Professor Muhammad Yunus Addresses 81st UN General Assembly High-Level Event on Social Business, Youth and Technology

Nobel Peace Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus addressed a high-level side event on "Social Business, Youth and Technology" held during the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on Monday.

In his remarks, Professor Yunus highlighted the potential of microfinance, social business, youth entrepreneurship and technology in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and building a World of Three Zeros.

Professor Yunus congratulated Dr. Khalilur Rahman on his election as President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. He also extended special greetings to H.E. José Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and 1996 Nobel Peace Laureate, who attended the event.

He reflected on the 50-year journey of microfinance, the work of Grameen America and the role of social business in addressing various challenges facing society, particularly in healthcare.

Drawing on examples from Bangladesh, Professor Yunus highlighted healthcare centres, telehealth services and eye-care centres operated under social business initiatives, aimed at expanding access to healthcare, particularly for underserved communities.

Speaking about education and youth, Professor Yunus highlighted Grameen University, describing it as a different kind of university that seeks to prepare students not to become job seekers, but "job creators." He said the university is dedicated to building a World of Three Zeros and will encourage students to pursue entrepreneurial initiatives alongside their formal education.

In his remarks, Dr. Khalilur Rahman, President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly and Bangladesh's Foreign Minister, called for fundamental changes to the system rather than repeatedly addressing crises as they emerge. He stressed the urgent need to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals, noting that with only four years remaining until the 2030 deadline, just slightly more than 30 percent of the SDG targets are currently on track or progressing at the desired pace. He described social business as an effective pathway towards sustainable development, highlighting its potential to move societies beyond short-term relief towards self-sustaining solutions.

President Ramos-Horta warmly congratulated Professor Yunus on Bangladesh's democratic transition, recalling his visit to Bangladesh in December 2024, shortly after beginning his second term as President of Timor-Leste. Reflecting on the tense and uncertain situation he witnessed at the time, he praised Professor Yunus's leadership during that critical period, saying the progress Bangladesh has made since then is "a great tribute to you, the new Bangladesh." He expressed his deep respect and gratitude for Professor Yunus's courage and dedication in leading the country through this historic transition.

President Ramos-Horta also recalled inviting Professor Yunus to visit Timor-Leste in 2004, when the country was recovering from years of occupation and destruction and efforts were being made to introduce microfinance there. Reflecting on the early days of microfinance in the country, he said, "We had only hope and the firm belief that human dignity could be restored not through handouts, but by creating opportunities."

Turning to the challenges facing the world today, President Ramos-Horta highlighted geopolitical divisions, climate risks, economic inequality and rapid technological change, particularly the impact of artificial intelligence. He stressed that countries of the Global South must play an active role in shaping the future of global development and technological advancement.

The event emphasised the importance of placing people and social purpose at the centre of economic activity. It also highlighted the need to empower young people as entrepreneurs and problem-solvers, while harnessing technology to advance inclusive and sustainable development.

The event was organised as part of the week-long high-level programme held in New York on the occasion of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The event brought together a distinguished group of speakers, including Wellington Dias, State Minister of Development and Social Assistance of Brazil; Bilal Bin Saqib, Minister of State and Chairman, Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), Pakistan; Dr. Mamadou Tangara, African Union High Representative for Mali and the Sahel, Head of MISAHEL, African Union; Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director General and CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Dr. Ismail Serageldin, Co-Chair, Nizami Ganjavi International Center (NGIC), Former Vice President, World Bank (1992–2000), Founding Director, Bibliotheca Alexandrina; Lamiya Morshed, Executive Director, Yunus Centre, Advisor, Global Committee on Social Business for Sustainable Development Goals; Kerry Kennedy, President, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights; Andrea Jung, President & CEO, Grameen America; James Chau, President of the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) and World Health Organization Goodwill Ambassador; Virginia Villar Arribas, Deputy Director, Private Sector Partnerships Division, UN World Food Programme (WFP); Dr. Miroslav Polzer, President & Executive Director, International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges (IAAI) and GloCha; Hamza Chishti, Director of Cloud & AI Innovation, Microsoft; Darius Nader Maleki, Vice Chairman, INGLOUS Foundation, Managing Director, Maleki Corporate Group; Christian Vanizette, Co-Founder, chilli.club & makesense.org, Obama Foundation Scholar; Monica Yunus and Camille Zamora, Co-Founders, Sing for Hope and Shazeeb M. Khairul Islam, Founder & Managing Director, YY Ventures, Trustee & CEO, 3ZERO Trust.

The event was moderated by Dominique V. Dauster, Managing Director, YY Foundation, and Alex Wang, Managing Director, Global Committee on Social Business for Sustainable Development Goals and President, Youthink Center.