Draft:The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform

• Comment: The reviewer needs to check how different this is from Draft:Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform. bonadea contributions talk 17:37, 18 November 2024 (UTC)

---

Meeting of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv during the Fourth Summit - September, 2024

The Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform — is an international non-governmental initiative launched by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, that brings together first ladies and gentlemen to address global challenges. The initiative began with annual events — the Summits of First Ladies and Gentlemen. Through this platform, First Ladies and Gentlemen can exchange experiences and collaborate on projects, using "soft power" as a tool.

History

Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine at the First Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen

In 2021, the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, initiated the annual event for spouses of the world's top leaders to share experiences and implement joint social projects for the well-being of people on the planet. After holding three such annual Summits and seeing their effectiveness, the initiative evolved into the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform in 2023.

Over the years of conducting the Summits and the platform's existence, around 40 First Ladies and Gentlemen from various countries worldwide have joined its activities. Among them are:

• Jill Biden, First Lady of the USA (2021–2024);
• Hillary Clinton, First Lady of the USA (1993 — 2001), Secretary of State (2009 — 2013)
• Brigitte Macron, First Lady of the French Republic;
• Elke Büdenbender, Spouse of the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The Platform's events were also attended by First Ladies and Gentlemen from Albania, Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Belize, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Iceland, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom.

The First Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen was held on August 23, 2021, in Kyiv and explored "Soft Power in the New Reality". Participants adopted a joint final declaration during the summit, establishing the foundation for further cooperation among First Ladies and Gentlemen.

The Second Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen occurred on July 23, 2022, under the theme "Ukraine and the World: The Future We (Re)build Together". It was focused on the impact of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, emphasising the human aspect. 23 first ladies and gentlemen participated in the event, which took place as a teleconference between 5 countries. The main studio was located in Kyiv, with four others in Warsaw, Brussels, Washington, and London.

The summit raised 200 million of Ukrainian hryvnias for ambulance vehicles for Ukraine.

First Ladies and Gentlemen during the Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Kyiv

The Third Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen took place on September 6, 2023, and discussed "Mental Health: Fragility and Resilience of the Future". The event introduced the International Medical Partnership project, resulting in 25 memorandums on medical collaboration between Ukrainian and foreign institutions. After the Summit, memorandums between medical institutions continued to be signed. As of October 2024, there were 50 international medical partnership agreements.

In 2023, the initiative was transformed into the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform. Its activities now encompass not only Summit events, but also other occasions involving First Ladies and Gentlemen.

On February 15, 2024, the presentation of the study developed for the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform by "Brand Finance" agency "The Influence of First Ladies and Gentlemen on Soft Power" was conducted. The online event was joined by First Ladies and Gentlemen of Ukraine, Albania, Belize, Denmark, Iceland, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Slovakia, and Slovenia, as well as CEO and Chairman of Brand Finance David Haigh and Brand Finance Branding Director Konrad Jagodzinski.

On February 28-29, 2024, the Platform joined the Global Soft Power Summit in London by holding a session titled "The Role of First Ladies and Gentlemen in Building Soft Power". In the session, First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Iceland Eliza Jean Reid, and the spouse of the President of Slovenia Dr Aleš Musar participated.

In July 2024, the Global Platform of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen became a partner of the Global First Ladies Academy event, organised by the Global First Ladies Alliance. The meeting brought together First Ladies from Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East.

The Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit occurred on 12 September 2024 at the Saint Sophia Cathedral National Reserve in Kyiv. The summit's theme was "Protecting Children: Ensuring a Safe Future". The event was attended personally, online, or via video link by 18 First Ladies and Gentlemen worldwide.

The Summit programme consisted of five dimensions: "Child safety during the war," "Child safety in the family," "Child safety at school", "Child safety in cyberspace", and "Safe environment for children".

The results of the international sociological study "Protection of Childhood: Security Dimensions for Children and Adolescents" were presented as part of the event. The study, conducted by the international research consultancy firm Catalyse Research together with BRAND UKRAINE with the support of UNICEF, covered parents and children from 15 countries around the world.

On 23 September 2024, on the margins of the Summit of the Future in New York during the United Nations General Assembly, an international event, "Securing the future for children: addressing new challenges for soft power", was held to address one of the most pressing global issues – ensuring a safe future for children. The event was a continuation of the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen. It centred on children's rights, highlighting the urgent need to protect and restore these rights at both national and international levels.

Goals

• Reshape perceptions and attitudes towards the institution of First Ladies and Gentlemen;
• Unite the community of First Ladies and Gentlemen to encourage partnerships and facilitate the exchange of valuable experiences;
• Increase the visibility of First Ladies and Gentlemen and, amplifying their soft power, implement joint projects for the well-being of people in the world;
• Strengthen the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform's ideas and initiatives.

Results

Through collaboration and mutual support, First Ladies and Gentlemen made meaningful contributions to their communities and beyond:

• A joint declaration for cooperation between First Ladies and Gentlemen was adopted in 2021;
• $6.4M was raised to purchase 92 ambulances for Ukraine in 2022;
• the survey on the topic of mental health was conducted in 11 countries in 2023;
• 50 memorandums of international medical partnerships were signed between 47 Ukrainian medical institutions and institutions from 15 other countries;
• A joint declaration of the Fourth First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit signed after the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen on recognition and planning future steps to ensure children's safety worldwide