Laureates and Leaders World Summits for Children
Our Focus
Freedom, protection and education for all children, is one of the biggest issues of all time. To find solutions to these challenges, the global Laureates and Leaders platform brings together Nobel Laureates, world leaders and youth ambassadors to forge a powerful force that speaks and acts for children all over the world.
Laureates and Leaders summit 2016, New Delhi, India
Laureates and Leaders summit 2018, Amman, Jordan
“It has been a privilege to draw on the expertise of world-leading academics and a wonderful creative team to realise this project. On many of my visits to the childrens’ centres run by Bachpan Bachao Andolan – India, I remember being struck by the incredible resilience of these children; by their capacity to find some resemblance of childhood in the face of adversity the likes of which most of us will never experience in our lifetimes. Post-traumatic stress and the long lasting emotional impacts on children of human trafficking, forced labour and modern slavery are still under-researched and under-emphasised, and it is my hope that these videos provide a contribution to the outstanding work already being done by Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation to rid the world of child labour for good, while supporting victims to forge paths for reintegration.” – Vinni Bhandari
Our Journey
In the year 2015, Mr Satyarthi, with fourteen Nobel Laureates highlighted to the UN Secretary–General the need to increase financing for education. Mr Kailash Satyarthi proposed bringing the Nobel Laureates and world leaders to come together and work for the right of every child to have a free, safe and educated childhood. Further, this led to the formation of the Laureates And Leaders For Children.
In the year 2016, the first Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit was hosted by the President of India at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi. The summit focused on “Will for Children” which was signed by the participating Laureates and leaders reflecting the resolve of the group to become a representative voice for the children, focusing on the rights of children, and working towards ending violence against children and supporting inter-agency and intergovernmental cooperation, child-friendly business practices and financing for these initiatives.
At the end of the summit, the Nobel Laureates and world leaders marched with 6000 young individuals thereby launching the 100 Million campaign, one of history’s most massive youth-led troops ensuring that each child is free, safe and educated, showcasing compassion.
In the year 2017, the Laureates found that the violence children suffer, be it from conflict, climate change, child marriage and labour or human trafficking, or poverty as a severe crisis and called governments to help with financial resources to implement the related UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In the year 2018, under the patronage of HRH Prince Ali Bin Hussein, the second Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit 2018 took place in Jordan on 26-27 March, 2018, at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre at the Dead Sea. The summit focused on “Children on the move” with a goal to deliberate and develop a plan of action to address the challenges faced by children impacted by forced migration. The aim of the movement is to ensure that every child, including and especially children in the most vulnerable sections of the world are free, safe, educated and healthy.
In the year 2020, the third Laureates and Leaders for Children Summit was held virtually on 9-10 September. The summit focused on “Fair share for children” exploring four key themes of food insecurity and hunger, child labour, education and children on the move demanding justice for children during the global pandemic. As part of efforts to highlight the situation faced by vulnerable and exploited children as a result of COVID-19, the Laureates, leaders and youth ambassador focused on government engagement and commitments in the lead-up to the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly.