United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR)

How is long‑term governance taking shape around the world? UNU‑CPR Geneva’s new Future Generations Platform, built by Academii, brings it into view — an interactive global database showing how institutions, laws and citizen‑led initiatives are embedding the interests of future generations into policies. The Platform offers a clear view of how intergenerational approaches are taking root and evolving globally. Find out more 🔗 → https://lnkd.in/eenjQ6ax #FutureGenerations #GlobalGovernance #UnitedNations #PolicyInnovation

How can multilateral mechanisms better support innovative conflict prevention strategies in 2026 and beyond? Last week, UNU-CPR's Global Fellows on Conflict Prevention and Sustaining Peace, Suraj Pratim Saikia and Roser Gascons Cuatrecasas, participated in a roundtable convened by the Institute for Economics & Peace in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Australia to the UN on conflict prevention. Both fellows contributed to the discussions about the UN Security Council and the Peacebuilding Commission's wider potential to navigate today's conflicts by identifying issues and topics that could draw consensus among Security Council Member States.

How can the #UN navigate an era of “messy multilateralism”? Last week, Dr. David Passarelli joined The British Academy and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace for a timely workshop on Global (Dis)order 🔗→ https://lnkd.in/e_Gs7rQu With fragmentation deepening and confidence in multilateral institutions under strain, the discussion examined what global governance can still deliver, and where its limits are becoming clearer. Dr. Passarelli shared insights from UNU‑CPR’s Global Governance Innovation Platform, highlighting how the UN is adapting to shifting geopolitical incentives 🔗→ https://lnkd.in/evhGKyQ9

As policymakers, researchers and industry leaders convene at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the urgency of governing #artificialintelligence for human and planetary well-being is coming sharply into focus. In the latest episode of our podcast, Multilateralism UNpacked, we spoke to Eleonore Fournier-Tombs about the critical questions shaping this moment — how AI is transforming governance and development, the risks emerging in a complex geopolitical landscape, and how this technology can be steered toward inclusive and sustainable outcomes. 🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/e_C6UqBE

In Reuters, Dr. Adam Day, Head of UNU-CPR Geneva says the US appointment of a new ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva could signal renewed engagement with multilateral institutions. Diplomats see the move as a cautious but positive step toward stronger US–UN relations. More here 🔗 → https://lnkd.in/ex5PVESz

President Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” presents a false choice: action via the Board or inaction via the Security Council. As Dr. Erica Gaston and Dr. Adam Day argue in a new UNU‑CPR blog, there is a third way: an active, empowered General Assembly. Drawing on insights from the Assembly for Peace handbook, they show how the General Assembly has repeatedly stepped in when the Security Council is tied, authorizing peace operations, diplomatic initiatives, fact‑finding missions, humanitarian coordination, and accountability mechanisms. Its long track record - from Suez to Congo to recent emergency special sessions on Ukraine and Gaza – demonstrates that the Assembly remains the only forum with the authority to articulate peace and security priorities on behalf of the international community as a whole. Read the full analysis 🔗 → https://lnkd.in/erdTW9YT

The global development system is being remade in real time. Financing is shrinking, needs are rising, and traditional donors are pulling back. The “rupture” that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described in his speech at Davos last month is now disrupting international aid – creating not only a shortfall in funding but a vacuum in leadership. A new op-ed by Nicole Goldin, PhD in Devex argues that the future of development cooperation may be shaped less by major powers – and more by what middle powers choose to do together. From G20 presidencies to UN coalitions, these States are: 📌 prioritizing technical cooperation and capacity building 📌 scaling blended and catalytic finance 📌 acting as bridge-builders across geopolitical divides 📌 pushing reform of global financial institutions Read more about the role middle powers can play to stabilize and modernize a system under strain 🔗→ https://lnkd.in/e4A_t9un

This month’s UNU-CPR #Insights explores new research and commentary on governing AI for human and planetary well-being, moving beyond GDP and reforming sovereign credit ratings. We also examine the UN’s path to relevance in 2026 and building scientific consensus for global governance. 📬 Stay informed – read past editions or subscribe to receive UNU-CPR Insights directly to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/gUuUrGxZ

Debates on moving #beyondGDP are gaining new visibility. This week, UN Secretary‑General António Guterres warned that our current accounting systems are driving the planet to the brink of disaster, noting that activities that degrade forests, oceans and ecosystems still show up as economic gains. As The Guardian reports, his call reflects a broader recognition that existing metrics fail to capture the conditions that shape people’s lives or the pressures facing the planet: https://lnkd.in/eTs3jMtY The UN’s High‑Level Expert Group on Beyond GDP is one step toward that shift – but as our latest blog argues, progress will depend on linking well‑being, governance and sustainability in ways that can guide real policy change. Read the full analysis by Nicole Goldin, PhD and Daouia Chalali 🔗 → https://lnkd.in/eQvkyt3c