Revitalizing Multilateralism for a Sustainable…

In 2015, the world came together to adopt an ambitious plan for global development: the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Subsequent global shocks and setbacks, however, have increasingly underscored our shared vulnerabilities and hindered our progress towards a peaceful, prosperous, equitable and sustainable future. International cooperation and collective action are needed more than ever; yet our existing systems of multilateral engagement weren’t designed for the complex, interconnected, and rapidly-changing world in which we live.

It’s time for the United Nations to turbocharge.

In 2021, UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued Our Common Agenda, his vision for the future of international cooperation. Our Common Agenda aims to “turbocharge” action on the SDGs and, most poignantly, presents practical recommendations to transform global governance for the 21st century. Its publication started a conversation that will culminate in September 2025 at the World Social Summit where all countries will recommit to the UN charter and trust in multilateralism. The Summit of the Future in 2024 is an important step towards reinvigorating multilateralism where UN Member States will deliberate on three global compacts to transform international cooperation up to 2030 and beyond.

To support this vision and inform the Summit, the Secretary-General has released 11 thematic policy briefs to provide more detail on proposals for the Summit and aid Member States as they prepare for deliberations. The topics of these 11 policy briefs have been further condensed into five Chapters for the Summit, namely: Financing, Peace and Security, Digital Cooperation, Youth and Future Generations, and Global Governance.

The Summit of the Future marks a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to reframe global governance for the future. Revitalizing Multilateralism for a Sustainable Future is designed to help you understand and prepare for it.

In this unique course, Prof. Patrick Paul Walsh will guide learners through the past, present, and future of the global development agenda, examining the five Chapters, 11 policy briefs, and three Compacts with the aid of renowned leaders in the field of sustainable development. Through recorded videos from the prestigious Global Classroom lecture series and other high-profile fora, learners will hear from experts in global governance, finance, digital transformation, and more, and consider the Summit of the Future in light of their insights.

Following the Summit, new modules will be added to discuss the outcomes and preparations for the 2nd UN World Social Summit in September 2025.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Take stock of where we are at the mid-point of the sdgs and what more needs to be done before 2030.
Explore the origins of our common agenda and the goals for the summit of the future in september 2024.
Understand the multilateral process for adopting the three compacts at the summit.

Dive into the 11 thematic policy briefs that will inform the summit and explore the new challenges and opportunities for multilateralism in the 21st century.
Consider how you can contribute to reimagining and revitalizing global cooperation in your spheres of influence.

Take stock of where we are at the mid-point of the sdgs and what more needs to be done before 2030.
Explore the origins of our common agenda and the goals for the summit of the future in september 2024.
Understand the multilateral process for adopting the three compacts at the summit.
Dive into the 11 thematic policy briefs that will inform the summit and explore the new challenges and opportunities for multilateralism in the 21st century.
Consider how you can contribute to reimagining and revitalizing global cooperation in your spheres of influence.

Syllabus

I. Welcome to the Course

A. Introducing Our Common Agenda and the UN Summit of the Future

B. Jeffrey Sachs. "Sustainable Development: The Future We Want."

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Explores the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, which is standard in discussions on contemporary global development issues

Taught by Patrick Paul Walsh and features insights from renowned leaders in the field of sustainable development, which adds credibility to the content

Examines Our Common Agenda, a vision for the future of international cooperation released by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in 2021, which is highly relevant to understanding the current discourse on global development

Analyzes the five Chapters and 11 policy briefs that will inform the Summit of the Future in 2024, which is useful for understanding the key topics and recommendations for transforming global governance

Provides hands-on labs and interactive materials, such as recorded videos and high-profile fora discussions, which enhances the learning experience

Reviews summary

Insights into un multilateralism and global governance

According to students, this course offers an incredibly timely and relevant exploration of global governance, particularly focusing on the UN's Common Agenda and the upcoming Summit of the Future. Learners praise the comprehensive overview it provides, breaking down complex topics like policy briefs and the five chapters into digestible insights. The involvement of top-notch guest speakers, including Jeffrey Sachs, is consistently highlighted as a major strength, providing unparalleled insights into sustainable development and international cooperation. While largely positive, some learners suggest the course can feel high-level and theoretical, wishing for more practical case studies. The course’s promise of future updates on Summit outcomes is seen as a significant positive, making it feel like a 'living course'.

Course content will evolve with ongoing global events.

"It feels like a living course, especially with the promise of future updates."

"I appreciate that new modules will be added to discuss the outcomes and preparations for future summits."

"The course adapts to new developments, making it highly current."

Provides a clear and broad understanding of complex topics.

"A very informative course covering crucial topics for global cooperation. The structure around the 5 chapters and 11 policy briefs is clear."

"Good general introduction to UN initiatives and the Summit of the Future. The range of speakers is impressive."

"I gained a solid foundation from completing this course on the UN's structure and goals."

Features renowned leaders providing valuable perspectives.

"I particularly enjoyed the lectures by Jeffrey Sachs, they add so much depth."

"Professor Walsh and the guest speakers are top-notch, truly experts in their fields."

"Truly exceptional. The insights shared by the various leaders are unparalleled."

Addresses current global challenges and UN initiatives.

"This course is incredibly timely and relevant. The way it breaks down the UN's Common Agenda into digestible policy briefs is brilliant."

"Excellent and comprehensive overview of the upcoming Summit of the Future. The inclusion of current debates and future scenarios makes this course essential..."

"It helped me connect the dots between the SDGs and the practical efforts being made by the UN."

Primarily lecture-based with limited engagement opportunities.

"Disappointed with the lack of interactivity. It's mostly just watching lectures."

"I was hoping for more engaging discussions or opportunities to apply the concepts."

"Some of the video quality was inconsistent. It felt like a compilation of various lectures, which sometimes made the flow a bit disjointed."

Content leans high-level, with less practical application.

"Some sections felt a bit too high-level and theoretical, I would have appreciated more practical case studies or actionable insights..."

"The information is high-level, but without any practical exercises, it's hard to internalize."

"Could use more in-depth coverage on complex topics or optimization techniques in practice."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Revitalizing Multilateralism for a Sustainable Future with these activities:

Read "The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023"

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Review the progress and challenges of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to contextualize the course materials.

View COVID-19 – Rapid impact assessment on the... on Amazon

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Read through the report to gain an overview of the progress made towards each SDG.
Pay special attention to the challenges and obstacles highlighted in the report.
Consider how the findings of the report align with your own understanding of the SDGs.

Navigate the UN website and resources

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Familiarizes learners with the organization and resources they will use in the course.

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