Global Policy Forum Europe, with partners, published a compilation of six essays, which outline weaknesses of current multilateral architecture and offer recommendations on how to strengthen democratic multilateral structures, policies, and approaches. The report calls for “fundamental and systemic changes” in governance and mindsets to foster multilateral cooperation to solve the world’s multiple crises.
The report titled, ‘Spotlight on Global Multilateralism: Perspectives on the Future of International Cooperation in Times of Multiple Crises,’ highlights recommendations and key messages from civil society organizations (CSOs), trade unions, and researchers, contributing to “the discourse about the future of multilateralism.” It seeks to inform discussions towards the Summit of the Future in 2024 and, drawing on the UN Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda, shines the spotlight on several key areas.
On peace and common security, the report recommends actions to strengthen the global architecture for peace, generate a new peace dividend by achieving disarmament and development, revitalize nuclear arms control and disarmament, and address new military technologies and outer space weapons.
It recommends embracing a New Social Contract with the objective of ensuring decent and climate-friendly jobs with just transition, rights for all workers, minimum living wages and equal pay policies, universal social protection, equality, and inclusion.
On global financial governance, the report calls for reform of the global debt architecture through, among other measures:
- A debt restructuring process under a multilateral framework;
- An automatic stay on debt payments;
- A comprehensive debt sustainability evaluation; and
- A binding approach in any debt treatment process.
The report also: explores the Maastricht Principles on the Human Rights of Future Generations; casts the Global Digital Compact, proposed in Our Common Agenda, as the “linchpin for a future multilateralism”; and makes the case for the meaningful involvement of local and regional governments and public service trade unions in the multilateral system of the future.
Global Policy Forum Europe published the report with support from Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Geneva and contributions from FIAN International, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), IT for Change, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), Tax Justice Network Africa, and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), among other partners. [Publication: Spotlight on Global Multilateralism: Perspectives on the Future of International Cooperation in Times of Multiple Crises] [Executive Summary] [Publication Landing Page] [Interactive Online Report]