Cardiff Event Propels Welsh Voices Towards United Nations Summit
A dynamic morning of inclusion, empowerment and international collaboration took place in Cardiff, Wales this week, as key changemakers, community leaders, and advocates gathered for ‘The Road to the UN – In Pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals’, hosted by Mastering Diversity CIC in partnership with TechCeFaCos Group.
The event, held at the offices of Hugh James, was hosted by award-winning broadcaster and Paralympian Steve Brown and curated by Bernie Davies, Founder of Mastering Diversity CIC and Patron & NGO Main Representative for TechCeFaCos. It marked a pivotal moment in Wales’ journey to the Global Empowerment and Inclusion Summit 2025 at the United Nations in Geneva.
The event created space for reflection, agenda-setting, and shared ambition. Through a series of thematic panels, the audience explored how Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) can advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in areas such as law, sport, entrepreneurship, technology, and youth engagement.
The Mastering Diversity CIC Youth Advisory Board were also present, featuring young entrepreneurs who will present a session on Empowering Youth through Creative Technologies at the Palais Des Nations. The advisory board members in attendance were Molly Fenton BCAh, Kobena Amissah, Yasmin Li, Camile Miteleji, and Joshua Steer. Kerrie Gemmill, CEO Scouts Cymru outlined the importance of the opportunity for these young entrepreneurs – giving a voice and platform to them all to ensure the inclusion changes we make now are relevant and guided by future generations from all backgrounds.
The event also featured contributions from a broad cross-section of leaders who offered their congratulations to Bernie and TechCeFaCos for presenting these powerful inclusion and empowerment leaders and discussions to a global audience. Keynote speakers on the day included: Janey Howell- Patron, Mastering Diversity CIC & His Majesty’s former High Sheriff S Glamorgan 2024 & 2025, Edward Watts MBE DL, Patron, Mastering Diversity CIC & Trustee, ScoutsCymru, Hayley Dunne, Vice Chair, Mastering Diversity CIC Advisory Board, and Gwen Morgan-Evans Partner, Head of environmental claims at Hugh James.
Panellists and panel chairs – including Mike Scott, Ogi and Emma Waddingham, Legal News Wales, sought engagement on the topics that will be debated at the UN, all focused on real-world actions, with particular emphasis on international collaboration and the power of Welsh voices on the global stage.
Importantly, the Cardiff gathering was not just a preview of what’s to come in Geneva—it served as a call to action. Delegates were invited to shape the content of the upcoming UN summit by sharing their perspectives, ensuring that the platform reflects lived experiences, grassroots insight, and local innovation from across Wales and beyond.
Bernie Davies said:
“This was not just an event—it was a movement in motion. If we remain confined in the walls of our own lived experiences to the exclusion of others, we run the risk of polarising ourselves and perpetuating the very things we aim to eradicate. This is why creating a multiplicity of opportunities to platform diverse stories, voices and issues is an imperative. There is no time for anything else but a rallying of ‘arms’ and this is essentially what we are engaged in. The energy in the room showed that our communities are ready not only to talk about inclusion but to lead on it, globally. We go together, or not at all.”
The Global Empowerment and Inclusion Summit will take place at the UN Palais des Nations in Geneva on Thursday 26 June 2025.
To find out more, and for the full agenda and speakers, visit: GLOBAL SUMMIT GENEVA
