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Global Stage virtual events return this fall

We're back!

On Wednesday, September 15th, Global Stage returns to the UN General Assembly for a series of critical discussions facing governments, societies and economies.


GZERO Media and Microsoft launched the virtual series in 2020, during the peak of the pandemic, to ask tough questions and determine how united countries were in the fight against COVID-19.

12 months on, progress has been fitful. The delta variant has forced many countries back into lockdown; the virus has taken an extreme toll on fragile communities and developing nations; the disparity in access to vaccines between rich and poor countries is extreme; and the IPCC claims that climate catastrophe is on track. The pandemic has exacerbated racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequality and pushed many into unemployment and poverty.

Join us for live virtual events together with world leaders in politics, business, science and technology to debate how to achieve digital equity, whether inclusive recovery is a realistic goal, the growing threat of disinformation, and priorities for COP26.

Stay informed about further Global Stage discussions: sign up for updates and reminders about GZERO Media's events.


Digital Equity: Should Internet Access Be Free for Everyone?
Wednesday, September 15, 11am ET

  • Melissa Fleming, UN Under-Secretary General (moderator)
  • Amaka Anku, Practice Head, Africa, Eurasia Group
  • Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chairwoman, Federal Communications Commission
  • Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
  • Vickie Robinson, General Manager, Microsoft Airband Initiative
  • Vuyani Jarana, Chairman, Mobax Group


Unfinished Business: Is the World Really Building Back Better?
Wednesday, September 22, 11am ET

  • Susan Glasser, staff writer and Washington columnist, The New Yorker (moderator)
  • Ian Bremmer, President and Founder, Eurasia Group & GZERO Media
  • Brad Smith, President and Vice Chair, Microsoft
  • Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
  • Dr. Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme
  • David Malpass, President, World Bank Group

Infodemic: Defending Democracy Against Disinformation
Wednesday, October 13, 11am ET

  • Yasmin Green, Director, R&D, Jigsaw
  • Ginny Badanes, Director of Strategic Projects, Cybersecurity & Democracy, Microsoft
  • Matt Masterson, Non-Resident Policy Fellow, Stanford Internet Observatory
  • Nina Jankowicz, Director of External Engagement, Alethea Group & Global Fellow, Wilson Center
  • Kevin Allison, Director, Geo-technology, Eurasia Group
  • Richard Stengel, former Under-Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs, Obama Administration

Climate Crisis: is net zero really possible?
Tuesday, November 2, 11am ET

  • Gerald Butts, Vice Chairman, Eurasia Group
  • Katharine Hayhoe, Director, Climate Science Center
  • Naoko Ishii, Director, Center for Global Commons
  • Lucas Joppa, Chief Environmental Officer, Microsoft
  • Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Government of Canada

Click below to add all GZERO Media events to your calendar:

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More from Global Stage

Can we use AI to secure the world's digital future?

How do we ensure AI is safe, available to everyone, and enhancing productivity? It’s a big topic at this year’s UN General Assembly. That’s why GZERO’s Global Stage livestream brought together leading experts at the heart of the action for “Live from the United Nations: Securing our Digital Future,” an event produced in partnership between the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, or CRAF’d, and GZERO Media’s Global Stage series, sponsored by Microsoft.

Is the Europe-US rift leaving us all vulnerable?

As the tense and politically charged 2025 Munich Security Conference draws to a close, GZERO’s Global Stage series presents a conversation about strained relationships between the US and Europe, Ukraine's path ahead, and rising threats in cyberspace.

Gender gap in AI job displacement

Who benefits from AI and who is left behind? Speaking at the United Nations, Sarah Steinberg highlighted the disproportionate impact of AI on women in the workforce. One in three women works in a job "likely to be disrupted or significantly changed by AI compared to one in four men globally,” Steinberg said. At the same time, women account for only a third of those building AI skills, creating a skills gap that could limit access to emerging jobs.

How can AI improve everyday life for citizens?

How can artificial intelligence improve everyday life for citizens? Speaking at the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish highlighted India’s approach to digital public infrastructure. “Today in India, the cost of access to internet is the lowest in the world… and data usage per capita is one of the highest,” he said.

Preparing the workforce for AI

How will artificial intelligence reshape the global workforce, and who will be ready for it? Speaking at the United Nations, Doreen Bogdan-Martin said the rapid growth of AI will transform jobs worldwide, making large-scale workforce training essential. “We’ve seen estimates that 170 million new jobs will be created; maybe 90 million jobs will be lost,” she said. “So how do we ensure that we’re prepared?”

Expanding AI access worldwide

Could AI deepen global inequality or help close the gap? Lisa Monaco, President of Global Affairs, Microsoft, says it all comes down to trust. She argues that “people won’t use technology that they don’t trust,” especially as geopolitical tensions raise concerns about the reliability and resilience of digital infrastructure.