Climate Overshoot risks: building coherent and collaborative responses

The Global Commission on Governing Risks from Climate Overshoot (the ‘Climate Overshoot Commission’) is an independent group of eminent global leaders who recommends an integrated strategy to reduce risks should global warming goals be exceeded. While the primary means to combat climate change should remain the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, it has become necessary … Continued

COP28: High stakes and little time to deliver on climate action

While the latest IPCC report states that the world is likely to surpass the 1.5°C threshold, increasingly frequent and devastating climate disasters worldwide call for urgent large-scale action. However, climate action is often one of many urgent priorities that must be addressed. The COP28, set to take place in Dubai a few months after the … Continued

Bracing for tomorrow: Perspectives on the UN Summit of the Future

In September 2024, the United Nations will convene the Summit of the Future on the theme ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow.’ The event is described as a ‘a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance cooperation on critical challenges and address gaps in global governance, reaffirm existing commitments including to the SDGs and the UN Charter, and … Continued

Seeking Common Ground in a World of Rivalry

In a world dominated by a rising US-China rivalry and damaged by conflicts, climate change and the lingering consequences of the pandemic especially on the most vulnerable countries, it is as urgent as ever to find common ground on the governance of global commons and global public goods. But one can wonder if it is … Continued

90 years of the International Rescue Committee (IRC): Exploring the parallel between then and now

The world is experiencing the highest number of violent conflicts since World War II. 110 million displaced people – the highest number ever recorded: a devastating consequence of natural disasters, violent conflicts, and source of high tensions on the borders of neighboring countries and the far away safe havens of Europe and North America. Civil society … Continued

Fostering Lunar Policy Priorities for Safe and Sustainable Lunar Development

With over a hundred lunar missions planned by 2030, international policies and standards are needed to enable safe and sustainable lunar development. To begin this crucial work for our common future in space, this roundtable introduces the Lunar Policy Platform, an international, non-governmental, non-profit entity aiming to facilitate shared solutions to common lunar problems through … Continued

Stopping the war on the rules of war

From Sudan to the Middle East and the Sahel, current conflicts indicate that civilians as well as combatants in armed conflicts are increasingly falling victim to blatant violations of their basic rights as granted by International Humanitarian Law and in particular by the Geneva Conventions. These attacks come together with a widespread feeling of impunity … Continued

Protecting Populations from Critical Harm to the Public Core of the internet

Ensuring the protection and resilience of critical information infrastructures is crucial to the continuity of essential services to populations. However, global cooperation in this regard has been hampered by a lack of convergence between States on what infrastructure qualifies as “critical” as well as on consequences to be drawn from this designation. New methods remain … Continued

From Multicrisis to Multiconflicts: how to stop the vicious circle

Violence is on the rise globally. The “multicrisis” created by the post-Covid setback on SDGs, debt, and new climate vulnerability has pushed many countries on the brink of greater fragility and political instability and created new challenges for conflict prevention. The UN as well as International Financial Institutions, such as the World Bank, have recently … Continued