An informal dialogue, hosted at the Baha’i International Community’s Office and organized by the Coalition for Global Citizenship 2030 and UN2020, took place today with the wider UN community. Over 60 participants discussed the intersection between global citizenship and global governance in light of the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. 

Daniel Perell, Representative of the Baha’i International Community and moderator of the event, spoke to the timeliness of reflecting on global governance. He remarked that while the establishment of the UN was a tremendous advance for its time, there is, as with any other institution, a continual need for it to evolve and respond to the demands of the age. 

 “The reality of our interconnectedness, our shared destiny, and our common homeland demands a critical rethinking of what global governance should look like today,” Perell said. 

The diverse group of participants included panelists Ambassador Chull-Joo Park from the Republic of Korea, Natalie Samarasinghe from the United Nations UN75 Office, and Jeffery Huffines, Senior Advisor to UN2020, a civil society movement associated with the 75th anniversary.  Among other issues, they discussed the limitations of the current system of global governance and what steps should be taken to overcome them, as well as what models could help humanity move toward a more globally egalitarian society.

On this last point, Mr. Huffines asked, “How can we move from national sovereignty, which is the cornerstone of our international system, to one of global solidarity? Instead of diplomats and governments premising their foreign policy decisions on the national interest, why not also take into account the global interest?”

While previous anniversaries were characterized by reflecting on achievements and shortcomings of the past, Secretary General Antonio Guterres has suggested that the 75th must inspire new solutions for global governance. As such, participants highlighted global citizenship education as a key element to fostering a sense of global awareness among the peoples of the world. They also spoke to the importance of gathering information and input at the grassroots to ensure that solutions for achieving UN goals are locally driven. 

They highlighted the importance of material resources to achieve global plans, but also emphasized the countless community-based initiatives that are devised and supported by ordinary citizens the world over, which are less dependent on complex funding structures. While the global community has achieved consensus around a number of vital issues, both their application in the field and our capacity to measure and assess progress are lacking. 

Mr. Huffines stated that there is no true global governance system at this time, but rather crosscutting decentralized networks of interactions that differ significantly on key issues, adding “We have a profound challenge of creating coherence within the international community in this regard.” He further shared that cultivating political will and creating incentives among member states, NGOs, business leaders, and international civil servants will prove essential to advancing global governance in the short and medium term.

While the discussion touched on a number of challenges related to global governance, Mr. Perell shared that “Sometimes, and this is one of those moments, it is helpful to raise our vision above momentary challenges to ensure that we keep our ultimate destination in mind.”