Publications

This new dossier compiled by Maia Colodenco advocates for legislative reforms that emphasize transparency, accountability, oversight, and sustainability in public finance management.

In his latest article, Matthias Jobelius examines the crises overshadowing the UN’s 80th anniversary and what reform could achieve.

At the 80th UN General Assembly, leaders will face a critical question: Is today’s UN - and its funding - fit for purpose?

The second UN World Summit for Social Development (WSSD2) will take place in Doha in November 2025. An FES-supported analysis by Global Policy Forum explores what is at stake.

Berlin’s 2025 Ministerial sought to rethink peacekeeping. Familiar patterns persisted - but space for broader, more inclusive dialogue is beginning to open.

This new Study by FES and DGB explores Instruments, Partner Demands, and Reforms for the socio-ecological transformation

As the UNO turns 80, celebrations are overshadowed by the return of those phenomena it once united against

In this new analysis, Elizabeth Minor explores the next steps toward regulating autonomous weapons systems.

To build a fairer world, we must tackle inequality—not just poverty. Ingrid Robeyns shows how we can chart a better path

The July 2025 FFD4 conference may be our last, best chance to reform development finance and rescue multilateralism

Rethinking debt for the future: Discover how a forward-looking framework is reshaping debt sustainability for lasting impact

Debt assessments shape nations’ futures - are they ready for today’s crises? This volume offers expert insights and bold reforms to modernize them.

The 2025 Bundestag elections have drastically changed the balance of power in Germany. A new FES analysis takes a closer look at the results.

The EU faces an uphill battle at the UN as the Trump administration shifts gears on Ukraine. Can Europe rally the Global South to its side?

Trump ushers in a new era of coercive diplomacy and "deal-making." It's time for the rules-based international order to find answers.

Historically the UN's top funder, the U.S. is now likely to worsen the world organization's liquidity crisis by cutting support.

FES is activating its network of over 100 offices and partner organizations worldwide to help address the sovereign debt crisis.

Many UN insiders expected Trump's return, but navigating it will be challenging.

In times of war, is the UN still relevant in driving disarmament efforts?

Is the geopolitical space for disarmament shrinking? What role do the U.S. and other major powers play?

What are the implications of new and emerging technologies, including AI, on disarmament and human control?

This new paper series takes an in-depth look at Debt Sustainability Assessments (DSAs) and their role in the international financial architecture.

The UN's liquidity crisis jeopardizes its mandates. A new study by FES and IDOS explores new mechanisms for UN funding.

Ongoing crises keep multilateralism in turmoil, but ambitious reforms are still on the table. What to expect from the 2024 UN Summit of the Future?

The Global South wants to strengthen the role of the UN in global tax policy. But the North is united in its opposition.

This new report by economist Paola Subacchi explores the risks of fragmentation in the international financial and monetary systems.

The United Nations and its 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are highly popular around the world, but reforms are needed for the UN to deliver.

The UN system has outlived its usefulness and it is now urgent to design a global institution that is reflective of the twenty-first century.

Emerging military technologies like lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS) are dangerously under-regulated. It's time to change that.

Around the world, people have become increasingly angry at the failures of their governments - democratically elected or not - to address their needs.

2022 saw unprecedented protests about the basics needed for everyday life, signaling a global economic failure to provide goods at prices people can afford.

30 years after Fukuyama's famous hypothesis on the "End of History," geopolitics are shifting once again. Are we witnessing a "Return of the West"? And if so, what does it mean?

China has become an increasingly visible player across the UN development pillar, giving rise to competing narratives.

Nobelpreisträger Joseph E. Stiglitz über Putins Angriffskrieg, die globale Schuldenkrise, deutsche Atomkraftwerke und Wege aus der Krise.

Public opinion turns more pessimistic amid global crises, but support for international cooperation and solidarity with Ukraine remain strong.

Led and bankrolled by undemocratic states with deep pockets, UN counter-terrorism efforts are increasingly opaque, unaccountable and out of step with UN values.

The UN's review conference on nuclear weapons was overshadowed by geopolitics, but a focus on humanitarian issues may be the way forward.

While the eyes of the world are on Russia's war in Ukraine, significant diplomatic progress has been achieved in Yemen.

The discussion about a UN Tax Convention is moving from a question of “Should we have one?” to “How would we do it?”

As corporate tax dodging continues, the need for a coherent set of clear and simple rules is greater than ever.

Spotlight report about key issues affecting migrants at the grassroots, national and regional levels.

A conversation on the "Veto initiative" with the Ambassador of Liechtenstein to the United Nations, Christian Wenaweser.

With global outrage and discontent on the rise, the 21st century has witnessed some of the largest protests in world history.

Was bedeutet der Krieg in der Ukraine für die Zukunft der Vereinten Nationen? Ein Gastbeitrag von Michael Bröning für „Die Zeit“.

As protests are on the rise, people across the globe demand human rights, decent living standards, and real democracy.

In a historic vote, the UN General Assembly demands an end to Russia's war against Ukraine. Michael Bröning reports in "Vorwärts" (DE).

Die VN-Generalversammlung tritt zu einer historischen Sondersitzung zusammen. Warum das wichtig ist, analysiert Michael Bröning im „IPG-Journal“.

Report by eminent experts offers recommendations to ensure governments emerging from debt distress can still invest in sustainable development.

New polling shows global support for international cooperation, favorable views of Biden, and optimism about a "return to normal" after Covid.

20 years after 9/11, many originally temporary encroachments on civil liberties and privacy remain in force.

Auch heute, 20 Jahre nach 9/11, bleiben viele ursprünglich zeitlich befristete Freiheitseinschränkungen in Kraft.

António Guterres will serve a second term as UN Secretary-General. What might a “liberated” Guterres accomplish?

To defeat the pandemic we need to lift patent protections on Covid-19 vaccines.

People around the world want more and better international cooperation.

Biden-Harris administration sends clear message on gender equality and women's rights.

On 11 March last year, the WHO declared Covid-19 a global pandemic. Former CDC director Tom Frieden on whether we're better prepared for the next one.

New polling from FES New York and YouGov shows much of the world has high hopes for Biden's presidency, but also skepticism about US return to the global stage.

How do we build a legally-binding framework to keep killer robots in check?

This brief distills a complex and compelling argument that stable and secure real exchange rates are good for development.

Is the glass half full or half empty? Germany's tenure on the UN Security Council in review.

How can the new Biden-Harris Administration bring the US back onto the multilateral stage?

Wie die neue US-Administration das Verhältnis zu den UN reparieren kann.

The first-ever virtual HLPF was a disappointment, both substantively and organizationally.

Rising geopolitical tensions and the "war" against Covid-19 are straining the institutions that underpin international economic interdependence.

The 2019 FES/ITUC Policy Research Fellow finds World Bank and IMF lending fails to adequately support UN goals on decent work and equity.

Shahra Razavi expertly narrates how the current crisis is affecting social protection systems worldwide and what must be done to "build back better."

A feminist response must address four key areas: bodily autonomy, ecological sustainability, the care economy, and just financial flows.

International cooperation is under pressure in the corona pandemic. The G20, UN and IMF are bucking the trend.

95% of respondents to a recent UN study agreed that global cooperation is necessary to manage global trends.

The outdated dogma of nuclear deterrence and other means of achieving security.

COVID-19 is exacerbating inequalities of all kinds. What can the World Bank do?

African-led peace operations face important challenges, but their level of achievement is noteworthy.

As the IMF and UNCTAD warn of a global financial crisis, the world economy is at a critical juncture.

Germany approaches the second half of its term on the UNSC. What has it achieved? And what comes next?

When disaster hits, already impoverished countries find themselves in debt traps. Only a global mechanism can prevent this.

Reducing inequality and boosting economic growth are not necessarily contradictory, quite the contrary!

The 2019 HLPF is an opportunity to improve policies at global and national levels to combat inequality.

Humanitarian organizations - both inside and outside the UN system - have insufficient funds.

As Member States are gearing up for the 2020 NPT Review Conference, consensus remains difficult to achieve.

Trade policy must not be an end in itself, but has to serve broader, fair and democratic objectives.

Can Germany use its upcoming term on the Security Council to refocus international attention on the unresolved crisis in Eastern Ukraine?

Two UN landmark agreements turned 70 years old. What's their relevance today?

Germany is uniquely positioned - and obligated - to prioritize atrocity prevention on the international stage.

The 2030 measurement framework presents challenges and possible unintended consequences for countries, their statistical systems and the broader information ecosystem.

2018 policies of the IMF and World Bank show some improvements in reducing inequalities, but more work remains to be done.

Looking back at the failure of reforms since 2008, this paper proposes ways in which “regulation from below” by engaged and empowered bank workers can provide an alternative to a purely “top-down” approach.

Germany’s time on the Security Council brings an opportunity for Berlin to demonstrate that it is ready to play at the highest level of global crisis management.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres plans to instill new life into the United Nations by making prevention of wars and armed conflicts the hallmark of his administration. The only question is, how to achieve this?

The challenges of financing for development (FFD) are many - from a weakened multilateral system to persistent inequalities - but the key for UN delegates negotiating the outcome of the upcoming FFD Forum? Focus not only on the need for economic growth, but on who will benefit from it.

Asia's security outlook still appears to be laden with uncertainties. From the changing dynamics in the balance of power, an emboldened North Korea and the threat of the different shades of terrorism and radical extremism, there are serious concerns about the prospects for peace and security in the region.

The final report, distills the findings of a two-year effort by more than 20 international experts to find answers on how to overcome rising insecurity and its attendant ills.

This publication focuses on the role and influence of the President of the UN General Assembly within political affairs as well as how much influence he should have to deliver for the UN Member States.

This publication focuses on the connection of climate change and global security and discusses whether actions on climate change could trigger transformations of the UN Security Council.

A lack of transparency, coordination, and information about global investment opportunities in infrastructure discourage adequate investment. What way forward?

This report reviews policies of the United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank Group (WBG) and other global financial rule-makers, and scores them on a scale of 1–5 on their efforts and success at reducing inequalities.

This publication discusses proposals for a strong, integral nuclear weapons ban treaty that among others includes references to human rights, environmental law and victim assistance.

This publication proposes limited debt relief schemes to overcome weaknesses of debt restructuring mechanisms and thus preventing a new debt and financial crisis.

This publication by SIPRI in collaboration with FES examines security dynamics and EU interests related to the Belt and provides recommendations for EU-China cooperation and engagement.

FES New York together with three other founding organizations of the campaign '1 for 7 billion' (United Nations Association-UK, CIVICUS and Avaa) co-produced this publication committed to a democratic and transparent election of the new Secretary-General.