Empowering Japan's Future Leaders

ONE YOUNG WORLD ANNOUNCES TOKYO AS 2021 HOST CITY

Global forum for young leaders will convene more than 2,000 people from 190+ countries

COVID-19 UPDATE:
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tokyo 2021 has been rescheduled for May 2022. More updates to follow.

November 22, 2019 – Tokyo, JAPAN:

One Young World Japan Committee today announces that Tokyo will host its annual Summit in 2021.

One Young World is the global forum for young leaders. It identifies, promotes and connects the world’s most impactful young leaders – from every country and sector – to create a better world, with more responsible, more effective leadership.

The 2021 Summit promises to be the largest gathering of the One Young World community in its 12-year history, with more than 2,000 young leaders from over 190 countries due to attend. Tokyo will be the second Asian city to have hosted the One Young World Summit after Bangkok in 2015.

“The host city bidding process is very competitive and at One Young World, we look to partner with cities who are implementing and scaling initiatives for good, to make a positive impact in their communities. Ahead of next year’s Olympic and Paralympic games, Japan has looked at a more sustainable approach, reducing their plastic waste, and recycling old mobile phones and small electronic devices to produce 5,000 medals for the games. With less than nine year’s left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, we are eager to focus the 2021 Summit on leveraging the work we are doing, and will continue to do, with our partners and sponsors to push for meaningful change.”

Kate Robertson Co-Founder, ONE YOUNG WORLD

Tokyo will also welcome high-profile leaders who work with the young Ambassadors and Delegates, sharing their experiences of making a positive social impact. In previous years this group of Counsellors has included Nobel Peace laureates, heads of state, campaigners and activists including the late Kofi Annan, Sir Bob Geldof, Professor Muhammad Yunus, J.K. Rowling, Mary Robinson, Emma Watson and HRH the Duchess of Sussex.

One Young World prioritises action rather than debate, partnering with more than 180 businesses, NGOs and education institutions that are working to meet the UN’s SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals).

“Japan has just opened its doors to millions of tourists from around the world for this year’s Rugby World Cup, and as it prepares for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic games, it is proving itself to be a fantastic host to partner with. It has been fascinating to see a city increasingly become a focus for international attention, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome the largest Japanese delegation to date, with around 250 Delegates and returning Ambassadors due to attend our 12th One Young World Summit. “

David Jones Co-Founder, ONE YOUNG WORLD

Often referred to as “YOUNG DAVOS” the award-winning forum inspires young leaders to drive change, take action and tackle today’s most pressing issues. To date, more than 20.9 million people have been positively impacted by initiatives led by the One Young World community of ambassadors, and, for every $1 invested, the One Young World community delivered a social return of $13.

Tokyo is one of the largest, safest and most modern cities in the world, home to over 14 million people and numerous global company HQs. The One Young World Summit will provide unrivalled opportunities to engage with global companies who can put activism and young leadership at the heart of their organisations.

One such opportunity has been available in Japan since 2018. The Global Leader Accelerator (GLA) program allows companies, organizations, universities and government to create delegate teams led by experienced executive coaches that focus on specific SDG-related projects, using the Summit as additional momentum to build network and partnerships to help realize their goals and deliver real ROI.

“I believe that the over 2,000 passionate young leaders coming from all over the world for Tokyo 2021 will discover new connections while bringing new value to our city. This Summit will inspire both the One Young World delegates and young people in Japan to strive for positive change and a better future!”

Yuriko Koike Governor, Tokyo Prefecture

Governor Koike had this to say to the future delegates…

“This is a very exciting time for both Japan and One Young World. I can’t imagine a better time to host this Summit in Japan. Fresh off the momentum set by the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, we plan to deliver a record-breaking 250 delegates from Japan to the 2021 Summit and have every intention of making it the largest, most successful summit ever.”

Kimihito Okubo

Chairperson, One Young World Japan Committee

ONE YOUNG WORLD ANNOUNCES TOKYO AS 2021 HOST CITY