As geopolitical fragmentation deepens, Ambassador Juan González-Barba reflects on Europe's future, the power of shared values, and how principled cooperation can help shape a more stable international order. Learn more on GlobalGovernanceForum.org

As grand corruption erodes democracy, security, and public trust, Allan Rock explores the case for an International Anti-Corruption Court, the future of UN reform, and the stronger global institutions needed to uphold the rule of law. Learn more on GlobalGovernanceForum.org

In a recent podcast conversation with Adam Lupel, we explored the growing mismatch between today’s global risks and the United Nations’ capacity to respond effectively. Our discussion ranged from Security Council paralysis and the corrosive effects of veto use, to the UN’s limited ability to address contemporary threats such as civil conflict, state fragility, and transnational risks. We also examined why disarmament and prevention—once central to the UN’s mission—have weakened, and what it w...

In this episode, Jojo Mehta, CEO of Stop Ecocide International, explores the growing global movement to recognize ecocide as an international crime. Building on the vision she developed with the late Polly Higgins, Mehta explains why criminal law—alongside regulation—is essential to closing accountability gaps in a fragmented world. She reflects on the milestones that have moved ecocide from the margins to mainstream legal and diplomatic debate, and what its adoption could mean in practice fo...

Artificial intelligence is transforming the global information ecosystem at breathtaking speed. In this timely conversation, Julia Haas, Head of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media’s AI & Freedom of Expression project, examines what this means for journalism, democratic governance, and human rights. We discuss the rise of deepfakes and AI-driven disinformation, the concentration of power in big tech platforms, and the economic vulnerabilities of modern newsrooms. How do we pre...

In this wide-ranging discussion, Professor Peter J. Hoffman argues that the United Nations’ current paralysis reflects a deeper crisis of legitimacy rather than a temporary political impasse. He examines why incremental reform is no longer sufficient, probing core questions of Security Council authority, democratic representation beyond states, the governance of planetary risk, and the constitutional status of human rights. Drawing on historical experience with institutional change, Hoffman s...

In this excerpt from CBC Ideas, Augusto López-Claros reflects on a rapidly changing world and the civic movements demanding that the UN evolve with it. From the failures of the current system to the rising pressure from civil society, he outlines why the UN Charter’s original architects left behind a little-known pathway — Article 109 — designed to ensure periodic review. Nearly 80 years later, that review has never happened. This episode explores why now may be the moment to invoke it, and h...

Martin Kreutner, Dean Emeritus of the International Anti-Corruption Academy and a distinguished former member of the Austrian Federal Appeals Tribunal traces the historical roots of our present global order and compellingly argues that the shift to various forms of strongman diplomacy currently under way, in the spirit of the 1945 Yalta conference that established the key political parameters of the United Nations, is likely to be costly for human well-being. Much better to build a more inclu...

Professor Guy Sinclair explains how the UN has, over time, diverged from its original Charter, adapting in response to global shifts—sometimes enhancing its relevance, but at other times straining its legitimacy. Sinclair outlines four key factors driving institutional change: external shocks, internal dynamics, legal mechanisms, and shared narratives. As new technologies like AI and autonomous weapons reshape global threats, he anticipates further evolution in how international organizations...

Cecelia Lynch, a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, is a leading thinker on the importance of inclusion as a catalyst for promoting sustainable, peaceful, social transformations. The idea is that inclusion should not just be limited to nation states but should from the outset involve those directly impacted by conflicts, so that they play a leading role in the resolution process. Radical inclusion broadens participation to include marginalized groups like local co...