At the UN, a focus on the future

Welcome to Diplomatic Courier’s World This Month, which explores key trends in global affairs in the past month to keep you up to date.? ?

At the UN General Assembly in September, much attention was given to the UN’s Summit of the Future. But solving for the future meant a hard look at the UN’s institutional problems today. Other trending themes in this newsletter include a rethinking of literacy custom to better fit today’s challenges and under–the-radar elections in the Global South.

We hope you find these insights useful! As always, we welcome your comments or suggestions.

This newsletter is approximately a 5-min read.

Shane Szarkowski, PhD

Editor–in–Chief

September’s about the UN. Should it be?

Conceptually, the UN is exactly what the world needs as a forum for finding cooperative global solutions to today’s staggering global problems. Yet this storied institution has struggled to meet the challenges of the 21st century so far, and needs to adapt if we are to help the future arrive well.?

• How the UN’s Summit of the Future could be a turning point for global diplomacy – David Steven
• Does the UN need a turnaround? – Lisa Gable
• The ‘United Nationalists’ undermine UN’s relevance and purpose – Ike Ikeme
• Imagining the UN a decade out – Noah Sobe
• The UN is caught in a diversification trap – Lisa Christen

Rethinking literacy for the modern era

You’ll have seen references to new types of literacy in the last few years—climate literacy and digital literacy in particular are being talked about as global publics struggle to understand contemporary crises. We asked our network to delve into these new concepts of literacy, and how they can help us confront today’s challenges.?

• Navigating new frontiers of literacy in a polycrisis world – Euan Wilmshurst
• Global literacy amid digital world, progress, and new frontiers – Joysy John MBE
• Media literacy’s battle is about convenience and credibility – Aaraj Vij
• Rethinking literacy for a complex world – Nangamso Mtsatse

Important elections you haven’t heard about

With the ‘super election year’ in full swing, we’ve been reading, writing, hearing, and talking about elections a lot. Our attention has really been grabbed by a few especially surprising or contentious elections, but some overlooked elections could have profound impacts and deserve closer consideration.?

• A prologue to tragedy in El Salvador? – Adam Ratzlaff
• Uruguay’s 2024 forgotten general election – Alejandro Trenchi
• Why the world should focus on Namibia – Margaret J. Millett - MS Business Continuity, Hon FBCI, MBCP

In case you missed it…

Other important reads from September include a World in 2050 Education & Work Committee report on thriving and education, what the global community can do to help with the Aral Sea crisis, and a check–in on the Vienna Process for peace within Afghanistan.?

• Teaching learners to thrive now, so they can thrive later (W2050 Report) – Melissa Metos and Shane Szarkowski, PhD
• How the global community can restore the Aral Sea – Marat Bisengaliev
• The world must support Afghan peace efforts under the Vienna Process – Ambassador M. Ashraf Haidari

Thanks for reading!

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