Youth & Leaders Summit 2026

11th edition: “Wanted: a UN Secretary General for a broken world”

Every year since 2016, the Youth and Leaders Summit is a paramount platform for public debate in international affairs. For its 11th edition, the Summit will be centered on the topic “Wanted: a UN Secretary General for a broken world” and will be held on the afternoon and evening of Tuesday, 27 January and Wednesday, 28 January 2026, during the first week of classes.

The 2026 Summit will be structured around different formats. Keynote speeches by a particularly distinguished speaker(s). Panel discussions with up to fi ve experts. Debates and conversations including PSIA students. Break-out sessions where a small group of students will discuss with one expert in a more informal setting will wrap up each day. Specific sessions will focus on topics such as human development, military spending, artificial intelligence, the election of the new UN Secretary General.

Program

As candidates prepare their campaigns for the role of Secretary General, the UN’s top leadership role, the stakes for global cooperation have never been higher. Just a year after current UNSG António Guterres launched the Pact for the Future - a wide-ranging international agreement, designed to make the international system more inclusive, effective and fit for 21st-century challenges - the tide is turning: military budgets are swelling, sustainable development is sidelined, and the UN faces significant budget and staff cuts, over and above deeper losses across peacekeeping, humanitarian, and health agencies. 

Moreover, ongoing global conflicts have reignited criticism of the Security Council’s effectiveness and legitimacy, with mounting calls to reform a system built in the aftermath of World War II so it can better respond to the geopolitical realities of the 21st century.

2025 marked ten years since the Paris Agreement, yet climate change continues to accelerate, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. What realistic hope is there for meaningful climate governance and action? Meanwhile, Artificial Intelligence is reshaping societies faster than governments can respond and adapt. While it offers new tools for crisis response and development, it also introduces risks of surveillance, disinformation, and algorithmic bias. Can the UN become the “compass” guiding humanity toward a safe, inclusive, and sustainable digital future?

The world’s key multilateral institution needs a leader who can navigate these intersecting challenges of this century with vision, determination, and equity; hence the theme of this year’s Summit: “Wanted: A UN Secretary General for a Broken World.”

The detailed program of the sessions will be unveiled in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Call for applications - Simulate the elections of the next UN Secretary General

PSIA, in cooperation with Horizons, is organizing a one-day United Nations Secretary General Election simulation on Saturday 24 January 2026, as part of the 11th edition of the Youth and Leaders Summit. The simulation immerses participants in the procedures, diplomacy, and political dynamics of the process by which the UN Secretary-General is selected.

Students are invited to participate either as a Security Council member state or as a candidate for Secretary-General. Besides offering first hand insight into how the UNSG elections unfold, the activity will serve to deepen your understanding of the diverse positions of Security Council member states and UNSG candidates, as well as to further hone your negotiation and diplomatic skills. Throughout the day, participants will present opening statements, engage in structured debate, and take part in lobbying sessions (including over lunch) between multiple rounds of voting.

Check your mailbox for detailed information and the link to apply. 

This call is open to first and second year PSIA students.

Call for volunteers - Contribute to the organization of the Summit

We're delighted to invite PSIA students to volunteer to participate in the Summit. All PSIA students are welcome to apply: first year, gap year, second year, and exchange students. Degree-seeking students will be given priority.

Volunteer Roles:

• Speaker
• Panel Presenter 
• Speaker's Liaison & Chair of Break-Out Session 
• Journalist
• Community Manager
• Artists

Take a look at what it's like to volunteer at YLS! (video credits: Max Doughty; Alessandra Pereira Hermida).

The call for application is now closed.