Clinton Global Initiative 2024 Concludes With 175 New Commitments On Climate, Health, Humanitarian Action
Photo (Left to Right): Dr. Chethan Sathya, Director, Center for Gun Violence Prevention, Iftikher Mahmood , Founder, HOPE Foundation for Women & Children of Bangladesh, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London,
By Sabrina Chugh
NEW YORK, NY – The 2024 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) wrapped up its annual meeting in New York with a powerful show of global unity, addressing some of today’s most urgent issues. Over three days, prominent figures from politics, business, philanthropy, and civil society gathered to discuss tangible solutions to major global challenges, launching 175 new Commitments to Action. This year’s themes spanned climate resilience, global health equity, humanitarian crises, and bolstering democratic institutions.
A highlight of the event was President Joe Biden being awarded the Clinton Global Citizen Award. President Clinton presented the honor to Biden on stage alongside First Lady Jill Biden, Secretary Hillary Clinton, and Chelsea Clinton, recognizing Biden’s “extraordinary leadership” in defending democracy and exemplifying compassion. “We honor him not only for what he has accomplished but for how he has done it,” President Clinton remarked during the presentation.
In an emotionally charged session, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, used the platform to call attention to the mental health crisis facing today’s youth, exacerbated by harmful content and addiction to social media. Harry called for systemic changes in technology and urged social media platforms to be held to higher ethical standards, saying, “These platforms are designed to create addiction. Young people are being force-fed content they should never be exposed to.”
Other notable moments included a conversation between President Clinton and Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who discussed youth-led democratic movements in Bangladesh, and Secretary Hillary Clinton’s dialogue with Yulia Navalnaya and Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on standing up to authoritarian regimes. This session drew attention to threats against democracy, with heartfelt discussions from democracy advocates like Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee and journalists Maria Ressa and María Corina Machado.
The commitments announced at CGI 2024 will impact over 285 million people worldwide. Key initiatives include the launch of a coalition to provide aid to groups in Sudan, significant funding for mental health resources, and a commitment from Climate Mayors to install over 168,000 electric vehicle chargers in disadvantaged U.S. communities. A new campaign led by Secretary Clinton aims to improve early literacy in partnership with the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, reaching more families with vital educational tools.
As the global climate crisis remains a major focus, CGI 2024 saw the awarding of the inaugural Aviram Award for Climate Journalism to Susanne Rust of the L.A. Times and $1.6 million to ocean conservationist Enric Sala. These commitments represent a $400 million investment in historically excluded communities and businesses, with more than 7.3 million metric tons of CO2 reductions annually when fully implemented.
The meeting’s sessions can be accessed via the Clinton Global Initiative’s Digital All Access platform, where viewers can explore in-depth discussions and the broader impact of this year’s commitments.
With an increasingly divided world, CGI’s message was clear: through collective action, the greatest challenges can be met. As President Clinton noted in his opening speech, “It’s the best way we can strengthen faith in democratic institutions.”
The CGI 2024 underscored that solutions exist even in tumultuous times—when leaders, activists, and philanthropists unite for global action.
