Meet Žiga Ciglarič, a passionate advocate for youth involvement and sustainable development. As a NextGen participant from Slovenia, Žiga brought his extensive experience in youth advocacy and green transition to the ESG Adria Summit, highlighting the critical role of young people in shaping our shared future.
Žiga’s contributions at the Summit were invaluable, combining his expertise in sustainable development with a deep commitment to empowering youth. As the Vice President of the National Youth Council of Slovenia for International Cooperation, a former Youth Delegate of Slovenia to the UN, and the current leader of the UNYD program, he has been at the forefront of initiatives that strengthen youth voices both nationally and internationally. Serving as the youngest councillor in his municipality, Žiga is a strong advocate for addressing concerns of youth, including sustainable development goals and green transitions, as well as for increasing youth participation across all sectors.
Reflecting on his experience at the ESG Adria Summit, Žiga shared the following remarks:
My participation in the ESG Adria Summit 2024 stands out as one of the most memorable conferences I have attended in recent years. As an active member of youth organisations, I have participated in over 25 similar events in the past five years. However, I can confidently say that the ESG Adria Summit 2024 was undoubtedly one of the most youth-inclusive, with the "Next Generation" program providing a real opportunity for young people to engage with decision-makers, panellists, and other participants. This program allowed us to raise our concerns, present our work, and share our aspirations for the future.
Youth advocacy is often overlooked in the Western Balkans, and young people lack opportunities for meaningful participation. Youth organisations are on the brink, and high-end events are often reserved for the elite or are inaccessible to young people. The ESG Adria Summit is a bright spot in this landscape, connecting young people from these countries and enabling them to participate equally in an event that targets the region's future and creates a dialogue space for the future we all want.
The program invited young people from eight countries, two from the EU and the rest on the path to integration, and offered two things: first, it allowed young people from diverse backgrounds to compare experiences and showcase their work, and second, it provided them the chance to present this work to successful business people, politicians, and other decision-makers who are shaping our future in various ways.
As a participant in the Next Generation ESG Adria Summit 2024, I met seven young people from countries that are both close to and far from my own, Slovenia. I am known as a strong advocate for European integration in European youth organisations and the UN, particularly in the fight against shrinking societies and in supporting young people in NGOs and youth organisations in the Western Balkans. During the discussions, I was most surprised to learn that many young people in these countries view the European Union as an impossible future, something that was promised to them years ago but now seems like a broken promise. After the conference, I used my newfound connections to initiate new processes to bring together youth NGOs with those represented by other Next Gen program participants.
The ESG Adria Summit offered a variety of fruitful panels and discussions, and I particularly appreciated the opportunity for Next Gen program participants to engage in one-on-one and group discussions with top attendees, such as Dunja Mijatović and representatives of Universal Capital Bank. We did not feel like we were just young people invited to the event for PR or publicity purposes. Instead, we had the opportunity to actively participate over the course of a few days. The team was always open to our suggestions for improvement and encouraged us to connect with other attendees. The conference is an oasis in the desert of "high-end" events, offering young people a platform to amplify their voices, share their ideas, and contribute to building our shared future in a sustainable manner.
The Next Gen program is a valuable addition to the ESG Adria Summit and could serve as a model for other conferences for the reasons mentioned above. I sincerely hope that the program will evolve in the future, not just as a way to participate in the event, but as a year-round platform for young people to connect with not only those in their generation but also future generations.
Thank you for the opportunity!
The NextGen programme brought together eight young sustainability leaders from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia, to the ESG Adria Summit. During the three day event, these young leaders had an opportunity to not only attend the ESG Adria Summit but also to meet and learn from government officials, business leaders, and sustainability experts. NextGen participants met with prominent figures, including Federica Mogherini, Biljana Braithwaite, Dunja Mijatović, Nevena Dičić Kostić, and key representatives from Universal Capital Bank AD Podgorica, to discuss youth's role in bridging borders for sustainability and shaping a prosperous European future.
The NextGen Programme is powered by Sustineri Partners and Universal Capital Bank AD Podgorica.
More information on the NextGen initiative can be found here.
