"The Future is Upon Us: What Now?” Symposium Will Explore Shaping Multilateral Solutions

The 11th Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organizations in International Affairs will take place on 3 April 2025, in New York City, exploring the vital role of faith-based organizations and civil society in shaping multilateral solutions to global crises. 

Under the theme “The Future is Upon Us: What Now?” the event will focus on amplifying the impact of these groups in addressing urgent challenges such as climate change, human rights violations, and peacebuilding.

Bishop Julius C. Trimble, General Secretary of the General Board of Church and Society, will deliver a high-level welcome at this year’s gathering. Speaking as one of the three founders of the Symposium—alongside the World Council of Churches and the General Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church—he will open the program with senior UN officials and other distinguished guests, and offering remarks as a representative of numerous faith-based collaborators.

“I’m excited to be part of this 11th iteration of the symposium, which again emphasizes the crucial role of civil society, including religious and faith-based organizations in pursuing transformative multilateralism,” said Trimble. “This effort reflects our recognition of the essential importance of the transborder and transnational networks of relationships that connect us and make the multilateral enterprise meaningful for people and our planet.”

Since its inception in 2016, the symposium has provided a key platform for dialogue between faith-based actors, the United Nations, member states, and civil society. Past editions have addressed critical issues, including migration, gender equality, peacebuilding, and sustainable development. 

The 2025 event builds on this tradition, highlighting how faith-based organizations, particularly those working at the grassroots level, can contribute to the global governance frameworks that shape policy and action on pressing issues.

The symposium’s 2025 focus is underscored by significant global milestones, such as the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security, the 2025 UN Peacebuilding Architecture Review, and the Pact for the Future, the outcome document of the UN Summit of the Future held in New York in September 2024. With multilateral cooperation at a crossroads, this gathering will examine how faith and civil society actors can drive sustainable peace, justice, and development.

Key discussions will center on the role of faith-based actors in strengthening partnerships between the UN, member states, and civil society; the shrinking space for civil society participation and the importance of reversing this trend; and addressing the ethical dimensions of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.

The symposium aims to foster inclusive global governance by showcasing the essential contributions of faith communities to international policies and actions.

The event is organized by the World Council of Churches, ACT Alliance, General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church, Islamic Relief USA, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Soka Gakkai International, United Religions Initiative, in partnership with members of the UN Inter-agency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development.

Registration is required for all participants, whether attending in person or online:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xhujnJPZSY6aE0h7mylIOA

Date: April 3, 2025, 8.30 AM-13.00 PM (EST)

Format: Hybrid—Zoom and in-person (8th Floor Conference Room, Church Center for the United Nations, 777 UN Plaza, New York NY 10017)