Events & Convenings
New Constellations: Who Will Shape the Next International Order
When we picture a map of the world at night, the boundaries of sovereign states disappear. What remains are constellations of light, cities, corridors, and clusters of human relationships scattered across the dark. Unlike a familiar political map, this is a map defined by connection. Seen this way, the international system appears not only as a chessboard of competing states, but also as a web of networks linking governments, businesses, communities, and institutions across borders. As the assumptions underpinning the post-1945 order come under increasing strain, this perspective raises a fundamental question. Which constellation of actors is best placed to shape the next international order?
States remain indispensable, and multilateral institutions continue to play a critical role in providing the normative frameworks and common principles that underpin international cooperation. At the same time, many of the most consequential forms of international cooperation are increasingly organized through coalitions that extend beyond governments alone. Technology companies shape the rules governing artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure. Financial institutions influence development pathways and access to capital. Civil society movements help redefine international norms, while universities and think tanks generate the ideas and policy paradigms that shape decision-making. Many of the most influential coalitions today bring together governments, multilateral organizations, businesses, philanthropy, researchers, and civil society to address shared challenges. Understanding the next era of international cooperation therefore requires examining how these different actors interact, and how power, legitimacy, and collective action are organized across an increasingly diverse international landscape.
Building on last year's spirited flagship event, the Starling Institute, Cooperation Canada, and New America's Power, People, and Planet Initiative will open the third annual convening with a series of three-minute "opening provocations" from speakers representing government, the private sector, civil society, philanthropy, and academia. Each speaker will be invited to consider one or more of the following questions: Which actors will be essential to shaping the emerging international order, and what distinctive roles can they play? Which global challenges will require forms of organization and cooperation that do not yet exist or remain underdeveloped today? What would it take for these broader constellations of actors to exercise meaningful influence over international cooperation by 2050? This format is designed to surface areas of convergence and disagreement across institutional perspectives, providing the basis for a more dynamic and substantive conversation among an audience of senior leaders.
The discussion will be followed by a catered cocktail reception in the Institute’s garden with refreshments and hors d'oeuvres.
Peacebuilding in Africa: Breakfast with Michelle Ndiaye
In the context of Peacebuilding Week, the Starling Institute co-organized a private breakfast alongside the Open Society Foundations on peacebuilding in Africa.
Building What’s Next: What enables greater practical peacebuilding impact?
The Starling Institute and the European Union Delegation to the United Nations co-organized a panel discussion in the context of peacebuilding week on what practical steps we can take to make peacebuilding more impactful on the ground.
Blueprint: New York City Retreat
On 27 May 2026, the Starling Institute brought together a group of committed multilateralists — changemakers, thinkers, leaders — in New York, aiming to develop a coalition infrastructure to drive forward a new multilateral order. The meeting considered the principles of a future multilateralism, the theory of change, and ways of collaborating.
Navigating an Era of Great Power Impunity: The Future of International Cooperation
On May 11 – 13, the Starling Institute and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace gathered a small-group of Permanent Representatives, academics, political practitioners, and think tank experts at the Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to discuss the future of international cooperation in an era of great power impunity.
Modernizing Multilateralism: Europe’s Role in a Norm-Contested World
On 27 – 30 April, 2026, the Starling Institute and the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) gathered a select group of diplomats, academics, policy practitioners, and think tank experts at the Schloss Lübbenau in Germany. Over three days, the group discussed the role of Europe in the fast-changing multilateral system with a focus on scenario planning and practical policy discussions.
The Next UN Secretary-General: Leadership, Politics, and the First 1,000 Days
On March 16 and 17, a group of former presidents, diplomats, experts from academia, think tanks, civil society, and philanthropy met in Bogotá, Colombia, to discuss the upcoming selection process for the next UN Secretary-General. The discussion, convened by Cepei, Igarapé Institute, New York University Center for International Cooperation, the Global Cooperation Institute, and the Starling Institute, explored the role of and qualities needed in the next Secretary-General, the priorities for the first 100 and 1,000 days of their term, and the political strategy of the selection process, considering a Latin American and Caribbean regional lens.
Blueprint: Oxford Retreat
In February 2026, the Starling Institute co-hosted a retreat for Blueprint partners in Oxford, the United Kingdom, with the Atlantic Institute. At this retreat, the participants crystallized the theory of change, including the wedge model. The findings from Oxford were tested with the wider network in a series of virtual plenary sessions and specific outreach to partners, with a focus on the Global South.
The Helms-Biden Playbook: Lessons from a Previous Impasse in the UN budget and U.S. - UN Relations
On Tuesday, December 16, the Starling Institute hosted a virtual discussion (recording below) on "The Helms-Biden Playbook: Lessons from a Previous Impasse in the UN budget and U.S.-UN Relations". We discussed the historical context of the Helms-Biden deal and the implications for today's crisis. The panel, moderated by Starling Institute CEO, Minh-Thu Pham, included:
Robert C. Orr, Professor, UMD School of Public Policy; Former Deputy to the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, 1996–2001
Mark P. Lagon, Chief Policy Officer, Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; Senior Staff on the Helms-led Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 1999–2001
Suzanne Nossel, Senior Advisor, Starling Institute; Former Deputy to the Ambassador for UN Management and Reform at the U.S. Mission to the UN, 1999–2001 & the lead negotiator of the agreement underpinning Helms-Biden
Brett D. Schaefer, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute; Former Senior Research Fellow, Heritage Foundation
Eighty years after its founding, the United Nations today faces a financial crisis as Member States fail to pay their dues in full and on time. In particular, the United States has thus far withheld all funding to the UN regular budget and sharply reduced its voluntary contributions to the UN's funds and programs, leaving a critical 22 percent hole in the UN regular budget and a crisis across the UN system. Meanwhile the Chinese Government paid their assessment in October, giving the UN little time to spend it before the remainder returns to Beijing at year's end; furthermore the UN's second largest contributor to the regular budget has traditionally also offered relatively paltry voluntary contributions to the rest of the UN system.
Members of the U.S. Congress have often become frustrated with the relative levels of U.S. contributions to the UN's budget, and questioned the UN's relevance to American interests. In the 1990s, Republican politicians, led by Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC), resisted releasing U.S. dues payments absent a recalculation of budget formulas and certain reforms to the institution. After more than a year of negotiations, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke reached an agreement with UN Member States to lower the U.S. contribution in the regular budget from 25 percent to 22 percent, where the U.S. assessment rate is today, and Senator Helms freed the first set of blocked funds in 2000.
The Starling Institute held this virtual discussion on reflections from the last major UN budget and arrears crisis and Helms-Biden negotiations and considered paths to addressing the UN's current financial crisis and rebuilding the U.S.–UN relationship. We may be in a different moment, but there is an opportunity to learn from the past.
Photo Credit: The Jesse Helms Center Foundation
What Would a Global Order of Middle Powers Look Like?
Conversation & Garden Reception at the Instituto Cervantes.
On Tuesday, September 23, 2025, New America and the Starling Institute hosted an exciting conversation (recording above) during United Nations High-Level Week.
We explored three central questions. What would it mean to re-imagine a new global order? Should a reimagined order be based on shared values? What are the near coalitions that need to happen?
The conversation opened with brief opening provocations, or 'lightning talks' by:
Martín Abregú, Vice President of International Programs at the Ford Foundation
Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International
Richard Gowan, UN and Multilateral Diplomacy Director at the International Crisis Group
Kate Higgins, CEO of Cooperation Canada
Stewart Patrick, Senior Fellow and Director of the Global Order and Institutions Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Zane Dangor, Director General of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, South Africa
Mariana Mazzucato, Professor of Economics of Innovation and Public Value, University College London
The discussions offered some important insights:
There was broad agreement that the time for action is now and that the current multilateral system is approaching a breaking point. That said, we are still lacking a clear blueprint on how to shape the future toward the system we want to see.
Regaining public support for multilateralism will require concrete steps to tackle real issues and address the economic insecurity felt by so many while demonstrating the centrality of global cooperation to a promising future.
It is time for middle powers to step up. After 80 years of waiting for great powers to lead, there is a space, with great powers unable or unwilling, to break the mold and act.
Reform the current system rather than try to rebuild it from scratch. Middle power leadership requires a functioning multilateral system. There is opportunity to build upon what exists and shape institutions that support a promising future.
Build a coalition of the willing. The moment calls for a flexible network of states, united by both trust and self-interest, that are ready and capable to step up.
Hold principles to account. As we rethink the system, equity, solidarity, and sustainability must be central.
Peace and Security remains challenging. Without the active engagement of the great powers, middle powers will likely find an international security system difficult to maintain.
UN80: Expectations, Opportunities, and Risks
On Wednesday July 30, 2025, the Starling Institute gathered approximately 80 participants in New York City, and online, to discuss the expectations, opportunities, and risks of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' UN80 Initiative. The discussion focused particularly on the contested vision for the reforms under UN80, and the opportunities and risks associated with comprehensive reform in a moment of geo-political tensions and acute budget pressures.
Multilateralism in Flux? What Does the FFD Outcome Reveal About Global Cooperation?
The road to the Compromiso de Sevilla outcome of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) offers a window into multilateralism today and where it's going. Are we witnessing a recalibration or a fundamental reshaping of how nations collaborate — and how do we harness this moment for change?
The Starling Institute & Devex held an important conversation on what FFD4 says about the state of multilateral cooperation. The event took place at Casa Devex (Villa Luisa) in Sevilla, Spain on June 30, 2025 on the sidelines of the United Nations FFD conference.
From Reflection to Action: Strategies to Support the UN80 Initiative
On May 28, 2025, the Starling Institute convened a private discussion of senior diplomats and UN experts on strategy, planning, and support around the reform and budget efforts bundled under the "UN80" initiative. The conversation explored how a coalition of constructive and multilateralist-minded member states, with the support of experienced outside experts, could advance UN80 in constructive ways.
Exploring Priorities for the Pacific Small Island Developing States in FfD4 Negotiations
On May 15, 2025, the Permanent Mission of Tuvalu to the United Nations and the Starling Institute co-hosted a private breakfast meeting for representatives of the Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) on the negotiations of the outcome document of the 4th Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4). The meeting aimed to provide a space for PSIDS to convene around a joint set of priorities, strategize for the negotiations in the lead up to the Seville conference.
Private Luncheon on the Future of International Development Cooperation in FfD4
The Starling Institute hosted a private lunch conversation among about twenty Member State Ambassadors as well as leaders in development finance, to discuss the future of international development cooperation, particularly for the most vulnerable, on the sidelines of the 2025 Financing for Development Forum. We explored what policies and changes countries could be supportive of that could help offset reductions and increase financing to those most in need. The discussion explored ways to support development finance and leverage greater collaboration on issues including reforms to the global financial infrastructure, addressing sovereign debt relief, the power of new partnerships, and encouraging greater transparency and local ownership of aid flows.
2025 Retreat for Least Developed Countries: "Planning for Success in Seville"
On April 17, the Permanent Mission of Nepal and the Starling Institute co-convened a retreat for LDC ambassadors and experts at the Tarrytown House Estate on the Hudson, New York. With less than three months remaining before the conference in Seville, this retreat came at a crucial time and provided LDCs a dedicated space to clarify their collective development finance priorities and strategize how best to achieve them within the context of the ongoing negotiations. We were joined by 50 participants, including representatives of 50 percent of all LDCs as well as leaders from the FfD Office and OHRLLS.
The Future of Multilateralism in an Era of Upheaval
On March 11-12, the Starling Institute and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace’s Global Order and Institutions Program gathered 30 participants at the Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to discuss the global risks and opportunities of dramatic policy shifts, not least in United States foreign policy. The group, including philanthropy, civil society, think tanks, academics, and former government officials, discussed the implications of geopolitical developments for renewing multilateral cooperation.
Amplifying LDC Leadership in the FfD4 Negotiations
On March 3, 2025, the Starling Institute convened 34 participants from 12 Least Developed Countries for a private meeting to explore strategies for LDCs to secure a successful outcome at FfD4. Given the Sustainable Development Goals will not be achieved if significant progress is not made in LDCs, this event focused on enabling LDC diplomats to more effectively engage in FfD negotiations to advance the needs of LDCs.
Strengthening the Narrative for ODA and Beyond: FfD Prep Comm Side Event
Starling Institute’s Side Event during the 3rd Preparatory Committee of the Financing for Development Process.
Strategic Discussion on Financing for Development and the Elements Paper: Priorities for LDCs
On February 5, the Starling Institute hosted a discussion on negotiation strategies and content related to the FfD Zero Draft with LDC experts and a representative of the Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (OHRLLS.) The meeting was specifically designed to promote a forward-leaning and coordinated negotiating strategy.
Retreat for Global South Countries on Financing for Sustainable Development
In January, the Starling Institute co-hosted a three-day retreat in Lusaka, Zambia with the Permanent Mission of Zambia to the United Nations, and the South African Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR). The retreat gathered 70 participants to strategize and respond to the first draft (or “zero draft” in UN nomenclature) of the Financing for Development agreement that was published on January 17. The retreat included ambassadors and lead negotiators from 15 Global South countries, as well as leaders from UN Financing for Development Office, UN Economic Commission for Africa, the African Union, African Development Bank, and World Bank Group.
At the retreat, attendees began to shape a shared vision of what they hoped to see in the agreement. This included practical steps forward on debt sustainability, domestic resource mobilization, international financial architecture reform, international development cooperation, and private sector investment. Given the diversity of developing countries and the wealth of expertise present, the retreat was a vital moment for participants to explore the most difficult issues in depth and build trust and understanding of each other’s positions – a crucial element for success in any complex negotiating process.
From Words to Action: Planning a Networked Approach to Upholding Commitments from the Summit of the Future
In December, the Starling Institute brought together leaders and experts of global NGOs and think tanks and a handful of member state representatives at the Rockaway Hotel to discuss follow-up actions to the Summit of the Future. Participants explored how to maintain momentum on multilateral cooperation that delivers for people in the coming months and years. The retreat provided a space to collectively assess the shifting political environment for multilateral cooperation, identify the most transformative outcomes from the Summit, recognize what's missing, and understand how political changes impact the process. Participants also discussed how to build the political capital needed to turn agreements into action and how they might work together in the coming months and years.
Financing for Development and the Elements Paper: Priorities for LDCs and SIDS
The Starling Institute hosted a luncheon in partnership with the International Peace Institute on the sidelines of the 2nd Preparatory Committee of the 4th Financing for Development Conference. The lunch was an opportunity for LDC and SIDS representatives to react to the publication of the Elements Paper and discuss priorities for the upcoming negotiations.
It was agreed that a successful conference would not solve all development finance issues but instead should be seen as planting the seeds for continued progress. The importance of LDC and SIDS collaboration and ability to advance common proposals was also highlighted, as was the need to focus on making Overseas Development Assistance more effective rather than just looking at aid volumes.
Preparing to Negotiate FfD4: The Role of Least Developed Countries in Past FfD4 Negotiations
On October 30 2024, the Starling Institute and the International Peace Institute (IPI) co-hosted a luncheon that gathered Least Developed Countries representatives to discuss strategy for the financing for development negotiations. It was noted that the LDCs can exert the most leverage on negotiations if they advance joint positions across areas like development finance, technology access, trade, and capacity building. This suggests that coordination within the G77 and other groups, although sometimes challenging, will be key to bolstering unity. The desirability of LDCs being active participants during the intersessional period and creating specialized negotiating sub-groups – with focused expertise on issues like debt, trade, and taxes – would also be of considerable utility.
Shifting Power: Bold Strategies for a New Era of Global Collaboration
The unprecedented convergence of challenges facing global governance today demands bold and transformational responses. Amid growing great power competition, the rise of new actors, rapidly advancing technology, and outdated institutions, the system often appears stagnant and inflexible. Yet, our institutions are constantly evolving. Power structures shift, new players emerge, and innovative ideas can take root. The outcomes of the Summit of the Future demonstrate that global collaboration can still deliver for people and the planet.
The Starling Institute, New America, the International Crisis Group and CIFF hosted an exciting conversation to explore solutions that can meet this unique moment in history. We will discuss emerging responses and collaborative strategies to address today's political, environmental, and social challenges.
Shifting Power: Bold Strategies for a New Era of Collaboration
This panel discussion explored opportunities to shift power to those most affected by global governance decisions. Our featured speakers are leading efforts that can help address today's political, environmental, and social challenges and work towards a multilateral system that can deliver:
Mark Malloch Brown, former UN Deputy Secretary-General
Elissa Jobson, Chief Advocacy Officer, International Crisis Group
Brian Kagoro, Managing Director, Programs, Open Society Foundations
Joseph Ng'ang'a, Vice-President for Africa at the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet and CEO of the inaugural Africa Climate Summit
Anne-Marie Slaughter, President & CEO of New America
Minh-Thu Pham, CEO, Starling Institute (moderator)
SUMMIT OF THE FUTURE Action Days Side Event: From Words to Action
The Starling Institute hosted a side event during the United Nations Summit of the Future Action Days in New York City to help explore how best to deliver on existing commitments, promote accountability, and address new and emerging challenges around the Pact’s implementation. The gathering brought together a diverse group of experts from think tanks, NGOs, and champion Member States for brief interventions. Speakers outlined key Pact outcomes to advance, and proposed a number of innovative approaches to cooperation.
It was observed that in an era of increasingly transactional politics, building and maintaining coalitions will only take on greater importance, and that much of the Pact’s success or failure will be determined at a local level with sub-national governments, institutions, and individuals being instrumental to implementation. It was also agreed that “marketing” the benefits of multilateralism needs to be greatly improved and should be a focus of continued discussion.
Renewing International Cooperation for the 21st Century: The Summit of the Future and Beyond
In April, the Starling Institute co-hosted a retreat with Southern Voice and CEPEI in Bogotá, Colombia. The retreat aimed to address the challenges facing global cooperation and explore strategies for rebuilding trust in international institutions, particularly from the perspective of the Global South. The agenda included sessions focused on the values and reforms needed for effective 21st-century governance, highlighting the critical role of the upcoming UN Summit of the Future in ushering in a new era of global governance. United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed and Under Secretary-General Guy Ryder joined part of the meeting by video.
The retreat helped coalesce participants around the notion that the Summit of the Future represented an important opportunity to initiate positive global shifts and better rebalance international architecture to reflect Global South needs and aspirations. It was also acknowledged that the evolving global governance and norms remains a heavy lift, and will require concerted action on everything from addressing growing pessimism among the youth (particularly on issues such as climate change) and Multilateral Development Bank reforms to expand lending, enhance capacity, and leverage private investments.
The Summit of the Future as a Normative Moment: Renewing International Cooperation for the 21st Century
UN Photo/Loey Felipe
In January 2024, the Starling Institute hosted UN ambassadors and senior diplomats from multilateralist-minded Member States at the Pocantico Center of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund in Pocantico Hills, New York. This off-the-record retreat focused on exploring how the Summit of the Future can become a pivotal moment in shaping a more equitable, effective, and accountable global governance system for the 21st century.
Much of the discussions centered on elevating the Summit's ambition, noting the need for concrete, actionable language in the Zero Draft and decisive commitments in the final Pact. The retreat also allowed participants to move from principles to actionable strategies, exploring cross-regional coalitions and the role of civil society in promoting and implementing ideas to support member states.