UN 2030: Rebuilding Order in a Fragmenting World

On Tuesday, August 30th, the Honorable Kevin Rudd, former Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Australia, President of the Asia Society Policy Institute, and Chair of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM), launched the ICM Chair’s Report titled, “UN 2030: Rebuilding Order in a Fragmenting World.”. Watch the complete video from the event. (1 hour, 9 min., 14 sec.) 

As the world faces a slew of complicated challenges and the international community comes together to select the next UN Secretary General, there is renewed debate about the role of the UN in international affairs. In UN 2030: Rebuilding Order in a Fragmenting World, Asia Society Policy Institute (ASPI) President Kevin Rudd argues that the UN continues to matter. The report makes the case that if the UN fails, falters, or fades away, it would fundamentally erode the stability of an already fragile global order. At the same time, Rudd contends, we tend to take the UN for granted, overlooking the reality that its continued existence is not inevitable. The UN, while not yet broken, is in trouble. The report concludes, however, that the UN is capable of reinventing itself. This requires not one-off reforms but a continual process of reinvention to ensure the institution is responding to the policy challenges of our time.

UN 2030 complements and echoes themes of the work Rudd leads at ASPI — specifically on the rise of Asia and its impact on the global order. Written in Rudd’s capacity as Chair of The Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM), the report offers recommendations for the next UN Secretary General. It concludes a two-year review of the United Nations system in 16 areas, ranging from counter-terrorism to administrative reform, and was carried out under the auspices of the International Peace Institute. The report also details Rudd's suggestions on a range of principles for UN reform and outlines a series of recommendations for the future in peace and security, sustainable development, humanitarian engagement, and management.

Full Report

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