Summary
Global and Regional Cooperation in an Age of Epidemic Uncertainty
“The pandemic has illustrated beyond dispute the gaps in our multilateral system. As countries go in different directions, the virus goes in every direction … We urgently need multilateral institutions that can act decisively, based on global consent, for the global good.”
— UN Secretary-General António Guterres
(Briefing to the Security Council on Global GovernancePost-COVID-19, September 24, 2020)
The Doha Forum Report 2020 examines the leadership deficit in multilateral cooperation toward both the coronavirus pandemic and other existing and emerging global challenges, including runaway climate change, rising political violence, menacing cyber-attacks, and growing inequality within and between countries. It finds that present international efforts are too often fragmented, delayed, ad hoc, and under-resourced, while pointing to promising new public-private partnerships to spur innovation through new technologies and to promote decent job and wealth creation opportunities.
The report also recommends a roadmap for a durable, green, and broad-based global recovery and institutional revitalization, culminating in a 2023 World Summit on Inclusive Global Governance. With the recent news on the expected arrival of one or more effective vaccines, the road to recovery must chart a bold new course and avoid a return to the “old normal” of unsustainable practices.
Further Reading
Doha Forum Report: Reimagining Governance in a Multipolar World
December 2019
UN 2.0: Ten Innovations for Global Governance – 75 Years beyond San Francisco
June 2020
