Following successes of the similar programs in Europe (Vienna and Geneva notably), the Istanbul-based International Organization along with its European (think-tank, academia, cultural diplomacy and media) partners decided to launch the special executive program for emerging leaders (FLEP) on its own.

By its launch on 24th February 2023, this Program gathered participants of diverse professional backgrounds and different geographies, including Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East – largely the forthcoming leaders from the government, international organizations or industry. The FLEP Executive Program’s concept is rather simple: Participants are spending one entire day with top level speakers – mainly the world leaders that shaped events of the past decades (two per month, last Friday-Saturday in month) in an open, Chatham House rules-based atmosphere, all situated within the historic premisses of the eternal city on two continents.

After the successful late February kick off, the continuation brought highly interesting guest – Professor Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University. Due to his extremely busy schedule, the honorable professor addressed the audience via zoom on 08th of March in the extraordinary session, specially reserved for the Geneva and Istanbul participants. The day of his talk was more than symbolic – honoring  International Women’s Day. It is the day the US labor movement, following the bloody policy attack on the peaceful protesters calling for a just pay and equal wages for both genders, proclaimed as the National Women’s Day. As a sign of solidarity to the innocent deaths of their American female colleagues, the international labor movement soon after proclaimed 08th Mach as its International Day of Women and their personal, reproductive, family, group, social, labour and political rights.

Jeffrey David Sachs, born November 5, 1954 is a US economist, academic, public policy analyst, and former director of the Columbia’s Earth Institute, where he holds the title of university professor. He is known for his work on sustainable development, economic development, and the fight to end poverty.

Currently, Sachs is Director of the Centre for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and President of the UN SD Solutions Network. He is an SDG Advocate for UN Sec-General Antonio Guterres on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of 17 global goals adopted at a UN summit meeting in September 2015. Previously, from 2001 to 2018, Sachs served as Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General, and held the same position under the previous UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and prior to 2016 a similar advisory position related to the earlier Millenum Developmtn Goals (MDGs), eight internationally sanctioned objectives to reduce extreme poverty, hunger and disease by 2015. In connection with the MDGs, he had first been appointed special adviser to the UN Secretary-General in 2002 during the term of Kofi Annan.

Sachs is co-founder and chief strategist of Millennium Promise Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending extreme poverty and hunger. From 2002 to 2006, he was director of the UN Millennium Projects network on MDGs. He is co-editor of the World Happiness Report (co-authored with Helliwell and Layard). In 2010, he became a commissioner for the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development (developmental effects of broadband in international policy).

For the past three decades, Sachs extensively advised numerous governments in Europe, MENA, and Afro-Asia. He has written number of books and received several awards. He has been criticized for his views on economics, the origin of Covid-19, war in Ukraine and decoupling from China.  

During the afternoon exchanges with the Geneva and FLEP participants Professor Sachs elaborated on his career path, notably his role in the international economic and political forums, especially those of the UN system. He generously and enthusiastically shared elaborate views on the Sustainable Development Goals, previous and looming financial crisis, Ukrainian war and to it related lack of peace initiatives. Professor engaged audience in a constructive critics of the western positions in contemporary world of globalization  and attempts of decoupling from the Sino world through the accelerated spial of violent rhetoric’s and deeds. Finally, he made a reference on the recent hearing at the UN Security Council related to the so-called North Stream issue. 

Vivid exchanges of views and opinions between speaker of honour and participants marked the closuring part of the lecturing and tour-de-table. Content intensive, inspiring reflective and farsighted, yet amicable and family-like atmosphere with a direct, personal access to the notable guest deeply impressed all. Closing the event, Prof. Sachs praised the program which offers truly unique setting, unparallel anywhere else in the world.  On behalf President of ICYF Taha Ayhan, as a principal co-host of the event, his Cabinet Director General, Yunus Sönmez officially invited Professor Sachs to visit Istanbul, and address the FLEP participants in May 2023 – a call that the professor welcomed and principally agreed to.

The program of the truly unique setting, unparallel anywhere else in the world – after this extraordinary session of the special guest – gets to its second physical round on 24th of March by hosting former Prime Minister of Belgium, Yves Leterme and previous Secretary General of Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Lamberto Zannier.

Yagmur Ceylan Korkut Hassan is Madinah Group Istanbul Turkey Office Managing Partner and Chief Executive Officer. She was attached to the office of European Union Youth and Education Turkey, Turkish National Agency and Turkish Republic Prime Ministry Investment Office.