Global Citizen NOW, the summit driving action to end extreme poverty, returned to New York City for its fifth year on May 14. Hosted at Spring Studios, the one-day event convened leaders across government, policy, advocacy, the private sector, media, entertainment, and philanthropy to secure bold commitments and accelerate progress on the world’s most urgent challenges — not years from now, but today.

Throughout the day, one message rang clear: ending extreme poverty means delivering the fundamentals every community needs to thrive — quality education, food security, reliable energy access, and strong public health systems. Yet the world is falling dangerously behind on all four. Today, 250 million children remain out of school, 750 million people still live without electricity, and preventable diseases and malnutrition continue to devastate vulnerable communities worldwide. And recent, profound shifts — ranging from escalating climate shocks to the rise of AI — have increased economic uncertainty and instability, impacting all nations and sectors of society. 

To help turn the tide, Global Citizen NOW launched an ambitious mandate for the campaigns ahead:

• Mobilize $100 million the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund
• Secure $200 million for IFAD to support 3 million farmers
• Expand electricity access to up to 15 million people
• Mobilize $100 million for vaccines, polio eradication, and health systems. 

The solutions already exist. What’s needed now is the investment, political will, and collective action to bring them to life at the scale this moment demands.

Read on for a look at the day’s defining moments, and what comes next in the fight to build a healthier, more equitable future for all.

(L-R) Erna Solberg, Anoushka Sinha, and Rachel Brosnahan discuss global leadership, gender equity, and the importance of investing in the next generation during Global Citizen NOW: NYC. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen

An Action-Packed Day of Speakers and Panels

Major commitments and announcements across Global Citizen’s core policy priorities shaped the day’s agenda, alongside intimate conversations tackling some of the world’s most urgent challenges, from the global education crisis and energy poverty to women’s health and protecting the Amazon. Throughout each discussion, one theme remained constant: meaningful progress depends on citizen action and collective advocacy to drive leaders toward real accountability and change.

The summit also spotlighted the inspiring work of this year’s Global Citizen Prize and Cisco Youth Leadership Award winners, honoring changemakers already delivering innovative, community-driven solutions to help end extreme poverty.

Held at Spring Studios in New York City, Global Citizen NOW was made possible thanks to the support of partners including Authentic Brands Group, Bridgewater Associates, Cisco, Delta Air Lines, IHC, MetLife, PayPal, and P&G, whose partnership reflects a shared commitment to building a more equitable and sustainable future.

(L-R) Marcus Samuelsson and Common speak about food systems, community resilience, and culture’s role in driving social impact during Global Citizen NOW: NYC at Spring Studios in New York City. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen

A series of dynamic conversations throughout the day included:

• Turning Urgency into Impact: The Power of Cross-Sector Collaboration — Moderator Raj Kumar (President & Editor-in-Chief, Devex) brought together Leo Varadkar (Former Taoiseach of Ireland), Tom Taylor (President & CEO, Bezos Earth Fund), and Amy Bonitatibus (Chief Corporate Affairs and Communications Officer, PayPal) to examine how leaders across sectors can move beyond rhetoric to actually deliver jobs, services, and opportunity at a moment of unprecedented disruption.
  
• The Cost of Darkness: Why Energy Access Can't Wait — Moderated by Zain Asher (CNN Anchor), Ayra Starr, Dysmus Kisilu (Co-Founder & CEO, Solar Freeze), and Zoisa North-Bond (CEO, Octopus Energy Generation) explored the human cost of energy poverty. Ten years after the term was coined, 750 million people still live without reliable electricity. This discussion broke down what it will take to accelerate renewable solutions at scale to close this access gap for good.
  
• The AI-Powered Workforce: Ushering in the New Era of Corporate Leadership — Dani Burger (Anchor, Bloomberg TV) moderated a conversation with Fran Katsoudas (EVP and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer, Cisco), Nir Bar Dea (CEO, Bridgewater Associates), and Jamie Salter (Founder, Chairman & CEO, Authentic Brands Group) on how companies can scale AI while ensuring its potential benefits reach everyone across all levels of society, not just the few.
  
• Bridging the Gap: The Frontlines of the Climate Crisis — With 2026 on track to continue a streak of some of the warmest years on record, moderator Oliver Milman (Environment Reporter, The Guardian) joined Rt Hon Lord Alok Sharma KCMG PC (Member of House of Lords and former UK Business & Energy Secretary and COP26 President), H.E. Gaston Browne (Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda), and Priscila Tapajowara (Mídia Indígena) to unpack a pointed question: billions are being committed to climate action, but how much is actually reaching the communities who need it most?
  
• More Valuable Standing: The Amazon & the Economy — Diego Scotti (Global Citizen Board Member), Marcelo Thomé (President, Institut Amazônia+21),and Francisco Costa (CEO, Costa Brazil), and Fabio Maeda (Chief Financial Officer, Banco da Amazônia) explored how sustainable business, innovative financing, and global demand can make a healthy, standing Amazon rainforest worth far more than its constituent parts extracted, and what a truly regenerative economy for the region could look like.
  
• Move Afrika & the Creative Economy: An Interview with H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda — Randall Lane (Chief Content Officer, Forbes) sat down for a live video conversation with H.E. Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, on how an expanding live music industry across the continent is fueling expansive economic growth, cultural exchange, and new opportunities for young job seekers across Africa's rising creative economy.
  
• Local Leadership, Global Impact: The Future of Education — Michelle Miller (Emmy Award-winning Journalist and New York Times Bestselling Author), Michael Roberts (EVP, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, MetLife), and Jhae Thompson (Executive Director, Hit the Books) discussed how funding from innovative initiatives like the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund is translating into real outcomes for children across the world, and why local leadership is the key to making these kind of global investments work.
  
• In Conversation with Global Citizen Ambassador Adam Lambert — Hugh Evans (CEO & Co-Founder, Global Citizen) sat down with Global Citizen Ambassador Adam Lambert for a candid conversation on advocacy, what it really felt like to take the Global Citizen Festival Central Park stage alongside the iconic band Queen, and what drives his impact beyond music.
  
• Common & Marcus Samuelsson: Community, Youth & the Power of Opportunity — Common (Artist, Actor, Author, Activist, and Global Citizen Ambassador) and Marcus Samuelsson (Award-winning Chef, Restaurateur, Author, Activist) shared an intimate conversation about their shared commitment to community, culture, and how we can all create better pathways for the next generation through encouraging young people to take advantage of key opportunities and mentorship.
  
• From Crisis to Classroom: The Impact of Education on Global Community — Moderator Mika Brzezinski (Co-Host, Morning Joe) led Erna Solberg (Former Prime Minister of Norway), Anoushka Sinha (Founder, Anupam Foundation), and Rachel Brosnahan (Actor, Producer, Global Citizen Ambassador) in a conversation on the global education crisis. With 250 million children still out of school, they explored how cross-sector collaboration is key to ensuring every child receives the chance to learn that they deserve.
  
• Critical Care: The Generational Impact of Women's Health — Moderator Symone Sanders Townsend (Co-Anchor, MS NOW's The Weeknight and Clock it with Symone & Eugene) joined Krystal Mwesiga Birungi (Research & Outreach Associate, Uganda Virus Research Institute/Target Malaria), and Sophia Bush (Actor, Producer, Activist) to examine why the road to healthy childhoods begins with healthy mothers, and what it takes to deliver women's health at scale.
  
• Citizen Action: Designing the Future Through Service — Vladimir Duthiers (Co-Host, CBS Mornings) moderated a conversation with H.E. Dr. Sultan Bin Saif Al Neyadi (Minister of State for Youth Affairs, UAE), Peter Carter (President, Delta Air Lines), and Sharon Levy (SVP of Public Affairs, YMCA) on how individuals and communities can translate their passion into meaningful service, helping transform local grassroots action into global, systemic change that’s built to last.
  
• The Algorithm for Action: How Creators Turn Influence Into Impact — Chris Detert (Chief Communications Officer, Influential) moderated a conversation with Zachery Dereniowski (aka MDMotivator, Mental Health Advocate, Digital Humanitarian and Global Speaker), Jesse Riedel (Creator, Founder and CEO of JesserCo), and Haley Bayley (Content Creator, Model & Host) on what actually gets people to act — and how today's creators are building credibility, mobilizing enormous audiences, and turning attention into real-world catalysts for change.
  

The summit also unveiled a new partnership between American clothing brand RVCA and Global Citizen. Authentic Brands Group Founder, Chairman and CEO Jamie Salter introduced RVCA President Mark Tinkess, who took the stage alongside visual art advocate Velia De Iuliis and professional skateboarder Kevin "Spanky" Long, to celebrate a shared vision: using art, culture, and creativity to inspire action and drive social change.

Before the surprise final panel of the day, Kat Graham brought energy and movement to the room with a rousing performance of her new song "World Song," followed by freestyle soccer champions Nick Seyda and Pat Shaw keeping attendees on their feet.

Commitments That Moved the Needle

In a series of powerful on-stage moments, Global Citizen and its partners revealed high-impact announcements that will drive global change in the months and years to come.

Germany Pledges €100 Million to Education Cannot Wait

One of the day’s most powerful moments came when Reem Alabali-Radovan, Germany's Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), joined Global Citizen Ambassador and Board Member John Legend to announce via video a €100 million pledge to Education Cannot Wait, the global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises. Delivered through annual contributions of €20 million over 2027—2031, this pledge is expected to reach an estimated 1.5 to 2 million children living in crises in fragile and conflict-affected settings across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. 

This pledge fell perfectly in step with the core theme of this year’s edition of Global Citizen NOW: even amid constrained funding and rising needs, education cannot be sacrificed. Investing in the next generation remains a fundamental step when it comes to strengthening resilience, creating opportunities, and building better futures for communities worldwide. 

Norway Reaffirms Commitment to Clean Energy and Clean Cooking Across Africa

Appearing via video, Prime Minister of Norway Jonas Gahr Støre reaffirmed his country’s commitment to expanding clean energy access across Africa. Støre highlighted Norway's active support for Mission 300, the World Bank-backed initiative to connect 300 million people across Africa to electricity through concessional financing, equity guarantees, and grants designed to unlock investment in the continent's energy sector.

Støre also announced that Norway will co-convene the second Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa this July alongside the governments of Kenya and the United States as well as the International Energy Agency (IEA). The initiative seeks to accelerate access to clean cooking fuels and technologies for the nearly 1 billion people in Africa who still rely on unsafe methods such as charcoal, wood, and biomass for cooking. This issue presents both a public health and climate challenge. Household air pollution from traditionally cooking methods disproportionately impacts women and children, contributing to shortened lifespans while contributing excessive and unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Expanding access to clean cooking solutions therefore has the potential to improve public health, reduce emissions, and improve the lives of millions. 

Gavi Aims to Help Produce Up to 70 Million African-Made Vaccines by 2030

Dr. Sania Nishtar, CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, announced that the organization aims to potentially unlock $189 million in funding for AVMA+, an extension of Gavi's successful African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator initiative designed to catalyze a robust vaccine manufacturing industry across the continent. Subject to approval by Gavi's board, funding would be distributed between July 2026 through 2030, during which Gavi is expected to procure up to an additional 70 million doses of vaccines made in Africa by the end of the decade.

AVMA+ is designed to tackle two of the biggest barriers facing African vaccine production: limited manufacturing capacity and uncertainty around long-term demand. By helping guarantee buyers for African-made vaccines once they reach the market, the initiative aims to create stronger incentives for local production while accelerating investment in regional health infrastructure and enabling countries in Africa to exercise health sovereignty while propelling their roles forward as global vaccine suppliers. 

Banco da Amazônia Invests in Green Jobs Across the Amazon Through Instituto Amazônia+21

Banco da Amazônia announced a $2.5 million commitment to Instituto Amazônia+21’s Green+Rural fund, supporting the creation of green jobs and sustainable economic opportunities across the Amazon rainforest. This pledge builds on the landmark $93 million commitment the bank made at Global Citizen Festival Amazônia last year to anchor its pioneering program to attract up to $740 million in catalytic capital to drive financial support for the region. 

Together, these commitments reflect a growing movement to redefine how the Amazon’s value is measured — not by what can be extracted from the forest, but by the livelihoods, climate stability, and biodiversity it sustains when protected. By continuing to invest in sustainable development and local communities, Banco da Amazônia is helping demonstrate that long-term prosperity and forest conservation go hand-in-hand.

Spain Reaffirms Commitment to Multilateralism and Development Cooperation

Addressing the summit via video, Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain, reaffirmed his country’s commitment to multilateralism and global development cooperation at a moment of growing strain on international aid systems. Highlighting Spain’s leadership as an example, Sánchez shared with the audience that the country will invest more than €4.5 billion in development cooperation in 2025 — its highest level in 15 years.

Sánchez called on governments around the world to similarly match their promises with meaningful action, and urged Global Citizens to continue using their voices to demand more from leaders. “When people move, politics follows,” he said, underscoring the vital role citizen action plays in driving political change.

New Commitments Drive Momentum for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund

One of the day’s defining moments came when Global Citizen Ambassador Hugh Jackman took the stage to celebrate the first 27 grantees of the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Spanning 10 countries across Africa, Asia, North America, and Latin America, the selected organizations will receive grants ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 to expand access to quality education and sport for children in underserved communities worldwide.

Hugh Jackman celebrates the first cohort of grantees supported by the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund during Global Citizen NOW: NYC at Spring Studios in New York City. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen

The inaugural grantees included organizations such as the Antonio Rudiger Foundation (Sierra Leone), Autisme Rwanda (Rwanda), Eduplex NPC (South Africa), Fundación Tiempo de Juego (Colombia), Instituto Rede Tenis (Brazil), Street Soccer USA (USA), and many others working directly with young people in their communities to create safer, healthier, and more opportunity-rich futures through education and sport (please see here for a full list of all 27 grantees). 

Later in the summit, Global Citizen Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Relations Officer Michael Sheldrick joined H.E. Mariam Almheiri, Vice Chair and Managing Director of 2PointZero, to announce new commitments to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund — the landmark partnership between FIFA and Global Citizen working to improve access to education and football for children in more than 200 countries.

New pledges included a $1 million commitment from Emerson Farrell and $3 million commitment from the Varkey Foundation. With these new announcements, pledges committed to the Fund over the course of the campaign so far have now reached a major milestone: $47 million raised to date, an important step forward in our journey towards the ambitious $100 million total goal. 

(L-R) Michael Sheldrick and H.E. Mariam Almheiri announce new commitments to the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund during Global Citizen NOW: NYC at Spring Studios in New York City. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen

Heading into the summit, the Fund had already secured funding from a growing coalition of contributors including FIFA, governments, philanthropists, individual donors, and artists such as The Weeknd, alongside founding partners Bank of America and the MetLife Foundation. Together, these commitments represent growing global momentum behind the belief that access to education and opportunity should never depend on where a child is born.

A groundbreaking new partnership between Global Citizen and Infinia Technologies, a subsidiary of Sirius International Holdings and IHC, was also announced to pilot a first-of-its-kind transparency model for the Fund. Using advanced blockchain infrastructure and tokenization technology, the initiative will track and verify every dollar contributed to the Fund through to implementation, creating a groundbreaking new approach and improved levels of accountability and transparency for philanthropic giving.

FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show 

The day ended with a special presentation of the highly anticipated performers for the FIFA World Cup Halftime Show, featuring Madonna, Shakira, and BTS in an iconic lineup curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin. In celebration of the $47 million raised to date for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, the summit stage was transformed into a miniature football pitch as Hugh Evans and FIFA President Gianni Infantino were joined by surprise guests Shakiraand international football superstar Kaká for an energizing segment that brought the crowd to its feet, as the four reflected on the important values that both a quality education and team sports play in a child’s life.

Shakira appears onstage during the announcement of the FIFA World Cup Final Halftime Show and the ongoing push to expand access to education worldwide through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund at Global Citizen NOW: NYC. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen

The segment built on the growing partnership between FIFA and Global Citizen, which continues to harness the global power of music and football to drive action and investment toward expanding access to education worldwide. Earlier this year,  Global Citizen produced FIFA’s first-ever Club World Cup Final Halftime Show, featuring performances by J Balvin, Tems, Doja Cat, and a surprise appearance by Coldplay. Preparations are well underway for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final halftime show, taking place July 19, 2026 at MetLife Stadium. 

Inspiring Prize Winners Earned the Spotlight

Global Citizen NOW also featured the winners of the Global Citizen Prize and the Cisco Youth Leadership Award, honoring five exceptional young leaders from around the world who are already taking action to end extreme poverty. These prizes remind us that the issues of education, health, clean energy, and food security are deeply connected and that the next generation is already delivering solutions.

• Anoushka Sinha — A social entrepreneur and human rights activist, Sinha has spent a decade advancing gender equality in education across India through the Anupam Foundation. Her work addresses the deep and persistent barriers preventing girls from accessing — and staying in — school, with a focus on systemic change through advocacy, community engagement, and policy.
• Dysmus Kisilu — The founder of Solar Freeze, a pioneering company that provides solar-powered cold storage units to smallholder farmers in Kenya, significantly reducing post-harvest losses and boosting agricultural productivity. Solar Freeze also uses AI to predict losses by analyzing weather conditions, crop maturity, and market demand. Kisilu additionally founded the "Each One, Teach One – Train and Earn" initiative, mentoring young people in renewable energy solutions for agriculture. He is a 2018 Obama Leaders Fellow, an MIT Fellow, and a Mandela Washington Fellow for Young African Leaders.
• Krystal Mwesiga Birungi — Birungi has dedicated over a decade to malaria research in Uganda. As a Research and Outreach Associate at Target Malaria and the Uganda Virus Research Institute, she works at the intersection of science and community, advancing equitable healthcare access while building trust between researchers and the communities they serve.
• Tawonga Nyirenda — The founder of Seedbiz, Nyirenda is advancing resilient food systems in Malawi by tackling organic waste management and rising food production costs. Through Seedbiz, Nyirenda is building pathways toward more sustainable, affordable, and locally rooted agricultural systems.

In addition, Common and Fran Katsoudas of Cisco presented this year's Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award to Diana Virgovicova. Born and raised in a small village in Slovakia, Virgovicova made her first scientific discovery at 17, a new molecule capable of breaking down harmful pollutants in water using sunlight. That early breakthrough set her on a path that would lead her to co-found Xatoms, a water technology company that uses artificial intelligence and quantum chemistry to design materials capable of cleaning some of the world's most severely contaminated water.

(L-R) Adam Lambert, Dysmus Kisilu, and Ayra Starr speak on the power of culture, advocacy, and citizen action to drive global change during Global Citizen NOW: NYC at Spring Studios in New York City. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for Global Citizen

Today, more than 2 billion people still lack access to safe drinking water. Virgovicova's work targets the hardest cases, the industrial pollutants linked to long-term chronic disease and reproductive harm. Xatoms has launched projects in Canada, the United States, Kenya, and South Africa, including work with Indigenous communities in long-standing boil water advisory areas. The company was recently named a Global Winner of the World Economic Forum's Water Resilience Challenge.

Virgovicova is also focused on the disproportionate burden the water crisis places on women and girls, who collectively spend an estimated 250 million hours per day collecting water, time lost to education, economic opportunity, and health.

"If we use AI and quantum in the right way, we can design solutions to complex problems," Virgovicova said. "It would take 10 years to discover a molecule, but we can now do it in 30 days."

The Cisco Youth Leadership Award grants Xatoms a $250,000 prize. The award was presented by Fran Katsoudas, Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer at Cisco, who noted: "Diana Virgovicova's work with Xatoms harnesses AI and quantum chemistry to tackle one of the world's greatest challenges: access to clean water. At Cisco, we believe technology is a force for meaningful change."

The Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award was established in 2018 to recognize a young leader using technology to help end extreme poverty.

What's Coming Up Next

As Global Citizen continues to expand its footprint around the world, this year’s summit marked another milestone in a growing movement committed to delivering on the fundamentals every person deserves: access to education, health care, nutritious food, clean energy, and opportunity. Across every conversation, commitment, and call to action at Global Citizen NOW: NYC, one message remained clear — solving the world’s biggest challenges begins with investing in what people need to live healthy, safe lives.

Building on the momentum of the 2025 Global Citizen NOW series — which convened leaders and advocates in Detroit, Sevilla, Amazônia, and Johannesburg — the movement now looks ahead to its next stop: Global Citizen NOW: Rio de Janeiro, taking place as part of the inaugural Rio Nature & Climate Week in June 2026.

The summit will once again bring together leaders across government, business, philanthropy, advocacy, and culture to accelerate action on the defining issues of our time. The week will culminate with Global Citizen Live: Rio de Janeiro on Ipanema Beach, headlined by Ms. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Fugees’ landmark album The Score, alongside performances by YG Marley, Zion Marley, and Brazilian superstar Ludmilla.

Hosted in partnership with Instituto Natureza e Clima Brasil, the City of Rio de Janeiro, and Re:wild, this first-ever Rio Nature & Climate Week will transform the city into a global hub for dialogue and action for people and planet. 

Because while what happened in New York City proves what collective action can achieve, the work ahead remains urgent, and the momentum to build a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable future has never been stronger.