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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The UN Pact for the Future Needs Something Old, New, Borrowed, and Blue
The sartorial wedding advice offers governments a framework to meet the moment and avoid an outcome that moves toward the slow decline of multilateralism.
A UN Expert on the Institution’s Successes, Failures, and Continued Relevance
Inspiring and humbling in equal measure: Minh-Thu Pham reflects on her years in the UN Secretariat, the institution's enduring relevance, and why meaningful reform ultimately depends on whether member states trust each other enough to act.
Five Things to Watch for at the UN General Assembly Opening
As world leaders gathered in New York, the gap between demand for global cooperation and its supply had rarely felt wider. Five key tests — from Security Council reform to SDG financing — would reveal whether the UN still has the capacity to deliver.
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.