media & analysis
Pathways to a Post-2030 Development Agenda
Christian Schlaepfer • Sustainable Development • October 1, 2026
Discussions on a post-2030 development agenda are emerging. Member States and stakeholders should not rush into settling on any one clear vision for what this will look like. They should also not wait for the formal process to spoon-feed them a ready-made solution. The upcoming months provide a moment for open reflection among stakeholders to explore all options and scenarios and take action to prepare the ground for a process that would meet the moment. This paper sketches out the political landscape, key drivers and possible scenarios for how this process might play out.
Co-Constructing Coordination: Emerging Lessons from Mexico on UN Interagency and Host Government Collaboration
UN Member States consistently call on the United Nations system to work as “one UN” but a fundamental constraint remains: the UN system is composed of distinct entities with separate mandates, governance structures, funding streams, and lines of accountability. In a new White Paper, Senior Advisor Mauricio Artiñano examines the recent experience of Mexico, where UN representatives, government officials, and outside experts consistently describe both interagency collaboration and cooperation between the UN and the government as working particularly well.
The UN Needs a Leader. Member States Need to Let Them Lead.
The United Nations will soon have a new leader. In a moment of instability and crisis, the appointment of a new Secretary-General is considered by many to be an opportunity for energy and progress. However, as Starling Institute Senior Advisor Suzanne Nossel argues in this White Paper, it will be the UN’s Member States that decide if the next Secretary-General can be the leader that the institution needs. Member States hold the key to a better future for the UN.
Toward a Values-Based International Order
Starling Institute CEO and co-founder Minh-Thu Pham delivered a keynote speech at the Joint Biennial Meeting of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commissions and Reference Groups of Peace, Justice, and Life in Chiang Mai, Thailand. On the topic of “Towards a Values-Based International Order,” Minh-Thu argued for a global movement for morality and the rule of law. Her speech considered the role of international law, the crisis facing multilateralism, and the path forward through catalytic coalition connecting the different ‘rooms’ of experts.
Pathways to a Post-2030 Development Agenda
Discussions on a post-2030 development agenda are emerging. Member States and stakeholders should not rush into settling on any one clear vision for what this will look like. They should also not wait for the formal process to spoon-feed them a ready-made solution. The upcoming months provide a moment for open reflection among stakeholders to explore all options and scenarios and take action to prepare the ground for a process that would meet the moment. Christian Schlaepfer sketches out the political landscape, key drivers and possible scenarios for how this process might play out.
Ebola Crisis: Multilateral Response Across Health and Security
Since early May 2026, an outbreak of Ebola has been rapidly evolving in northeastern DRC into the second-largest outbreak recorded. In this PULSE Update, Policy Advisor Christian Schlaepfer argues that, as world leaders convene in New York for the annual high-level opening of the General Assembly and high-level meetings on health and Security Council meetings on MONUSCO, they should consider measures to respond to the deteriorating situation across health and security.
Thinking Outside the Toolbox: Looking Beyond the Secretary-General’s Review of UN Peace Operations
The UN Secretary-General has just published his long-awaited review of UN peace operations. Among its recommendations, the Review calls for a more flexible and differentiated approach to UN peace operations. In this PULSE Update, Starling Institute Senior Advisor Mauricio Artiñano explores what this approach could mean both within–and beyond–the peace operations spectrum.
Reviving Peace and Security at the UN: UN80 and Beyond
The role of the United Nations in promoting peace and security is front and center as geopolitical tensions run hot and the selection process for a new UN Secretary-General is well under way. This report explores the best avenues to make the United Nations more effective in the peace and security space both through UN80 reforms and a number of other means.
Can the Next Secretary-General Bring the UN Back to Relevance?
The contest to succeed António Guterres is underway. As candidates put forward their visions, the more pressing question is what kind of leader the moment demands.
Going for Broke: Time to Reform the UN Budget Process
UN’s budgeting process – the ‘who pays what’ that funds the world’s most important multilateral body – is fundamentally broken. We propose a dramatically different funding formula as a model to consider.
A global system that works for all?
With the US stepping back and conflict on the rise, UN reform has shifted from a long-standing aspiration to an urgent necessity. The UK and EU are uniquely positioned to lead — but only if they bring the Global South with them.
Reform of the United Nations
With the US stepping back and conflict on the rise, UN reform has shifted from a long-standing aspiration to an urgent necessity. The UK and EU are uniquely positioned to lead — but only if they bring the Global South with them.
Lessons from the Creation of UN Women for UN80 Reforms
The creation of UN Women in 2010 offers a rare case study in successful UN reform — and a cautionary tale for the rushed, inward-looking process underway today. Transformation requires vision, diplomacy, and time.
Priorities for the Next Secretary-General
The next Secretary-General will inherit a United Nations in crisis — budget shortfalls, ongoing conflicts, and a reform agenda mid-stream. This report maps the four priority areas that will define whether their tenure rescues or accelerates the institution's decline.
A Decade After Addis Ababa Pledges, Africa Faces Debt Strains, Dwindling Aid
A decade after the Addis Ababa Action Agenda promised to move development financing from 'billions to trillions,' the results have fallen far short. As Africa faces mounting debt and dwindling aid, the Compromiso de Sevilla offers new tools — but real questions remain about delivery.
Emerging Member State Positions on UN80
There is broad agreement that UN reform is necessary — and deep disagreement about what it should look like. This pulse update maps the emerging fault lines among Member States as the UN80 process moves toward its most consequential decisions.
Bridging the Sevilla FfD Agreement and the Addis Declaration for Enhanced Climate Finance in Africa
The Sevilla financing agreement made real strides on climate finance — but gaps in equity and implementation remain. This brief spells out how African countries can use the new Sevilla Platform of Action to advance their climate priorities ahead of COP30.
The Compromiso de Sevilla Marks a New Path for Development Finance
With the United States dropping out of negotiations, the rest of the world signed on to an agreement that shifts voice and influence toward the Global South.
UN80: An Explainer
As the UN marks its 80th anniversary under acute budget pressure and political strain, Secretary-General Guterres has launched the most ambitious reform effort in a generation. This explainer breaks down what UN80 is, how it works, and what good reform would actually require.
Taking Payout Strategy a Step Further
The 5 percent payout requirement was designed as a floor, not a ceiling — yet foundations have let it cap their ambition for decades. A more systematic approach to payout, grounded in the nature of each issue, could unlock far greater impact.
Shifting Sands of Multilateralism: Change in a New International Order
Despite the noise, multilateralism isn't dying — it's reinventing itself. From a landmark pandemic treaty to a wave of regional trade agreements, new forms of global cooperation are emerging, driven less by great powers than by countries determined to work around them.
starling in the news & public
Adla Massoud, The National, “Costa Rica’s Grynspan extends lead in race to become next UN chief,” quoting Minh-Thu Pham, September 29, 2026.
Edith Lederer, The Associated Press, “4 vying to be the next UN chief try to set themselves apart as race heats up” quoting Minh-Thu Pham, April 26, 2026.
Sébastien Thibault, Foreign Policy Analytics. “A Q&A with Minh-Thu Pham”. Part of the Global Governance Reimagined series. October 15, 2025.
Lianhe Zaobao (Singapore), “International Special Report: After 80 years of carrying heavy burdens and reaching the brink of danger, can the United Nations still be the United Nations?” September 28, 2025, quoting Minh-Thu Pham. Language: Chinese.
The Economist, “The UN’s Grim Future,” September 18, 2025. Quoting Minh-Thu Pham; PDF here.
Interrupturr. “Cuts & Consequences”. Elmira Bayrasli. Interview with Minh-Thu Pham, July 1, 2025.
Devex, “US abandons Financing for Development conference” by Colum Lynch. Quoting Minh-Thu Pham. June 18 2025.
NPR’s This American Life. “Some Things We Don't Do Anymore”. Interview with John Norris. June 20 2025.
Devex, “What is Financing for Development 4 and why is it a big deal?”by Jesse Chase-Lubitz, quoting Minh-Thu Pham, May 30, 2025.
Helsingin Sanomat, “The Face of the New World? A woman from Latin America and the Caribbean is likely to be elected as the next UN Secretary-General,” by Tommi Hannula, interview with Minh-Thu Pham, December 29, 2024. Language: Finnish. (Translated here.)
Al Jazeera interview on UN Summit of the Future and UN agencies operating in crisis, interview with Minh-Thu Pham, September 24, 2024.
Washington Post, "World leaders gather at a U.N. desperate to save itself," column by Ishaan Tharoor, quoting Minh-Thu Pham's analysis, September 23, 2024.
Politico Global Playbook, Day 2 of UNGA, by Suzanne Lynch, quoting Minh-Thu Pham, September 23, 2024.
UN Dispatch, "These Stories Will Drive the Agenda During UN Week,"by Mark Leon Goldberg, quoting Minh-Thu Pham, September 23, 2024.
Global Cooperation Update from Global Nation, “Nothing about us without us” — a slogan to turbocharge the UN’s Summit of the Future”by Jonathan Glennie, February 1, 2024.
NPR, “The U.N. plan to improve the world by 2030 is failing. Does that make it a failure?” interview with Minh-Thu Pham, by Michael Igoe, September 21, 2023.
Washington Post, “The main storylines at a gloomy United Nations,” Analysis by Ishaan Tharoor, September 19, 2023.
Arab News, “Erdogan’s COP26 retreat an environmental, democratic failure: Experts,” by Christopher Hamill-Stewart, November 2, 2021
New York Times, “Vietnamese Americans, Once Displaced Themselves, Mobilize to Help Afghans,” interview with Minh-Thu Pham, by Madeleine Ngo, October 3, 2021.
NBC Nightly News, “Vietnamese American refugees offer support to Afghans amid U.S. withdrawal,”interview of Minh-Thu Pham, August 23, 2021.
Politico, Birthday of the Day, featuring Minh-Thu Pham on U.S. General Election Day, November 3, 2020.
“70 Years of Partnership: Championing Multilateralism for a Shared and Sustainable Future.” Remarks by Minh-Thu Pham. December 11, 2025.
“UKICE Lunch Hour: Multilateralism in crisis”. Panel discussion with Minh-Thu Pham. December 9, 2025.
Remarks to a briefing of the Informal Ad Hoc Working Group on UN80.Minh-Thu Pham. October 13, 2025.
A UN Without the United States,September 16, 2025, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual panel and curtain-raiser for 2025 UN high-level week, with Stewart Patrick, Allison Lombardo, Colum Lynch, and Minh-Thu Pham.
“The UN Summit of the Future: What to Expect,” UN General Assembly curtain-raising virtual panel, September 16, 2024.
“Is this the moment to renew global governance? Prospects for the UN Summit of the Future” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace virtual event, February 28, 2024.
“A Conversation on renewing global governance with Anne-Marie Slaughter member of the Secretary-General’s High Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism,” June 14, 2023 ambassadorial luncheon event hosted by Princeton University’s Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination and New America.