training. During this time,
they are mentored by the Ban Ki-moon Centre
through periodic webinar-style conference calls.
The fellows finalize their projects in 2020 with an
impact report, documenting how their learnings
from the program were applied in the project
and led to a multiplication of impact.
As graduates of the program, they enter the
BKMC Global Citizen Alumni Network, a network
of young changemakers eager to contribute to a
more peaceful and prosperous world.
SELECTED SDG
MICRO - PROJECTS OF 2019:
‘Peace Friends’ education session for
peace (Afghanistan)
‘WARSHA’; overcoming trauma
(Bahrain)
‘Women in Media’ Incubator
(Cambodia)
‘Kuwait’s Voices’ podcast (Kuwait)
‘TheKeep’; Awareness Campaign for
the SDGs (Mongolia)
Sexual education program for
refugees (South Korea)
‘JISSER’ internship platform (Oman)
‘LAHA’ fostering female
entrepreneurship (Qatar)
‘Sustainable Saturdays’ campaign
(Saudi Arabia)
Employment program for women with
disabilities (UAE)
11

WEP ASIA COHORT
29 September to 11 October
Thanks to the generous support of Korea
Foundation the Ban Ki-moon Centre welcomed
a cohort of 20 young women from four diverse
Asian countries to Vienna as fellows of the
Women’s Empowerment Program Asia.
As well as offering the fellows a unique
educational opportunity through various
workshops, conferences and team building
activities, the Centre also encouraged the young
women to speak up and share their subject
expertise with a greater audience. As a central
part of the WEP Asia program and due to the
timeliness of the matter, the BKMC organized
a panel discussion on the Afghan peace talks,
where our Afghan fellows had the opportunity to
be featured as expert speakers and to share their
views on the issue with a hands-on perspective.
Participating Countries
Afghanistan
Cambodia
Mongolia
South Korea
“I have not only learned about women’s
empowerment: I have learned to pitch, I have
learned about climate change, I have learned
about the SDGs and capacity-building. But most
importantly, I got to meet so many amazing
women!”
-Soksovankessor Sambath
Cambodia
12

Participating Countries
Bahrain
Kuwait
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
UAE
WEP GCC COHORT
11 November to 22 November
A second cohort for the WEP in 2019 was
sponsored by the Kuwait Foundation for the
Advancement of Sciences. 20 women from
the Gulf Cooperation Council Member States
met in Vienna to participate in the training
and become Global Citizen Fellows of the
Ban Ki-moon Centre.
The BKMC strived to make the fellows familiar
with their surroundings. At the beginning of
their training the WEP GCC cohort participated
in two alternative city tours that focused on
homelessness and refugees in the city of
Vienna. Both tours were led by guides who
were, themselves, affected by the respective
challenges. The tour gave hands-on insights into
the world of social entrepreneurship and how it
can solve global problems in local contexts.
“A global citizen should have passion, compassion,
and empathy to serve and give back to the
community.”
-Huda AlSalah
Bahrain
13

MENTORSHIPS FOR YOUNG AUSTRIAN MUSLIM WOMEN
© Rached Bouguerra
Europe is currently experiencing rising
Islamophobia. Young Muslims often do
not have the same opportunity on the
job-market and encounter open discrimination.
Particularly young Muslim women are
discriminated against. Between March and
October 2019, the BKMC carried out a mentoring
project in partnership with the Muslim Youth of
Austria (MJÖ). The project focused on learning
from each other and empowering young
Muslim women who face barriers when seeking
employment by pairing them with senior female
professionals in various fields. This project
particularly addressed SDG 5 Gender Equality
and SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities.
The mentoring pairs met regularly, and
the mentees attended three mentee skillbuilding
seminars hosted at the Ban Ki-moon
Centre. Additionally, each mentoring pair
was responsible for implementing an SDG
Micro-Project in their respective communities.
22 SDG Micro-Projects were implemented
reaching more than 100 people.
© Heinz Christoph Hopf
14

MEDIATION
THE CO-CHAIRS’ GLOBAL PEACE EFFORTS
The threat of nuclear catastrophe and war
is unfortunately still prevalent. Involving
youth in the dialogue and action on nuclear
issues, security and peace making at large is
essential. The Ban Ki-moon Centre Co-chairs
therefore engaged with young peacemakers to
strengthening youth involvement in the global
nuclear dialogue at an event in Seoul, South
Korea. The symposium featured distinguished
speakers, including Comprehensive Nuclear-
Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) Executive
Secretary Lassina Zerbo and Ban Ki-moon Centre
Board members Ambassador and former UN
High Representative for Disarmament Affairs
Kim Won-soo, and former South Korean Ambassador
to Austria Ambassador Shin Dong-ik.
Co-chair Heinz Fischer also featured as a keynote
speaker at the, “Jeju Forum for Peace and
Prosperity” in South Korea on how to approach
sustainable peace and prosperity in Asia.
Furthermore, Co-chair Ban Ki-moon supported
the launch of the new Action Plan of the African
Union Youth Envoy which includes empowering
youth in Africa to be active participants in peace
processes.
© IGEE
15

FIRST INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON YOUTH PARTICIPATION
IN PEACE PROCESSES
© Nikke Puskala
The BKMC featured at the First International
Symposium on Youth in Peace Processes in
Helsinki bringing together inspirational young
leaders from across the globe, many of whom
had risked their lives to bring peace and
reconciliation to their respective countries and
communities. Young delegates presented their
work ranging from the Syrian Youth Council, to
Columbian youth groups writing love letters to
FARC soldiers, to African delegates reintegrating
girls that had fallen victim to Boko Haram in
Nigeria, to Central Asian peace-advocates
fighting for women empowerment through
education in Afghanistan. The symposium
fostered an open discussion between the
selected youth participants from all over the
world, also with the UNPGA Espinosa regarding
the necessary improvements for increased youth
participation in operational and political aspects
to realize the United Nations Security Council
Resolution (UNSCR) 2250 (2015) and UNSCR
2419 (2018).
A recommendation paper entitled “We are
here” was presented at the Symposium and
several working groups reviewed the document,
providing valuable feedback. Ban Ki-moon
Centre CEO Monika Froehler chaired one
working group.
The Symposium was co-hosted with the
support of the Governments of Finland, Qatar,
and Colombia and co-organized by the United
Nations Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy
on Youth (OSGEY), and Search for Common
Ground in partnership with UNDPPA, UNDP,
UNFPA, and UNOY.
www.tinyurl.com/tna32xr
16

OUR PRESENT – OUR FUTURE:
YOUTH INCLUSION FOR THE SDGS, PEACE AND SECURITY
© Anna Rauchenberger
Partnering with the Comprehensive Nuclear-
Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), its Youth
Group, and the Austrian Academic Forum for
Foreign Affairs, the BKMC co-organized a Youth
Forum as a central part of 2019’s Science &
Technology Conference in June 2019. 500 young
global citizens gathered at Vienna’s Hofburg
Palace to take part in an interactive session
about the inclusion of youth in decisions aimed
at sustainable development, peace and security.
CTBTO’s Executive Secretary Lassina Zerbo
and Dr. Heinz Fischer encouraged the young
audience to be changemakers. Bolstering the
aim to “leave no one behind”.
The BKMC featured young changemakers in an
interactive multi-media panel discussion on the
major perceived security challenges of our age
and gave young leaders a platform to share their
initiatives and insights.
Surveys made during the forum shed a light on
the audience’s views.
What is the most effective way to change things?
In which movement are you the most active?
What do you perceive as the greatest security challenge now?
“Millions of young people are marginalized
due to their gender, religion, ethnicity, or due to
disabilities. We must remember that our actions
and the vital decisions that we make, can affect
everyone differently. Keeping this in mind and
making informed decisions that consider the
outcomes for all people, is crucial.”
© Anna Rauchenberger
- Heinz Fischer
17

49 TH IPI VIENNA SEMINAR: PARTNERING WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
FOR PROMOTING PEACE AND SECURITY
The Ban Ki-moon Centre collaborated with the
International Peace Institute (IPI) on presenting a
panel of outstanding youth peace activists who
shared their inspiring stories and initiatives of
how they promote peace and security. The panel
had in attendance high-level representatives
from OSCE, UN and the diplomatic corps.
BKMC CEO Monika Froehler also featured as
a key speaker at the 49th IPI Vienna Seminar
at the Federal Ministry of Austria for Europe,
Integration and Foreign Affairs, focusing on the
role of young people as agents of peace and
social change at the global, regional, national
and local level.
© Austrian Foreign Ministry © Austrian Foreign Ministry
OSCE YOUTH SYMPOSIUM
The Ban Ki-moon Centre cooperated with the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe to promote the involvement of youth
in peace making and conflict resolution. As
part of its efforts to engage young people in its
comprehensive approach to security, the OSCE
has launched the “Perspectives 20-30” initiative to
bring young experts and practitioners together
in order to develop a vision for addressing
current and future security challenges.
The OSCE Youth Forum in Bratislava was an
opportunity to learn how youth is involved and
engaged in the OSCE region, even in protracted
conflict scenarios. Ban Ki-moon Centre CEO
Monika Froehler gave a keynote speech at the
event and fostered diverse youth participation,
including Ban Ki-moon Centre staff member
Minji Kwag who shared her unique perspective
of the North-South Korean conflict in several
workshops.
© Slovak MFA
18

ADVOCACY
© IGEE
THE CO-CHAIRS’ GLOBAL ADVOCACY EFFORTS
In 2019, the Ban Ki-moon Centre Co-chairs
addressed several thousands of people,
particularly through education, on various
advocacy issues such as global citizen action,
climate change, peace, women and youth
empowerment. Youth entrepreneurship in
Africa was highlighted when Ban Ki-moon
featured at the final competition of the Africa
Netpreneur Prize in Accra, Ghana together
with Jack Ma. Together they stressed the role
of young entrepreneurs in building sustainable
economies. The importance of sports for
achieving a peaceful world was underlined at
the Chungju World Martial Arts Masterships
and also through Ban Ki-moon´s leadership at
the International Olympic Committee Ethics
Commission. Ban Ki-moon reached an audience
of 40.000 youth at the World Scout Jamboree
and interacted with youth on informal education
and global citizen activities. Moreover he served
as one of the main acts of the Global Citizen
Festival in Berlin in May, in front of more than
5,000 young people advocating for youth to
take upon the role and skills of global citizens.
“Try to be a global citizen as you continue in your
own lives, studies, and careers. Global citizenship is
a unique tool that can help solve some of our most
pressing challenges and assist us in building peace
and reaching sustainability.”
- Ban Ki-moon
at the 24 th World Scout Jamboree
© Jean-Pierre Pouteau
19

SDG ADVOCACY -
THE GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT FORUM
© IGEE
The Global Engagement and Empowerment
Forum on Sustainable Development 2019 was
organized by the BKMC, IGEE, Yonsei University,
KOICA, and Seoul Institute in South Korea. Their
were 2,000 participants from 80 countries. 106
speakers and panelists from 27 nations had the
opportunity to create impactful discussions
and map out pathways for youth and women
engagement in the context of the SDGs.
The BKMC conducted a session on “Women’s
Empowerment for Inclusive and Sustainable
Development” to highlight the importance of
empowering women worldwide on all levels. In
2019, the Ban Ki-moon Centre organized four
regional meetings in support of the GEEF, funded
by the Korea Foundation. The meetings that
focused on preperations for GEEF 2020, took
place in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan at the margins
of the Astana Economic Forum, in Seoul, South
Korea, in Vienna, Austria, and in New York, USA at
the margins of the UN General Assembly.
The session featured a stellar line-up of
high-level speakers, including:
Lee Mi-kyung, President of KOICA
Helen Clark, 37th Prime Minister of
New Zealand
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive
Secretary of UNESCAP
Irina Bokova, 10th Director-General of
UNESCO, BKMC Board Member
Kwon Insook, President of South
Korean Women’s Development
Institute
Kati Ihamäki, Director of Corporate
Sustainability at Finnair
Sabine Machl, UN Women Representative
in Indonesia and Liaison to
ASEAN
“Women are unfortunately today still an untapped
potential. Until they are equally represented
everywhere, local to global communities will not
thrive.”
- Irina Bokova
Former Director General of UNESCO
20

SDG 5 – RISING BEYOND STIGMA:
EMPOWERING STAND-ALONE MOTHERS IN SOUTH KOREA
Stand-alone mothers in South Korea are often
isolated from society, and lack equal economic
opportunities. Misconceptions about their
family status in South Korean society lead them
to being viewed and treated as sex workers.
South Korean stand-alone mothers are more
exposed to violence, sexual assault, and unfair
treatment not only at their schools and places
of work, but also within their own families and
communities. The BKMC together with Intree, a
stand-alone mothers’ club in South Korea, and
the Seoul Young Leaders Club (SYLC) of Rotary,
engaged in supporting processes regarding
curbing the stigma associated with standalone
mothers in South Korea. The partners coorganized
an interactive workshop on the topic,
“Empowering Stand-Alone Mothers in South
Korea: Combatting Social Stigma and Improving
Policies” at the JCI Asia-Pacific Conference in
Jeju, South Korea on June 19th, 2019 to share
their stories and learn from other Asian countries
about employment and living solutions that
could be replicated in the Republic of Korea.
The Centre supported stand-alone mothers
and their children at a major JCI conference on
Jeju Island in June, and enabled the mothers to
spend quality time with their children enjoying
educational programs, special activities,
performances and exhibits, while learning from
one another, interacting with policymakers and
being introduced to best case practices from
overseas.
Through advocacy efforts, Intree was able
to open a working and leisure space called
“Nulbom” (Korean for Always Spring) for single
parents to work, network, study, and rest with
their children as well as a counselling center
called “Bomnal” (Korean for Spring Day) in
Seoul with the additional support of private
donors, the South Korean Ministry of Gender
Equality and Family, and the Seoul Metropolitan
Government.
21

SDG 5 - ORANGE THE WORLD:
ENDING VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
In 2008, under the leadership of Co-Chair Ban
Ki-moon, the United Nations pushed for a multiyear
effort aimed at preventing and eliminating
violence against women around the world. Since
2015, UN Women is spearheading the Orange
the World campaign, taking place annually
from 25 November, the International Day for
the Elimination of Violence against Women,
up until 10 December, Human Rights Day.
During these 16 Days of Activism, the world’s
most prominent monuments and buildings are
illuminated in orange, representing a future free
from violence against women. On 25 November,
2019 the Ban Ki-moon Centre with its partners
UN Women Austria, Soroptimist International
Austria and HeForShe Austria launched the 16
Days of Activism at the BKMC´s office in Vienna.
Co-chair Heinz Fischer and over 60 Austrian
representatives from institutions that offer
medical or legal support for women affected
by violence shared their experiences and raised
awareness for their efforts.
The Ban Ki-moon Centre, furthermore, backed an
event on “Evolving Beyond Trauma” giving room
for an audience of 200 individuals to openly
discuss the trauma resulting from the violence
that 1 in 3 women suffer worldwide.
© Eugénie Sophie
22

SDG 11 - TRANSFORMING URBAN SPACES FOR GLOBAL
CITIZENS
© RELX Group
Currently more than half of the world´s
population live in cities. By 2050, two-thirds of
all humanity will be dwelling in urban areas.
In 2019, the Ban Ki-moon Centre launched its
advocacy efforts to raise awareness for the
sustainability of urbanization processes and the
mitigation of urban disasters and risks caused
by climate change. Broadening the engagement
of multi-stakeholders in the context of SDG 11
Sustainable Cities and Communities, the Centre
focused on bringing in partners like the Global
Commission on Adaptation and showcasing
best practice models of future sustainable cities.
In May 2019, Ban Ki-moon Centre partner RELX
held its fourth SDG Inspiration Day in Delhi to
catalyze action on the SDGs. The event took
place in partnership with Global Compact
India, Responsible Media Forum and the Ban Ki-
Moon Centre for Global Citizens. In the opening
plenary, BKMC Board member and Director,
Corporate Responsibility at RELX, Marcia
Balisciano, explained that India is in the top 10
countries for research on SDG 11 and in the last
five years India’s research output on sustainable
cities more than doubled.
A keynote speech from Ambassador Kim Wonsoo,
Ban Ki-moon Centre Board member and
former UN High Representative for Disarmament
Affairs, highlighted the need for smaller cities
and the role of technology in harmonizing
therein.
The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile’s
(FIA) efforts on green urban mobility, on
road safety and in the environmental and
sustainability commission, also contribute
substantively to addressing major challenges of
increased urbanisation and mobility in the nexus
of SDG 11 and SDG 3. The BKMC is planning
awareness raising activities for road safety in
East Africa with Co-chair Ban Ki-moon alongside
FIA expertise.
“The forgotten 1,4 Million who die on the road
every year – most of them young people between
15- 29 years of age, deserve a legacy in form of a
safer world. Many of their deaths are preventable.
The solutions are within our grasp!”
- Jean Todt
FIA President
© FIA
23

SDG 13 - ADVOCACY FOR CLIMATE ACTION
© GCA
The Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA)
was launched in 2018 by Ban Ki-moon, Kristalina
Georgieva and Bill Gates with the mandate to
encourage the development of measures to
manage the effects of climate change through
technology, planning and investment. In 2019,
the GCA devoted its efforts to a “Year of Action”
calling for scaled-up investment to improve
people’s ability to act ahead of extreme weather
events, reduce deaths and human suffering,
and lessen economic impacts that particularly
impact youth and women who are suffering on
the frontlines of climate change.
In October 2019, Co-chair Ban Ki-moon was reelected
as the Global Green Growth Institute’s
(GGGI) Assembly President and Council
Chairman for the term of 20 February 2020 –
19 February 2022. As GGGI President & Chair,
SDG 16 - ADVOCACY FOR PEACE
Ban champions green growth and advocates
the need for cooperation and action to address
climate change and transition to low-carbon,
sustainable and inclusive economies at the
highest levels.
2019 also marked the launch of the South
Korean National Council on Climate and Air
Quality, chaired by Co-chair Ban Ki-moon. Under
his leadership role he stressed the importance of
national efforts to tackle the issue of fine dust and
air pollution. He also underlined the necessity
of international cooperation with other states
such as China in this regard to complement
the efforts. Ban Ki-moon heads the presidential
committee comprised of 42 members who are
selected from various sectors including political
parties, business, governmental civil service,
expert groups, and civil society.
BKM serves as Vice-Chair of The Elders, a group
that formed around Nelson Mandela and was
led for years by Kofi Annan, who sadly passed
away in 2019. Currently, the group is led by the
former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson. The
Elders are a group of independent leaders, who
use their collective experience and influence for
peace, justice and human rights worldwide.
© The Elders
24

EDUCATION
THE CO-CHAIRS’ GLOBAL EFFORTS FOR EDUCATION
Education is at the heart of our work at the BKMC.
The Co-Chairs and the BKMC regularly lecture
at universities, contribute to online classes,
engage with numerous schools and other
pedagogical institutions to raise awareness
about the importance of the SDGs, the Paris
Climate Agreement, human rights, justice and
peace. Formal as well as non-formal education
are essential for global citizen engagement.
Both Ban Ki-moon and Heinz Fischer have
received numerous Honorary Doctorates and
continue to champion education as the route to
a sustainable and peaceful future.
The Ban Ki-moon Centre is closely affiliated
with many like-minded institutions, eager
to teach and learn global citizen values, 21st
century skills and in-depth knowledge about
the SDGs. In 2019, the Ban Ki-moon Centre
collaborated with partners at UNESCO, APCEIU,
SDSN, Regional Academy of the United Nations,
Tsinghua University, Yonsei University, Al Farabi
University, University of Bordeaux, International
Baccalaureate, Diplomatic Academy Vienna etc.
to reach and engage as many young people
as possible in formal and informal learning
processes.
25

GLOBAL CITIZEN SCHOLARSHIPS
For a second year, the BKMC sponsored Global
Citizen Scholars to attend the European Forum
Alpbach in Tyrol, Austria. Thanks to the support
of the Korea Foundation, the Centre was able to
fully sponsor six scholars, who came from three
regions: two from Asia, three from Africa, and
one from the Middle East.
During their time in Alpbach, the scholars
had the opportunity to benefit from peer-topeer
learning, attend diverse seminars and
symposiums, and network with high-level
changemakers. The overall goal of the Global
Citizen Scholars Program is to empower young,
active global citizens who are engaged in the
SDGs and may otherwise not have access to
valuable educational opportunities and the
chance to discuss their ideas with international
decision-makers and peers from around the
world. As a part of the scholarship, the emerging
young leaders also had the chance to meet with
the Co-chairs of the Ban Ki-moon Centre and
present their “Global Citizen SDG Projects”.
Scholarship Contents:
Participation at European Forum
Alpbach, including travel, accommodation
and a daily stipend
Exposure to high-level changemakers
and meetings
Proposal and completion of a “Global
Citizen Project” for the SDGs
Certificate of Achievement signed by
Co-chairs of the Ban Ki-moon Centre
Follow-up support from the Ban Kimoon
Centre on projects
Alumni Network membership
26

2019 GLOBAL CITIZEN SCHOLARS
Belinda Isimbi Uwase
RWANDA
Belinda is the founder of “GLOW” (Girls Light our World), a women’s NGO in
Rwanda with the mission to empower, enlighten and cultivate girls’ minds.
The NGO is focused on SDG 5 and Belinda’s participation in the Global Citizen
Scholarship Program helped her to expand the program and empower highschool
girls.
Samuel Kofi Afadu
GHANA
Samuel Kofi Afadu is the Co-Founder of Light My World International, an NGO
based in Ghana providing access to safe and clean lightning solutions to
students living in villages without electricity. The project addresses SDGs 7, 4,
10, 1, and 13. The Global Citizen Scholarship helped Samuel gain momentum
for his new project with Light My World, “Light to Read.”
Oyindamola Adegboye
NIGERIA
Oyindamola is a change catalyst passionate about strengthening Africa’s
human capital – especially through educating the youth. Her SDG Micro-
Project, “Common Futures Conversations”, is with Chatham House and the
Robert Bosch Institute and addresses SDGs 1, 4, and 13. Since Alpbach, the
Ban Ki-moon Centre also supported Oyinda in attending a UNODC Education
for Justice (E4J) youth training in Lagos.
Salahaldeen Alazaizeh
JORDAN
Salahaldeen is a Business and Innovation Designer at Phi Science Institute,
a non-profit organization in Amman that aims to advance the scientific
potential and knowledge among youth in the Middle East. His proposed SDG
Micro-Project Project, “Xi Education”, is working to address SDG 4, helping
youth access training in 21st century skills.
Sungyeon Park
SOUTH KOREA
Sungyeon’s SDG Micro-Project, “Connect Directly with a Farmer – Online
Platform where Meaningful Exchange Happens”, addresses SDGs 1, 2, and 3.
He is hopeful to find funding for his project soon. Since becoming a scholar,
he gained a job at the Rural Development Institute in South Korea. He is
thankful for the scholarship which helped him stand-out as a candidate for
this exciting position.
Eun Ji Park
SOUTH KOREA
Eun Ji is determined to become an environmental policy specialist and a diplomat
representing her country. Her SDG Micro-Project, “Rainwater Harvesting
– Project for Baranguy Marinig of Laguna District, Philippines”, addresses
SDGs 6, 10, and 13. Currently writing her master’s thesis on climate change
adaptation, focusing on coastal areas of Manila, Philippines, she hopes to link
it to her project and secure funding.
27

DEMOCRATIZING GCED:
ONLINE COURSES ON GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
The Ban Ki-moon Centre has launched three
online courses about sustainable development
and the 2030 Agenda, becoming global citizens
as well as women empowerment and gender
equality. The three online courses were codeveloped
and co-produced together with
partners such as the Yonsei University, APCEIU
and Coursera. The courses are free and selfpaced.
The first course entitled “Sustainable
Development in the 21st Century” is structured
around the five pillars of Agenda 2030 – people,
prosperity, planet, peace and justice, and
partnership. It focuses on the need to integrate
the SDGs in practical policy-making and
operational activities for development, in both
developed and developing country settings. The
second course “Becoming Global Citizens for a
Sustainable Society” is for anyone who would
like to learn more about the SDGs and the skills
necessary to become a global citizen. The last
course named “Gender Equality and Women’s
Empowerment” features SDG 5 advocates and
highlights gender issues and equal rights. The
courses also include an open forum where
learners and educators can communicate with
each other and actively share their own opinions
about the discussion topics. To date, the courses
have thousands of registered learners from all
around the world.
Each course is structured around a series
of modules comprised of documentaries,
workshop recordings, animated videos and
presentations of best practices, so learners
can expand their knowledge. The lectures and
interviews host renowned international experts,
scholars, advocates, representatives from
different sectors, as well as active global citizens.
All courses can be found on the BKMC website
as well as UNESCO APCEIU GCED Online campus.
www.bankimooncentre.org/education/
onlinecourses
Scan to register for
the Online Course
28

ENGAGING YOUNG GLOBAL CITIZENS IN SDG WORKSHOPS
The SDGs are an integral part of any solution
to the biggest challenges of our time. Global
Citizenship Education (GCED) plays a key role
in preparing the younger generation to build a
future in which humanity and the environment
can both thrive. Offering interactive workshops
on global citizenship and the SDGs at the BKMC
secretariat in Vienna throughout the year, we
were able to pass on the valuable teachings from
international conferences on GCED to various
changemakers of the future. The workshops
offer a space for the participants to share their
insights on how global citizenship relates to
their lives. Furthermore, they are encouraged to
come up with ideas how they can act effectively
for the realization of the SDGs. The BKMC acts
as facilitator, while the young participants learn
why the SDGs are important for them personally,
and in the broader spectrum of society. Arts
and crafts, pen and paper and, of course, the
colourful SDG signs are the teaching materials
used to foster a bottom-up approach to
sustainable development and global citizenship.
In 2019, 100 children and young adults ranging
from ages 12 to 30 were able to benefit from this
educational format.
29

WORK WITH REGIONAL ACADEMY
OF THE UNITED NATIONS (RAUN)
In 2019, the Ban Ki-moon Centre strengthened
its collaboration with the Regional Academy
of the United Nations (RAUN), an international
and multi-disciplinary program that provides a
forum for youth to research issues related to the
UN and international affairs.
This year the Centre mentored three young
researchers from RAUN, who produced a
research paper on best practices of sustainable
community projects under the framework of
SDG 11.
The RAUN researchers from Vienna, Hamburg
and Prague, gathered data about their respective
hometowns and defined best practices and
sustainability. Based on their research, they
developed a set of recommendations of how
successful projects could be replicated.
They were mentored by the BKMC throughout
the process and their research will be forwarded
to partners of the BKMC such as the City of Vienna
and other SDG relevant groups interested in SDG
community projects in urban areas.
30

THE BKMC’S WORK WITH UNESCO ON GCED
The BKMC worked extensively with UNESCO
to support SDG 4 and particularly Global
Citizenship Education (GCED).
Together with UNESCO´s GCED department, and
field experts from around the world, the BKMC
explored how activism can be incorporated into
teaching and learning, particularly in Global
Citizenship Education.
The Experts’ Meeting on Teaching and Learning
Responsible Transformative Engagement
organized by the BKMC, UNESCO, and UNESCO
APCEIU took place in Seoul, South Korea on
16th-17th February, 2019.
As youth activism is becoming more prominent
around the globe, the expert group actively
discussed the fundamental issues when it
comes to addressing young people from various
perspectives. Peaceful revolutions of youth
activists has led to changes in government, using
the potential of social media, digital citizenship,
and societal participation.
Examples from the past couple of years such as
#Fridaysforfuture, #stopgunviolence, #metoo,
#extinctionrebellion and #arabspring were
showcased at the event.
The first findings of this stakeholder discussion
were reflected in a UNESCO publication
title “Teaching and learning transformative
engagement”.
www.tinyurl.com/wsyrsrf
31

CONFERENCES ON GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION (GCED)
BKMC work with UNESCO
© UNSESCO
BKMC works closely with UNESCO and featured at the UNESCO Forum on Education for
ESD and GCED and the 4th International Conference on GCED, in Korea and Vietnam
respectively, exploring the latest trends, challenges and advancements of SDG 4, its
targets and KPIs on education for sustainable development and global citizenship
education. The BKMC puts great effort in featuring young leaders at these events from
across the world to showcase their achievements.
BKMC work with the World Scouts Movement
The World Scout Movement convened the World Non-Formal Education Forum
working with UNICEF, UNFPA and the UN Youth Envoy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. BKMC
CEO Monika Froehler contributed insights into GCED teaching and learning in the nonformal
sector together with Ahmad Alhendawi, WOSM Secretary General and BKMC
Board Member. “The Non-formal education sector has moved faster on adopting the SDGs
thanks to its flexibility and recognizes the crucial importance to teach 21st century skills,
global citizen values and knowledge of the SDGs.”
BKMC work with UNODC
The BKMC partnered with the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the UN to co-host a
forum entitled “Education for Justice – UNODC´s Doha Declaration” at the margins of
the UNGA in New York. BKMC also featured at the International High-Level Conference
at UNODC Vienna. “We need to educate youth and women for the rule of law. SDG 16 on
Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions is of paramount importance to live in peace and
prosperity.”
BKMC work with SDSN Youth
The BKMC and SDSN Youth awarded the SDG Students Program Certificate to young
SDG champions at the SDSN annual Vatican Youth Symposium in the Vatican City.
“These outstanding students exemplarily led SDG implementation projects internationally
that inspire us and many of their peers. Their achievements are truly significant and
promising”.
BKMC work with AFS, Aflatoun and UNESCO APCEIU
© AFS
BKMC´s expertise was sought by several partners in the educational field. The AFS
Intercultural Programs Conference gathered thousands of educators, learners, experts,
and advocates in Montreal spearheading the achievement of SDG 4 with input by
UNESCO and the BKMC. At an Aflatoun Conference in Amsterdam CEO Froehler spoke
about financial education, GCED and active global citizenship. A workshop hosted
by UNESCO/APCEIU aimed at mapping the EU and North American GCED network
partners. A mapping research project until 2021 will be co-financed by the BKMC.
32

BKMC FAMILY
CLOSE PARTNERS
BAN KI-MOON CENTRE FOR GLOBAL CITIZENS
Quasi-international organization founded in January 2018 and led by the
8 th UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former Austrian President Heinz
Fischer in Vienna, Austria.
BAN KI-MOON CENTRE FOR GLOBAL CITIZENS, US FOUNDATION
US Foundation established to assist in the fundraising efforts of the Centre in
the United States.
BAN KI-MOON FOUNDATION FOR A BETTER FUTURE
Non-profit organization led by the 8 th UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and
founded in May 2019 in Seoul, South Korea.
BAN KI-MOON CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Organizational branch of the Institute for Global Engagement and
Empowerment (IGEE) launched in 2017 and based at Yonsei University, Seoul,
South Korea.
BAN KI-MOON INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
International academic institution founded in spring 2018 at Al-Farabi Kazakh
National University, Almaty, Kazakhstan.
BAN KI-MOON INSTITUTE FOR GLOBAL EDUCATION
Institute founded and administered through a cooperation between Handong
Global University and United Nations Academic Impact Korea and based in
Pohang, South Korea.
THE PEACE MUSEUM OF THE 8 TH UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL
BAN KI-MOON
Eumseong County, South Korea
TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY
Beijing, China
YEOSIJAE FUTURE CONSENSUS INSTITUTE
Seoul, South Korea
33

BOARD
Ban Ki-moon
8 th Secretary-General
of the United Nations
Heinz Fischer
11 th Federal President
of the Republic of
Austria
Ahmad Alhendawi
Secretary General of the
World Organization of
the Scout Management
Márcia Balisciano
Director of Corporate
Responsibility of RELX
Daniele D. Bodini
President of the
Alexander Bodini
Foundation
Irina Bokova
Former Director-General
of UNESCO
Sofia Borges
Senior Vice-President
of UN Foundation
Andrea Pfanzelter
Senior Adviser to the
KAICIID International
Dialogue Centre
Monika Froehler
CEO of the Ban
Ki-moon Centre for
Global Citizens
Ed Futa
Former General-
Secretary of
Rotary International
Kim Won-soo
Former UN High
Representative for
Disarmament Affairs
Maurice Lévy
Chairman of the
Supervisory Board
Publicis Groupe
Ambassador Sadiq Marafi
Permanent Representative
of Kuwait to the UN in
Vienna, (ex officio)
Jeffrey Sachs
Special Advisor to the
UNSG on SDGs
Michael Sheldrick
Vice-President Global
Policy and Government
Affairs at Global Citizen
Ambassador
Shin Chae-hyun
Permanent Representative
of the Republic of Korea to
the UN in Vienna, (ex officio)
Jean Todt
President of FIA and
UNSG’s Special Envoy
for Road Safety
Dimitri de Vreeze
Member of the Board
of Royal DSM
Kevin Hin
Secretary General of
the Junior Chamber
International
34

PARTNERS
35

DONORS AND CONTRIBUTORS
As a quasi-international organization under
Austrian law, we are funded by a mix of public
and private donors. None of our income is
guaranteed and without financial contributions
from individuals, foundations, governments
and other institutions, we cannot carry out our
work. We actively seek support from individuals
and organizations who share our values and
objectives and who wish to help finance our
work.
BKMC finances its work with
donations, philanthropic gifts and
grants. Do you have a committed
interest in a specific issue that
the Centre addresses? Contact us:
office@bankimooncentre.org
DONORS
Korea Foundation, State of Kuwait, Federal
Chancellery of Austria, Royal DSM, The
Alexander Bodini Foundation, Ban Ki-moon,
Varkey Foundation, Kuwait Foundation for
the Advancement of Sciences, City of Vienna,
Youngsan, Jean Todt (President of FIA), RELX
Group
MEMORANDA OF UNDERSTANDING
Ban Ki-moon Institute for Global Education
(IGE) of Handong University, Federal
Chancellery of Austria, GEMS Education,
Kingdom of Bahrain, Supreme Council
for Planning and Development of Kuwait,
Sustainable Development Solutions Network,
UNECO APCEIU
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Kuwait
Permanent Mission Vienna, Heinz Fischer,
Andrea Pfanzelter, YS Chi, Eugénie Berger
IN KIND CONTRIBUTION
36

HIGH-LEVEL MEETINGS AND VISITS
On 11 April, Co-chair Ban
Ki-moon visited the Vatican
to have a meeting with His
Holiness Pope Francis.
BKMC Board members met
with South Korean Prime
Minister Lee Nak-yeon in Seoul
on 15 February.
A Czech delegation around
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Tomáš Petříček visited the
BKMC Secretariat on 18
January.
Co-chairs Ban Ki-moon
and Heinz Fischer and CEO
Monika Froehler met with the
President of the 73 rd Session
of the United Nations General
Assembly, Maria Fernanda
Espinosa, on 24th of August on
the margins of the European
Forum Alpbach, Austria.
Co-chair Ban Ki-moon and CEO
Monika Froehler met with the
Federal President of Austria,
Alexander Van der Bellen, on
25 August in Alpbach, Austria.
Co-chairs Ban Ki-moon and
Heinz Fischer and CEO Monika
Froehler met with the Federal
Chancellor of Austria, Brigitte
Bierlein, in Alpbach on 25
August.
The BKMC visited the OPEC
Secretariat and met the
Secretary General Mohammad
Sanusi Barkindo on 28
August in Vienna.
Co-chair Ban Ki-moon had
a bilateral meeting with
China’s Minister of Ecology
and Environment, Li Ganjie, in
Beijing on 10 September.
Co-chair Heinz Fischer and CEO
Monika Froehler met with the
Vice-President of China, Wang
Qishan, on 11 September in
Beijing.
Co-Chair Ban Ki-Moon met
South Korean President, Moon
Jae-in, on 3 December at the
Blue House in Seoul.
37

SPECIAL HIGH-LEVEL MISSION TO KUWAIT
Upon the generous invitation of Kuwait via
BKMC Board Member, Sadiq Marafi, Permanent
Representative of Kuwait to the United Nations
in Vienna, the third Board Meeting of the Centre
took place on 11 and 12 February, 2019 in
Kuwait City. The meeting served to further refine
the Centre’s mission statement and strategy.
During the meeting, the planned programs and
projects for 2019 were presented along with the
audit report 2018 and an overview of the BKMC’s
budget for 2019.
During the visit, Co-chairs Ban Ki-moon and
Heinz Fischer met with His Highness Amir of
the State of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad
Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, as well as other high-level
representatives of the government of Kuwait on
11 February.
On the margins of this Board Meeting, the
Co-Chairs and Board Members featured at a
public symposium on “Empowering Women
and Supporting Youth in Development”. As a
cultural addition of the mission to Kuwait, the
BKMC board members and guests enjoyed a
concert of a Septet from members of the Vienna
Philharmonic.
38

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW
The Centre provides detailed narrative and
financial reports on its activities to its donors,
complying with their individual reporting
requirements. Furthermore, the Centre reports
to Austrian authorities (Ministry of Finance and
Ministry of Foreign Affairs) regarding its finances
as required respective to the status as Quasi
International Organization under Austrian Law.
The Ban Ki-moon Centre collaborated with
numerous partners and organizations to share
costs and the benefits of mutually supportive
work. It operated on an overall annual budget of
2.2 million Euros in the fiscal year 2019, with an
initial fundraising goal of 2 million Euros.
The Centre also subjects itself to a voluntary
audit by Grant Thornton auditors.
Grants and donations are received in the
understanding that the Centre´s reputation,
integrity, impartiality and confidentiality of its
work will not be put at risk.
The financial year ended on 31 December, 2019
with available funds amounting to 2,2 million
Euros and expenses amounting to 1,3 million
Euros covering the BKMC´s activities including
staffing cost in Vienna, consultancies, events,
travel expenses, scholarships, mentorships,
fellowships, production of online classes,
symposia, conferences, communication cost,
rent, maintenance, utilities, cleaning, back fees
and legal fees etc.
Sources of funds in 2019
(newly received donations excluding the carry over)
39

ON THE HORIZON
2020 marks the 5th anniversary of the SDGs
and the 75th anniversary of the UN. As much as
this is cause for celebration, it is also a time to
reflect and take careful stock of the work that
still needs to be done. Left with only 10 more
years no country has yet achieved all 17 SDGs.
Therefore, globally, we are still far from the finish
line and consequently, in 2020, the Ban Ki-moon
Centre will seek to accelerate efforts towards the
implementation of the SDGs through its diverse
programs, projects, and engagements.
Considering the global COVID-19 pandemic the
BKMC will particularly integrate SDG 3 activities
on health and well-being in our work and
combine it with efforts mitigating the effects
of the crisis on women empowerment, gender
equality, and young people.
In 2020, the BKMC Co-chairs, Board and team
are looking forward to building upon the wide
range of activities from 2019. Last year saw the
beginning of landmark programs and projects
which need to be adapted in the year 2020. The
Centre will continue to grow and develop these
initiatives while supporting its Co-chairs in their
diverse leadership roles in line with the BKMC’s
pillars: leadership, mediation, advocacy, and
education.
One of our main goals for 2020 will be to
strengthen our engagement with UNESCO
and SDSN on SDG 4 and Global Citizenship
Education aiming to integrate the SDGs and
the Paris Climate Agreement into curricula and
syllabi worldwide.
Furthermore, we will continue our cooperation
with the Austrian Federal Chancellery for
promoting the SDGs in Austria.
We will also host Women Empowerment Fellows
and Global Citizen Scholars with cohorts from
Latin America and the Middle East and will
continue our successful mentoring project with
the Austrian Muslim Youth. We will continue
our mission to implement the SDGs, advocate
multilateralism, empower women and youth as
well as to support global citizenship education.
We look forward to another productive year
and continuing to empower passionate and
compassionate global citizens.
40

Print: Gerin Druck GmbH
© 2020 by Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens
Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens
P.O.B. 0018 1037 Vienna, Austria
T +43 664 538 03 94
www.bankimooncentre.org
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Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens