Solutions-Summit

Application Deadlines:

• 21 August 2016:  Apply to be a part of the Selection Committee
• 28 August 2016:  Submit proposals for inclusion in the Solutions Summit

The second annual Solutions Summit is a catalytic gathering that will take place at UN Headquarters in New York during UN General Assembly week in September 2016. The purpose of the Solutions Summit is two-fold: 1) to lift up exceptional innovators — technologists, engineers, scientists, and others — who are developing solutions that address one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and 2) to catalyze a grassroots effort, where communities scout and convene resources around solution-makers.

The first Solutions Summit in 2015 immediately followed the conclusion of the UN Sustainable Development Summit at which the SDGs were adopted by all 193 UN Member States. For 2016, the Solutions Summit will highlight projects that advance the objectives of one or more of the following upcoming global Summits and Conferences:

• The UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants at UNHQ in NY,
• The UN Habitat III Conference in Ecuador,
• The UN Climate Change Conference in Morocco,
• The Open Government Partnership Global Summit in France, and
• The UN Oceans Conference in June 2017.

INTENDED OUTCOMES?
During the Solutions Summit, a group of selected global innovators will be invited to give a ‘lightning talk’ outlining their breakthrough efforts to a juxtaposed audience of senior policymakers who have the means to pave solid regulatory foundations, investors who care deeply about long-term change and impact, and industry leaders who are able to deploy quickly and at scale. The gathering will serve as a catalyst to convene resources and talent around solution-makers.

Organizers:

• The Solutions Summit is led by the UN Foundation, the UN Non-Governmental Liaison Service (UN-NGLS) and the Global Innovation Exchange, in collaboration with the Global Entrepreneurship Council, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, with an open invitation for governments and other partners to join.
• UN-NGLS is coordinating the open and transparent application and selection process to curate solutions to be featured during the Solutions Summit.

OW ARE PROJECTS CHOSEN FOR THE SOLUTIONS SUMMIT?

The open process to identify the solutions to be presented at Solutions Summit involves an expert, diverse, and gender balanced Selection Committee of extraordinary innovators, also established through a call for applications. All projects selected are already in implementation and delivering progress on the challenges they seek to address. Special consideration is given to projects that benefit vulnerable or marginalized groups.

How are PROJECTS SELECTED FOR SOLUTIONS SUMMIT 2015

838 inspiring submissions were received from more than 100 countries in 2015.

The solutions selected for the 27 September 2015 event:

African Prisons Project – Uganda
Legislation Lab – Morocco
African Design Centers – Rwanda
Baidu Recycle – China
Floating Fab Lab – Amazon – Peru
Abze Solar S.A. – Burkina Faso
BioCarbon Engineering – United Kingdom
Supercomputing & Food Security – Australia
ColdHubs – Nigeria
SM Sehgal Foundation Recharge Well – India
Banka BioLoo – India
BORN Project – United States of America
APOPO – Belgium
Planet OS – Estonia

For More Information:

Visit the Official Webpage of the Second annual Solutions Summit 2016