NEW YORK/HONG KONG — The president of the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF) on Monday emphasized the urgency of reaffirming the values that underpin peace and development, especially in a fractured global landscape, while speaking at a high-level event for the 80th UN General Assembly.
Delivering a keynote speech at the event, James Chau focused on social business, youth, and technology as he addressed the role of social innovation as a tool for peace, the critical need to invest in youth, and the advancement of high-quality people-to-people dialogue.
The event was held to mark the 80th anniversary of the United Nations as a pivotal moment to renew commitments to partnership and shared responsibility.
“We must pursue these values not only on high stages like this one in New York, but in our communities and with our young people, who carry the future in their hands,” said Chau.
“We must engage in not just high-level dialogue, but high-quality dialogue. And we must build new coalitions of the next generation of like-hearted individuals, organizations, and member states — those who choose to stand up to promote dialogue over division, and compassion over conflict.”
Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government Muhammad Yunus, who is the 2006 Nobel Peace Laureate and UN SDG Advocate Emeritus, also addressed the event.
He urged youth to unite and harness available tools to drive meaningful change and build a more just society.
“In these turbulent times, true transformation lies in our unity. If we join hands, harnessing the power of social business, the energy of youth, and the potential of technology, we can untangle even the most complex global crises,” he said.
Other distinguished participants who spoke at the event included Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Yemeni journalist Tawakkol Karman, President of Timor-Leste and 1996 Nobel Peace Laureate José Ramos-Horta, and Director-General of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization Qu Dongyu.
A partner for the event alongside the Yunus Centre and The YY Foundation, CUSEF said it will continue critical discussions at its annual flagship program, the 6th US-China Hong Kong Forum, scheduled for Nov 17, 2025, under the theme “Circles for Peace.”
The forum annually convenes eminent global figures, including business leaders, policy architects, scholars, Nobel laureates, and former heads of state.
