Global Town Hall 2025 Highlighting Climate Action and Cooperation Ahead of G20

Jakarta: Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia (FPCI), together with Global Citizen and a global consortium of think-tanks, universities, civil-society organisations, and international institutions, convenes the sixth edition of Global Town Hall on Saturday, 15 November 2025.

The Indonesian-initiated global forum brought together government leaders, civil society, grassroots advocates, the private sector, and young changemakers for a full day of discussions on the world’s most pressing challenges.

This year’s Global Town Hall took place ahead of the G20 Summit and coincided with the ongoing COP30 climate negotiations in Belém, Brazil. In light of this, Ana Toni, CEO of COP30, addressed the Global Town Hall—offered timely insights into the live climate discussions taking place in Brazil.

“I think at the COP30. We are going to start inaugurating together in a new era of the climate regime, to show that even under very difficult circumstances, this climate regime is working. We need to accelerate action, because we are still very far from our goal, which should be under 1.5°C,” said Toni, as quoted from FPCI release.

Carrying the theme “The Future We Need,” the 2025 Global Town Hall brought together leading voices from around the world for honest, solution-driven conversations on the state of global affairs.

The forum aimed to connect East and West, North and South, and elevates the perspectives of citizens and communities whose voices must shape national and multilateral decisions.

In his keynote speech, Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Malaysia, addressed the big theme of the global marathon discussion: “The future we need cannot be written by a few, it must be jointly authored by all. This is why we believe in dialogue over division, cooperation over competition, and humanity over power.”

Setting the tone for the Global Town Hall 2025, Dr. Dino Patti Djalal, Founder and Chairman of FPCI, shared a compelling call to action for the global community. In his words: “The rules-based international order is losing credibility and in danger of collapsing. It is clear that the rules don’t apply equally to all countries, and some are exempted. The spirit of the UN Charter is waning, and the wind of might makes right is growing. Nationalism is rising, not the right kind of nationalism, but insecure and often angry ones. And indeed, we are seeing too much nationalism and not enough humanity.”

Dr. Dino also emphasized the role of world citizen as the agent of change, as he pressed that the future everyone needs belonged to the citizens of the world.

“The future we need so today is the day for citizens of the world, for common people, for thinking citizens, for grassroots, wherever you are. Speak up, inform, argue, debate, disagree, challenge, advice. Because the future belongs to us and to the next generation. Let us imagine the future we need, let us own that future we need, and let us create that future we need together,” Dr. Dino said.

Mick Sheldrick, Co-Founder and Chief Policy, Impact and Government Relations Officer from Global Citizen followed soon after. As he pointed out that today’s conversations share one goal–to turn ideas into impact, and talks into actions: “Over the course of today's Global Town Hall, you're going to hear from civil society, how advocates, how campaigners, how activists can work together to drive accountability, to ensure that citizens have a seat at the table, that they have a voice in decision-making on issues that impact them.

“That's what Global Citizen and the Global Town Hall is all about. We have the opportunity to make a conscious decision whether or not our actions will leave a positive impact on those around us. I truly believe we have more ability than any previous generation that ever lived to impact the lives of others,” added Sheldrick.

This year’s Global Town Hall presented a series of high-level discussions addressing the world’s most urgent geopolitical, social, and moral challenges. The program featured sessions such as “Anticipating the Next World Order: What Should Remain, What Should Be Fixed, What Should Be Replaced”, which explored the shifting architecture of global power; “Civil Societies as a Force for Stability and Progress in an Increasingly Turbulent World”, highlighted the role of civic actors in safeguarding democracy and justice; and “How to Make the AI Revolution Work for All: A North-South Debate”, which examined how technological transformation can be made equitable across regions.

The agenda continued with “Winning Humanity’s Greatest Battle: Building a Strategic North-South-East-West Grand Alliance for the Climate Future We Need”, underscored the imperative for collective climate action on the Special Session 1: “Listen to Us: Messages for G20 Leaders from Civil Societies Around the World”.

Amplified grassroots concerns to global leadership on the Special Session 2; “My Nationalism is Humanity: ‘We Are One’ is Better than ‘We’re Number One’”, which reimagines identity and solidarity in a polarized world; and the Special Session 3 that discussed about “Religions for Peace: Pushing Back Against the Rising Tide of Bigotry and Prejudice”, focused on interfaith leadership in countering intolerance.