81 organizations that had registered out of 500+, and 29 were in the room and 33 online. There were very useful presentations by the woman who is the Liaison Office for UNODC in New York, who also sent greetings from the Headquarters in Vienna and Ms. Li spoke about the Congress in Abu Dhabi. The woman from the ITU spoke about the World Summit on the Information Society, which I attended and knew intimately about Amb. Adama Samasekou, the President of the first segment in 1999.
So after the difficulty that everyone had with unmuting microphones, I said that I was ripping up my brief speech and stating how AAI already is working with the UN partners, that it was important for CoNGO candidates already to work with the UN partners.
I gave the briefest of histories of AAI in the humanitarian arena for 35 years and now moving into dynamic new leadership by June Huang, former principal of the Windsor School at Main St. in Flushing, NY.
We had 3 minutes, so I closed with how AAI believes in the 4 isms of the UN, multilateralism, multiculturalism, multilingualism and optimism.
See the report from Harry Yan and photo with Liberato Bautista (President of CoNGO):
Oct 28, 2025 | New York – 28th CoNGO General Assembly
AAI’s Associate Director for Youth Program, Harry Yan, and Youth Representative, Alex Pan, attended the 28th CoNGO General Assembly at 777 UN Plaza. It was an inspiring experience for AAI to witness firsthand how global civil society organizations collaborate to shape dialogue and policy. The Assembly gathered NGO leaders from around the world to review ongoing initiatives, elect new CoNGO leadership, and reflect on the future of multilateral cooperation.
“Listening to these discussions on trust, accountability, and the moral responsibility of humanitarian work gave me a deeper appreciation of how shared principles can bridge cultural and institutional boundaries,” was AAI’s Youth Representative Alex Pan’s reflection on his first-time attendance of such a global-scale ceremony of CoNGO.
It was exciting for AAI to engage with the wisdom and experience of those who have dedicated their lives to public welfare, and we believe the strategy and leadership presented will help realize goals in a promising direction.
AAI’s founding belief is that humanitarian action begins with empathy and the willingness to connect across differences, and we look forward to contributing to the broader global ecosystem alongside other members of CoNGO and to becoming a vital link between the aviation industry and humanitarian response, showing how professional networks can be mobilized to safeguard human dignity and restore hope where it is most needed.
AAI’s Associate Director for Youth Program, Harry Yan, and Youth Representative, Alex Pan, attended the 28th CoNGO General Assembly at 777 UN Plaza. It was an inspiring experience for AAI to witness firsthand how global civil society organizations collaborate to shape dialogue and policy. The Assembly gathered NGO leaders from around the world to review ongoing initiatives, elect new CoNGO leadership, and reflect on the future of multilateral cooperation.
“Listening to these discussions on trust, accountability, and the moral responsibility of humanitarian work gave me a deeper appreciation of how shared principles can bridge cultural and institutional boundaries,” was AAI’s Youth Representative Alex Pan’s reflection on his first-time attendance of such a global-scale ceremony of CoNGO.
It was exciting for AAI to engage with the wisdom and experience of those who have dedicated their lives to public welfare, and we believe the strategy and leadership presented will help realize goals in a promising direction.
AAI’s founding belief is that humanitarian action begins with empathy and the willingness to connect across differences, and we look forward to contributing to the broader global ecosystem alongside other members of CoNGO and to becoming a vital link between the aviation industry and humanitarian response, showing how professional networks can be mobilized to safeguard human dignity and restore hope where it is most needed.
