A Breakthrough for People and Planet: Effective and Inclusive Global Governance for Today and the Future

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PERI’s Jayati Ghosh and 11 other members of the United Nation’s High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism were tasked to identify concrete, actionable recommendations that point towards a radical shift in our approach to global governance. 

Executive Summary

World leaders came together in 2020 at the 75th anniversary of the United Nations to advance a vision of strengthened international cooperation in the service of planet and people and pledged to pursue this goal with new ambition and moral courage. This report draws inspiration from the UN75 declaration and seeks to re-imagine global governance for current and future generations.

The proposals of the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism offer a pathway to revitalize and position the multilateral system at and beyond the Summit of the Future. They suggest that global governance must evolve into a less hierarchical, more networked system wherein decision-making is distributed, and where the efforts of a large number of different actors are harnessed towards a collective mission.

As a starting point, this report outlines ten constituent principles of effective multilateralism: people-centered, representative, transparent, equitable, networked, resourced, mission-focused, flexible, accountable, and future- oriented. These principles are integrated into six transformative shifts that can help tackle the challenges facing us today and those on the horizon.