Global Stage virtual events return this fall

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:

For more updates, follow us on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube.

More from Global Stage

Online violence means real-world danger for women in politics like EU's Lucia Nicholsonová

Online violence means real-world danger for women in politics like EU's Lucia Nicholsonová

Lucia Nicholsonová, former Slovak National Assembly vice president and current member of European Parliament for Slovakia, recounts her harrowing personal experiences with disinformation campaigns and gendered hate speech online during a GZERO Global Stage discussion on gender equality in the age of AI.

The online abuse crisis threatens the mental health of young women worldwide

The online abuse crisis threatens the mental health of young women worldwide

On the internet, more than half of young women encounter abuse and harassment, some as young as eight. Michelle Milford Morse of the UN Foundation emphasizes that this takes a huge toll on their mental health.

AI at the tipping point: danger to information, promise for creativity

AI at the tipping point: danger to information, promise for creativity

Artificial intelligence is on everyone's mind these days. The potential for AI to mess up democracy is scary, but the truth is that it can also make the world a better place. So, are bots good or bad for us? We asked a few experts to weigh in during the Global Stage livestream conversation "Risks and Rewards of AI," hosted by GZERO in partnership with Microsoft at this year's World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

How to protect elections in the age of AI

How to protect elections in the age of AI

GZERO Media, on the ground at the 2024 Munich Security Conference, held a Global Stage discussion on Feb. 17 entitled “Protecting Elections in the Age of AI.” We spoke with Brad Smith, vice chair and president of Microsoft; Ian Bremmer, president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZERO Media; Fiona Hill, senior fellow for the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings; Eva Maydell, an EU parliamentarian and a lead negotiator of the EU Chips Act and Artificial Intelligence Act; Kersti Kaljulaid, the former president of Estonia; with European correspondent Maria Tadeo moderating. These thought leaders and experts discussed the implications of the rapid rise of AI amid this historic election year.

What impact will AI have on gender equality?

What impact will AI have on gender equality?

At the current rate of progress toward gender equality, the World Economic Forum estimates it will take 131 years for women to attain parity in income, status, and leadership. While technology is a powerful tool to help close the gender gap, it can also be weaponized.

Protect free media in democracies, urges Estonia's former president Kersti Kaljulaid

Protect free media in democracies, urges Estonia's former president Kersti Kaljulaid

In recent years, numerous reports and studies have emerged warning that democracies around the world are backsliding and autocracy is on the rise. A free media could be the key to reversing this trend, according to former Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid.

Digital Equity