On September 20, 2023, GA Executive Director, Nasser Al Khori, participated in an expert panel discussion, titled "United by the Beautiful Game: The Power of Sports Diplomacy in World Cup 2026," at the 13th Annual Concordia Summit. This year’s summit is the largest and most inclusive nonpartisan forum held alongside the UN General Assembly. It brings together heads of state and leaders from the private and NGO sectors to convene and explore new and tangible, cross-sector solutions to local and global challenges. The panel consisted of distinguished speakers from various sectors, including HE Ana Irene Delgado; Senator – National Assembly of Panama, Eglantina Zingg; Founder and CEO of Goleadoras, Ed Foster-Simeon; President and CEO of U.S. Soccer Foundation and was moderated by Paul Rossi; CEO of SportBusiness Group. It emphasised the transformative power of sports in promoting social integration and equality and its ability to break down barriers and unite nations, particularly in the lead-up to the World Cup 2026.
Additionally, at the Summit, GA in collaboration with Concordia and Atlas Strategy Group, organised a roundtable networking event that aimed at fostering collaborative legacy planning and sports diplomacy. With five consecutive years of global football competitions in the United States on the horizon, the event focused on intentional, long-term planning for sustainable community impact.
Hassan Al-Thawadi; GA’s Chairman and the Secretary General of the Supreme committee for Delivery and Legacy, stated, "as the first sport for social legacy Foundation of its kind emerging out of a FIFA Cup, Generation Amazing Foundation's participation during UNGA78 exemplifies its expertise and though-leadership in the sport for development field. In leading these important discussions, GA understand the innate power that sports for development has in empowering young people to become the next change makers in their communities. With that in mind GA will look to pass on its experience by creating a tangible legacy expanding out of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™️ and aims to create a coalition of motivated partners who believe in the same message while working collaboratively and collectively towards the shared common goal of a successful FIFA World Cup 2026 legacy."
On September 25, at the United Nations Headquarters and on the sidelines of UNGA78, GA in partnership with Mission89 and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), held a crucial high-level event and panel to address the pressing issue of human trafficking in sports. The event brought together stakeholders committed to combatting human trafficking and utilising sports for social good and youth empowerment, including co-sponsors from the Permanent Mission of the Gabonese Republic to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of The State of Qatar to the United Nations and the Permanent Mission of Monaco to the United Nations.
The event aimed to raise awareness about the grave global challenge of human trafficking in sports and promote technological solutions to combat it. Keynote speakers included the 78th President of the United Nations General Assembly, Dennis Francis, President of the Federation of Cameroon Football (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o Fils and H.E. Mrs. Melrose Karminty, the Minister of Social Welfare for the Republic of Sierra Leone. Panel discussions featured experts like Dr. Serhat Yilmaz, Mr. Roberto Branco Martins, Ms. Julia Govinden and Mr. Nasser Al-Khori.
Throughout GA’s eventful days in New York, the Foundation actively engaged in networking, attended high-level meetings and collaborated with like-minded leaders from around the world to strengthen its mission of using sports as a vehicle for positive social change and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
