It also outlined an ambitious plan to strengthen multilateral systems to address the crises of rising inequality, lack of finance for sustainable development, gender divide and threats to democracy
Gender equality needs to be at the heart of a reinvigorated multilateral system that is people-centric, transparent, flexible and future-oriented, the report argued. Representative photo: iStock. The global governance system should be redesigned for equipping it to tackle the current and future challenges of climate crisis to rising security threats, according to a new report by the United Nations (UN).
The report, A Breakthrough For People and Planet: Effective And Inclusive Global Governance for Today And The Future, launched by the UN’s High-Level Advisory Board (HLAB) on Effective Multilateralism, outlined an ambitious plan to overhaul the global governance system.
The document, launched April 18, 2023, also outlined an ambitious plan to strengthen multilateral systems to address the crises of rising inequality, lack of finance for sustainable development, gender divide and threats to democracy.
Also read: Debt crisis and gap in affordable climate finance in focus at IMF, World Bank meeting
Gender equality needs to be at the heart of a reinvigorated multilateral system that is people-centric, transparent, flexible and future-oriented, the report argued.
Effective multilateralism is only possible if UN-mandated Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on (gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls) are fully implemented and women and men are equally represented across all institutions and processes of global governance, it said.
HLAB, appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in March 2022, drafted 10 constituent principles of effective multilateralism. The principles are people-centric, representative, transparent, equitable, networked, mission-focused, flexible, accountable and future-oriented, according to HILAB.
These principles are integrated into six transformative shifts that can help tackle the challenges; they are:
These shifts are closely aligned with SDG and Our Common Agenda, the UN Secretary-General’s vision for the future of global cooperation. ‘Our Common Agenda’ is an action plan designed to strengthen and accelerate multilateral agreements for making a tangible difference in people’s lives.
The UN report also recommended strengthening the global architecture for peace, security and finance; delivering just transitions for climate and digitalisation and ensuring more equity in global decision-making.
Read more: Run up to COP27: Only a quarter of global climate finance flows into Asia; much of that in loan
The solutions provided in this report will help existing and future generations to avoid the catastrophic implications of the current trajectory and secure a more sustainable, just and peaceful world for people and the planet.
The report is launched ahead of the Summit of the Future, to be held on September 22-23, 2024 in New York. The recommendations of the report will be disseminated and discussed via an information campaign strategically targeting key constituencies and stakeholders over the next 18 months.
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