RISK Award 2025 – Ceremony

When: 4 June 2025, 18:15
Where: Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GPDRR), Geneva and online

The wait is almost over! We're just days away from the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva, and we will be co-hosting the RISK Award Ceremony with UNDRR.

Disasters don't discriminate, yet some people are more at risk! This statement is becoming increasingly true. Analyses of the numbers of victims and people affected prove: countries in the Global South are more affected than countries in the Global North, and vulnerable people, such as marginalised groups, children, young people, women, people with disabilities and more, suffer disproportionally. Data from UNDRR shows that over 1 billion children have had their lives disrupted by disasters since 2000, with more than 80,000 schools damaged or destroyed. According to UNICEF, approximately one billion children worldwide are still at extremely high risk due to climate impacts, including climate-related disasters. To address this injustice, we dedicated the 2025 RISK Award to the topic of "Children and youths as agents of change for DRR". It is important to understand that children and young people are not only "victims", but also have great potential to become risk managers themselves. They can contribute to their own safety, as well as that of their families and communities, in a variety of ways.

After reviewing over 500 impressive project submissions from around the world, our esteemed jury has selected a winner for the prestigious RISK Award, which comes with a grant of 100,000 EUR.

Join us at the Global Platform as we announce the winner and hear from our international speakers and representatives of the winning organisation. They will share insights on the role of youths in disaster risk reduction – and of course insights in the 2025 winner project.

Following the Award Ceremony, we invite you to a reception with snacks and refreshments.

Speakers of the ceremony

Keynote on Youths in DRR:
Katherine Sotomayor, Focal Point LAC, Major Group for Children and Youth (MGCY)

Insights in the 2025 RISK Award:
Dirk Reinhard, Vice Chairman, Munich Re Foundation

Presentation of the winning project:
TBA

UNDRR remarks:
Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNDRR

Moderator:
Jeanette Elsworth, Chief, Communications, Advocacy, Knowledge Management and ICT, UNDRR

The event is open to all registered participants of the GP DRR in Geneva. Seats are limited.
We will offer a broadcasting link for those who can't join in person. Details will follow here.