Global Youth Summit with Oxford Saïd and UN Human Rights

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Future climate leaders to take centre stage at Right Here Right Now

Global Youth Summit with Oxford Saïd and UN Human Rights

Students and educators from across the world will come together virtually on Friday, 6 June 2025 for the Right Here Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit, hosted by Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, in partnership with UN Human Rights.

This 24-hour virtual event, part of the wider Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit, will feature young voices and educators from 12 global regions engaging in discussions, sharing solutions and highlighting the crucial intersection between climate change and human rights.

Professor Soumitra Dutta, Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Management, Oxford Saïd, said: ‘At Oxford Saïd, we believe in nurturing leaders who can think globally and act responsibly. The Global Youth Climate Summit is a powerful platform for young people to articulate the challenges they face and drive the solutions we urgently need. Empowering youth to engage with the climate and human rights agenda is essential for building a sustainable and equitable future.’

The Global Youth Climate Summit builds on the Oxford Saïd’s broader youth engagement efforts, including the Oxford Saïd Global Climate Change Challenge, now in its third year. The Challenge invites high school students and teachers to propose innovative solutions and lesson plans at the intersection of climate change and health, biodiversity, food security, air pollution and water scarcity. Winners and finalists from the past two years of the competition will be prominently featured at the Summit, showcasing how youth-led innovation can inspire global action.

David Clark, founder and CEO of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, said: ‘The Right Here Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit is about giving young people the stage they deserve. Climate change is the defining challenge of our time, and it is essential we listen to those who will inherit its impacts. Working alongside Oxford Saïd and UN Human Rights, we are proud to empower the next generation to lead the charge for urgent and meaningful climate action.’

The virtual summit will feature pre-recorded case studies of school-led climate initiatives and live panel discussions between students and teachers, exploring critical themes including climate resilience, education, public health and indigenous knowledge systems.

Josephine Fawkes, Director of Youth Education and Global Inclusion at Oxford Saïd, added: ‘At Oxford Saïd, we believe education is the catalyst for lasting change. The Global Youth Climate Summit builds on the incredible work of the Oxford Saïd Global Climate Change Challenge, showcasing the determination and innovation of young people across the world. It is their ideas, energy and leadership that will define the future of our planet.’

The Right Here Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit will contribute to a broader agenda of the Right Here Right Now Global Climate Summit, which includes a 24-hour academic plenary featuring leading scholars, policymakers and climate advocates.

The initiative is supported by a coalition of partners including UN Human Rights, Oxford University, Oxford University Press and the International Universities Climate Alliance.

Further information about the Right Here Right Now Global Youth Climate Summit is available at: www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/RHRN-global-youth-climate-summit

Notes for editors:

For further information, please contact: Jonny Stone at jonny@bluesky-pr.com or call 01582 790704

Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance

Launched at COP26 in 2021 with global partner UN Human Rights, and supporters that included Leonardo DiCaprio and Quincy Jones, the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN) has emerged as a leading global climate justice initiative. It is a multi-stakeholder movement, driven by universities and youth to promote climate justice. To drive sustainable change, RHRN collaborates with policymakers, academics, students, scientists, technologists, media professionals, business leaders, and influencers from art, music, and sport to advance human rights solutions to the climate crisis. RHRN celebrity-driven social media campaigns to date have collectively reached nearly two billion followers with messages promoting climate justice.

UN Human Rights

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the global partner of the Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance (RHRN). It represents the world’s commitment to the promotion, protection, and realization of the full range of human rights and fundamental freedoms set out in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Through the voice and the work of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and a staff of 1,800 in 103 countries, the Office aims to make human rights a reality in the lives of people everywhere. Fighting climate change is at the very heart of the Office´s mandate, as it already negatively affects the human rights of millions of people around the world – human rights such as those to food, water, housing, health, decent work, development and even life itself.

University of Oxford

Oxford University has been placed number one in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for the eighth year running, and number three in the QS World Rankings 2024. At the heart of this success are the twin pillars of ground-breaking research and innovation and our distinctive educational offer. Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. Our work helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of our research alongside our personalised approach to teaching sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

Saïd Business School

Saïd Business School is a vibrant and innovative school, embedded within the University of Oxford, offering accredited degrees and diplomas for undergraduates and postgraduates and a broad portfolio of on-campus and online courses for business executives. The School educates global business leaders, change makers and innovators across every industry and sector. Its ground-breaking research and exceptional teaching transforms individuals, who transform businesses, which transforms the world and creates ïmpact from within. https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/

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