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

Hundreds of multilateral mechanisms have been built over the past 80 years – yet policymakers tend to rely on a small number of high-profile examples when designing new institutions. Overreliance on well-known models can lead to a poor fit – as key differences in political context, cooperation and State incentives are often overlooked. A new policy brief by Julia C Morse for UNU-CPR’s Global Governance Innovation (#GGI) initiative outlines an alternative approach: building on the concept of “institutional mimicry” while taking a more systematic approach sensitive to context and the limitations of previous models.  Read ‘A Systematic Approach to Institutional Mimicry’ here: https://lnkd.in/eHtGcJQp

Last week in DC, Nicole Goldin, PhD joined global leaders at the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund to explore the future of development finance. From debt and demographics to AI and middle powers, the conversations reflected both uncertainty and opportunity for sustainable, inclusive growth. She reflects how voices from the Global South and middle powers are increasingly shaping the conversation, and the need to “do development differently.”

This month’s UNU-CPR #Insights explores bold ideas to shape the UN80 reform agenda, proposes a new "full-spectrum" approach to unlock climate finance, and rethinks how we design institutions for the future. We also examine the General Assembly’s evolving peace and security agenda and the UN’s growing role in AI governance. 📬 Stay informed – read past editions or subscribe to receive UNU-CPR Insights directly to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/gUuUrGxZ

That’s a wrap on The World Bank - International Monetary Fund #AnnualMeetings 2025! All week I talked all things #EquitableDevelopment, #globaleconomics and finance – from #debt to demographics to data; from #multilateralism to #middlepowers, private sector, and the future of international cooperation; from #jobs, jobs, jobs to #AI, AI, AI. I tuned into several interesting events on the official program across 19th st, on jobs, small AI, emerging from #FCV conflict-fragility, stablecoins in the future of finance. And, as a nonresident Senior Fellow, I joined Atlantic Council Josh Lipsky in their almost dizzying slate of Minister and leader events, analyses and expert content creation onsite and at ACHQ including with #HailemariamDesalegn, #OdileRenaudBasso #RémyRioux #NadiaCalviño; my specifics of which I have and will continue to post on– and all of which you can catch up on here- >  https://lnkd.in/e6_2w3zp Otherwise around town, I’m grateful to have participated and joined several events, including - 🎤on middle powers and new alliances with #ReinventingBrettonWoods, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, United Nations Foundation - on dev strategy w Arturo Franco DSLN - on the global economy finance with Bretton Woods Committee - on credit ratings with Moody's Corporation and Gates Foundation - on a Congressional view (Rep. French Hill) of U.S. role in development finance with Devex Still alot to digest but initial macro takeaways: 💡 Economic uncertainty still looms, met with unease about the state and future of development cooperation and finance: ODA, trade, and investment decline as debt challenges rise💡 Neither demographics nor digital are destiny, but both exert pressures or open up possibilities (jobs, tech/AI could be complicating or w/strategic investments policies, catalyzing factors) 💡 It wasn’t only what leaders said and signaled that mattered, but who was talking and being listened to – with louder voices from the Global South and middle powers stepping up to lead among the chorus of countries who remain committed to multilateralism, ready to support and engage through IFIs and come together to make meaningful progress. This is encouraging 💡 There is a big appetite/need to do development very differently, recognizing the narrative needs to change too; toward a model that embraces new realities & shifting rationales, uses new tools and partnerships-with private sector. Solidarity<>Mutuality. Need more Foreign Affairs <> Finance 💡 On key drivers & challenges confronting the global economy, the World Bank has found its north star– jobs (and the data around it) - at the center of everything infrastructure, ag, health, education. IMF has also tacked somewhat to the jobs agenda (esp. in relation to domestic resource mobilization, addressing conflict/fragility), but has yet to find its true focal point (“get your house in order”?) The stakes couldn’t be higher. We know this at United Nations University Centre for Policy Research (UNU-CPR)

Yesterday, Dr. Adam Day, Head of UNU-CPR's Geneva Office, joined a discussion on the role of universities in implementing the Pact for the Future at Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).   Co-hosted by the United Nations University, the United Nations in China, BFSU and South Africa's University of Cape Town, the event brought together representatives from the UN system, China's Ministry of Education, and universities from around the world to consider how higher education can drive progress on the Pact and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.   Dr. Day acknowledged how universities can strengthen their alignment with the Pact by providing opportunities for youth, scholars, and educators to engage in addressing global challenges.   Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eaY3JW5b   For more details on the event: https://lnkd.in/ew88aJTa #PactfortheFuture #SDGs #2030

3.4 billion. That’s nearly half the world’s population living in countries that spend more on debt service than on health or education – and roughly the same number facing the greatest risks from climate change. As this week’s IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings unfold, debt is at the centre of discussions. But as Nicole Goldin, PhD writes, it’s vital not to lose sight of the human toll – the 3.4 billion lives and livelihoods constrained by the tradeoff between debt and development. 📍Read more in her latest piece from IMF–WB Week: [https://lnkd.in/dk_5GrEv] #Debt #Development #ClimateFinance #IMFMeetings #WorldBank #AtlanticCouncil

🌍 Investing in Resilient Futures | Youth Foresight Sprint 2025 "What if a warning we ignored now became a global crisis in 2050?" Yesterday was International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction (IDDRR) 2025 – and UNU-CPR and United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) are happy to present the results of the second Youth Foresight Sprint. Over the course of one month, students and researchers from universities around the world designed risk scenarios by 2050, exploring risks ranging from climate shocks in the Coral Triangle, to earthquakes in Mexico City, to informal settlements in South Africa. Drawing from the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025, they designed resilience roadmaps for decision-makers to shape our collective resilience in decades to come. 🔗 Explore the full outcomes and scenarios here: https://lnkd.in/eM26HFZS Participating institutions included: Texas Tech University (US), UK Health Security Agency, The University of Huddersfield, National University of Mexico, Columbia University, North-West University / Noordwes-Universiteit (South Africa), Azerbaijan State University of Economics • UNEC, University of Leeds, Universidad de Chile, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), and Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad. #DisasterRiskReduction #Resilience #YouthEngagement #UNDRR #IDDRR2025 Rhea Katsanakis Jenty Kirsch-Wood Marcus Altengård

🌍 At a time when the international system faces overlapping challenges – from climate breakdown to stalled development progress – the question is not whether multilateralism matters, but how it can adapt and deliver. 🎧 Multilateralism UNpacked, a monthly podcast produced by UNU-CPR, dives deep into one key global challenge per episode, exploring evidence-based solutions to strengthen the multilateral system. Each episode brings together practitioners, policymakers, and researchers to translate evidence into actionable insights, with thoughtful conversations on financing development, accelerating the SDGs, climate diplomacy, and institutional reform – always grounded in real-world experience and what works. From navigating the development sector's funding crisis and preparing for Brazil's "Turnaround COP" to reimagining the UN as a learning institution for its 80th anniversary, the series offers timely analysis on the reforms, innovations, and coalitions needed to meet today's demands. Listen now: https://lnkd.in/ewBm_mBJ

🕊️ How can the Peacebuilding Architecture Review strengthen the role of the human rights ecosystem in prevention and #peacebuilding? Join us during Geneva Peace Week for a hybrid panel, co-organized by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) and United Nations Human Rights, on activating Geneva’s human rights mechanisms for early warning, risk analysis, and inclusive dialogue, and connecting these strengths to 2025 Peacebuilding Architecture Review (PBAR) outcomes and the wider UN reform agenda. 🗓️ 🕐 Date & time: 14 Oct 2025, 13:00–14:30 (Geneva) 📍 Location: GCSP, 5th floor (pétale 4) – Hybrid Speakers include: • Adam Day, Head of Office, UNU-CPR Geneva • Dr Annyssa Bellal, Executive Director, Geneva Peacebuilding Platform - Geneva Peace Week • Mahamane Cissé-Gouro, Director, HRC & Treaty Mechanisms Division, United Nations Human Rights • Marcus Lenzen, Deputy Chief, Financing for Peacebuilding, UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) • Dagmar Schmidt Tartagli, Deputy Head, Peace & Human Rights Division, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA • H.E. Mr Samuel Zbogar, Permanent Representative of Slovenia to the UN (New York) • Florence Foster ★, Senior Project Manager, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights 👉 Register now and join the conversation. https://lnkd.in/e8VkrG3N #GenevaPeaceWeek #PBAR #HumanRights #Prevention #Peacebuilding #UN #Geneva #OHCHR #FDFA #UNUCPR #GPW25