Education was another recurring theme. Prof. Dr. Esra Hatipoğlu, Rector of Bahçesehir University, pointed to the growing importance of vocational training and micro-credentials as alternatives to traditional higher education. Dr. Vishwajeet Rana, Group Chief Executive Officer of GEDU Global Education, added that distance learning and demand-driven approaches are becoming increasingly vital to meet the needs of the new generation of learners and stressed the importance of tailoring education to an increasingly diverse pool of beneficiaries. 

Mr. Stefano Ammirati, Director for Road Safety and Global Advocacy at the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), underlined his organization’s global commitment to road safety and sustainable transport, noting its close alignment with UNITAR’s capacity-building mission, especially under the framework of meeting the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety. He equally praised the role of multilateral cooperation in advocating for sustainable mobility goals.  

Dr. Mingchao Fan, Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Arbitration Commission (SHAC), highlighted the role of international law and arbitration in resolving cross-border issues, such as water governance and energy, pointing to the importance of education and continuous dialogue in fostering cooperation. 

Dr. Gustavo Lopez Ghory, Chairman of the SmarterChains Foundation, stressed the importance of education as a driver of equity and development, particularly for young people. He underlined five areas of focus: energy, health, food, climate, and education, and reminded members of the need to improve accessibility to technology and infrastructure. 

Other contributions included Ms. Fiorina Mugione, Director for Africa, the Caribbean, and the Pacific at the Global Development Solutions Initiative (GDSI), who called for stronger Private-Public-Partnerships (PPP), especially within the scope of the UN collaborating with private enterprises; Dr. Deisi Kusztra, President of the World Family Organization for family-centred development; and Dr. May East, international urbanist specialised in nature-positive and gender-sensitive cities reflection, on megatrends such as urbanisation, gender parity, and decarbonisation. She urged the Board to view transformation not only as problem-solving but also as identifying potential.