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Foresight

Learning to navigate uncertainty

Recent crises demonstrate that the future will not necessarily mirror the past. With escalating climate extremes, rapid technological advances and uncertain societal dynamics we face a multitude of possible, probable and preferable futures that we need to anticipate, imagine and work towards. 

If UN entities amplify their foresight abilities, we can help Member States to navigate rising uncertainty, seize emerging opportunities and enhance support for the SDGs and future generations.

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For Example...

Foresight can chart paths to climate resilience

Many coastal communities are facing the threat of rising sea levels in the years ahead. Supported by United Nations experts, for example, Member States can model different climate scenarios and anticipate areas prone to flooding and extreme weather events. Equipped with foresight tools, national partners can plan infrastructure adaptations, such as raised housing and coastal defences – proactively adapting to climate change while minimizing disaster risks.

What building foresight capacity means

Fostering strategic foresight capacity means cultivating structured methods that help to navigate uncertainty, imagine better futures and chart new paths forward already today. 

It is about nurturing proactive mindsets and exploring possible futures, with tools such as horizon-scanning, trend analysis and scenario development to make better choices today.

Ways in which foresight capacity can have impact

1

Helping communities adapt to climate change

2

Developing strategies to ensure girls have access to STEM education

3

Preparing societies for demographic change

4

Developing future-proof food security policies

5

Planning sustainable cities and infrastructure for next decades

6

Developing strategies to reduce gender gaps in economic participation

7

Anticipating future water demands

8

Preparing for pandemics

António Guterres

Secretary-General

“We need a systematic focus on future generations in our decision-making processes and to improve our strategic foresight and risk analysis.”

Key resources

UN Futures Lab Network

A decentralized network to improve long-term decision-making: The UN Futures Lab Network builds and leverages strategic foresight efforts across the United Nations.

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Secretary-General’s Policy Brief

The United Nations system is only beginning to fully embrace strategic foresight. Read the full chapter of the policy brief on how we expand expertise, what the goals are, and what benefits to expect.

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Voices on foresight

How UN leadership, colleagues and youth from across the globe are getting inspired by and sparking action around UN 2.0

UN OCHA

Martin Griffiths

USG for Humanitarian Affairs & Emergency Relief Coord.

For OCHA, implementing the SG’s vision means a stronger focus on anticipatory action, data science and foresight – to get ahead of crises and mitigating their impacts on the most vulnerable people.

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Martin Griffiths

USG for Humanitarian Affairs & Emergency Relief Coord.

For OCHA, implementing the SG’s vision means a stronger focus on anticipatory action, data science and foresight – to get ahead of crises and mitigating their impacts on the most vulnerable people.

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UN-Habitat

Maimunah Mohd Sharif

Executive Director of UN-Habitat

Delivering positive impact on the ground requires data and foresight. The UN of the future is about improving quality of lives in every city and community.

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Maimunah Mohd Sharif

Executive Director of UN-Habitat

Delivering positive impact on the ground requires data and foresight. The UN of the future is about improving quality of lives in every city and community.

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WFP

Jay Mahanand

Chief Information Officer, WFP

UN 2.0 charts a common path towards modernizing the UN. It ensures that we are adapting to the cultural and technological shifts transforming the world and that we are strengthening our collective response to emerging challenges.

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Jay Mahanand

Chief Information Officer, WFP

UN 2.0 charts a common path towards modernizing the UN. It ensures that we are adapting to the cultural and technological shifts transforming the world and that we are strengthening our collective response to emerging challenges.

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UN OHCHR

Volker Türk

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

UN 2.0 is about making the organization fit for the future – agile, forward-thinking and effective. UN 2.0 is guiding the direction of the UN Human Rights Office, as we look ahead to the next 25 years and to ensuring human rights are the solution to humanity’s biggest challenges.

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Volker Türk

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

UN 2.0 is about making the organization fit for the future – agile, forward-thinking and effective. UN 2.0 is guiding the direction of the UN Human Rights Office, as we look ahead to the next 25 years and to ensuring human rights are the solution to humanity’s biggest challenges.

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UN DCO

Joseph Scheuer

UN Resident Coordinator in Cambodia

UN 2.0 inspired us to be more innovative and futures facing. The Cooperation Framework process has given us an opportunity to engage in futures discussions with partners, review our data ecosystem, and adopt new integrated ways of working, to accelerate the SDGs in Cambodia.

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Joseph Scheuer

UN Resident Coordinator in Cambodia

UN 2.0 inspired us to be more innovative and futures facing. The Cooperation Framework process has given us an opportunity to engage in futures discussions with partners, review our data ecosystem, and adopt new integrated ways of working, to accelerate the SDGs in Cambodia.

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UNDRR

Mami Mizutori

SRSG for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR

Countries are at a sink-or-swim moment in tackling growing, complex and interconnected disaster risks. UN 2.0 is about pulling us to shore, together.

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Mami Mizutori

SRSG for Disaster Risk Reduction and Head of UNDRR

Countries are at a sink-or-swim moment in tackling growing, complex and interconnected disaster risks. UN 2.0 is about pulling us to shore, together.

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SRSG-VAC

Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid

Special Representative of the SG on Violence Against Children 

The drivers of violence against children are transforming at an unprecedented speed. UN 2.0 is guiding our continuous efforts to discerning emerging trends, anticipating required shifts in our approaches, and responding proactively, and ensuring widening mobilization and support for investing in protection and prevention systems accessible to all children, independently of their status.

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Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid

Special Representative of the SG on Violence Against Children 

The drivers of violence against children are transforming at an unprecedented speed. UN 2.0 is guiding our continuous efforts to discerning emerging trends, anticipating required shifts in our approaches, and responding proactively, and ensuring widening mobilization and support for investing in protection and prevention systems accessible to all children, independently of their status.

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UN Youth

Merrill Keating

UN Youth

UN 2.0 is an iterative opportunity to anticipate, envision, proactively adapt, and more effectively involve youth and youth leaders. As a symbol of hope and solidarity, UN 2.0 can facilitate the efforts of a global community as we build a better future for ourselves and future generations.

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Merrill Keating

UN Youth

UN 2.0 is an iterative opportunity to anticipate, envision, proactively adapt, and more effectively involve youth and youth leaders. As a symbol of hope and solidarity, UN 2.0 can facilitate the efforts of a global community as we build a better future for ourselves and future generations.

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UNDP

Enrico Gaveglia

UNDP Resident Representative in the Maldives

Maldives is a key member state to UN. Guided by the vision of UN 2.0 and a navigation map designed with our stakeholders, we, at the UNDP Maldives, will leverage these invaluable assets to convert emerging insights, conversations, and joint commitments into development impact.

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Enrico Gaveglia

UNDP Resident Representative in the Maldives

Maldives is a key member state to UN. Guided by the vision of UN 2.0 and a navigation map designed with our stakeholders, we, at the UNDP Maldives, will leverage these invaluable assets to convert emerging insights, conversations, and joint commitments into development impact.

read the quote

UN Youth

Emmanuel Kundo

UN Youth

Overall, the idea of UN 2.0 is inspiring because it offers a vision for how global governance can be improved to address the most pressing challenges of our time, and to create a better future for all people. While there are certainly challenges and obstacles that will need to be addressed to make UN 2.0 a reality, the potential benefits are significant and could help to make the world a better place for generations to come.

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Emmanuel Kundo

UN Youth

Overall, the idea of UN 2.0 is inspiring because it offers a vision for how global governance can be improved to address the most pressing challenges of our time, and to create a better future for all people. While there are certainly challenges and obstacles that will need to be addressed to make UN 2.0 a reality, the potential benefits are significant and could help to make the world a better place for generations to come.

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UNOPS

Charles Callanan

Director, UNOPS South Asia

UNOPS is committed to the UNSG Common Agenda to support innovative infrastructure contributing to digital transformation. In Sri Lanka, our civil society partners have stronger capabilities and strategic foresight to lead efforts to preserve peacebuilding and social cohesion.

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Charles Callanan

Director, UNOPS South Asia

UNOPS is committed to the UNSG Common Agenda to support innovative infrastructure contributing to digital transformation. In Sri Lanka, our civil society partners have stronger capabilities and strategic foresight to lead efforts to preserve peacebuilding and social cohesion.

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Discover foresight action

UN 2.0 is about leveraging our connections across the globe, with teams and projects active in over 160 countries. Click on the map to learn more.

The location indicators on this map are illustrative and do not necessarily show where entities are based. The depiction and use of boundaries, geographic names and related data shown on maps are not guaranteed to be error free, nor do they imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.

Explore UN 2.0 Initiatives

FAO

Food and Agriculture Projections to 2050

Combining foresight and data approaches, FAO provides an innovative dataset of long-term projections for agrifood systems.

WFP

FamPred: Forecasting Food Crises with HungerMap live

FamPred is a forecasting tool utilizing machine learning techniques to project food insecurity 30 days in advance. It has been successfully validated in Yemen, Mali, Syria, and Nigeria.

UNDP

Youth Engagement in Climate Policies

Youth for Climate platform engages young people in discussing North Macedonia’s climate futures, influencing the Enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (eNDC).

UNDP

Imagine Nigeria

A repository of imagined futures and pathways forward for Nigeria.

UN DPPA

Reimagining Diplomacy: Future of Peacemaking

Celebrate the UN’s 75th anniversary with a speculative look at the future of conflict prevention, peacemaking, and peacebuilding.

UN ESCAP

Reimagining Asian and Pacific Cities

Explores future scenarios and recommendations for sustainable urban development in Asia-Pacific, fostering partnerships and mobilizing investments.

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Explore UN 2.0 Strategies & Publications

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How we will change

Improve our programmatic offer

Support foresight-informed decision-making, provide UN foresight laboratories and networks to member states, and incorporate foresight into UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks.

Apply new skills on the ground

Learn along real use cases that create immediate value for those we serve and gain proficiency in a broad set of foresight methods, while integrating diverse perspectives in foresight applications.

Shift organizational foundations

Empower teams with access to tools, training, partnerships and networks, engage all UN leadership, integrate foresight into relevant job profiles, leverage technology, and develop relevant metrics.

Explore the UN 2.0 Quintet
of cutting-edge skills

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