Publications

The UN Human Rights Council is at a critical juncture. This policy brief pinpoints four mutually reinforcing challenges that hinder the workings of the HRC: (1) the non-enforceability of human rights norms, (2) problematic membership practices, (3) restricted civil society access, and (4) severe resource constraints. To address these issues, policymakers should set up enhanced monitoring and early warning systems, guarantee competitive elections and accountability measures, establish and enforce anti-reprisal policies, and secure states’ financial commitments.

How well is cyberspace governance working? Key UN processes for digitalisation have produced mixed results and are often undermined by geopolitical friction and competing visions of cyberspace regulation.

The Human Rights Council is at a critical juncture. How can it reform? Targeted improvements like stronger membership criteria, protected civil society participation, and adequate funding for Special Procedures may help.

How have multilateral institutions shaped policy responses on vaccine access? During the COVID-19 pandemic, intellectual property rights were often prioritised over quick, equitable vaccine access. How will global health address this going forward?

With COP30 on the horizon and a worsening climate crisis, can the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meet the demand? Its procedural structure, which requires consensus, may be a significant obstacle to achieving the goals set out in the Paris Agreement.

How are rising geopolitical tensions and recent US tariffs threatening the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO)? A renewed focus on safeguarding the institution’s robustness may be essential for its survival.

The club's meeting is an opportunity for the EU to formulate a shared agenda with Brazil around specific priorities like ending hunger or climate change, and to jointly promote common initiatives.

The 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia, will be the first real test of whether the now-expanded BRICS can effectively collaborate on new initiatives and potentially lead the "global majority." Here's why the EU and others should pay attention.

From a civil society perspective, the process that led to the Summit of the Future as well as its outcomes were disappointing. In light of this, the EU and its member states should do more to enhance civil society participation in global governance.