Looking at the earth from space, there are no borders that separate our citizens. We are one people sharing one planet and one future. The world needs bold ambition, vision and creativity to design and co-create a world order that is people-centric. To move beyond our aging structures we need a growth mindset.
A MOMENT OF HISTORIC PROPORTION
Global interconnectedness and interdependence mean that no country can face the world’s challenges or contribute to the promotion of international opportunities alone. Given that climate change knows no borders, and neither do pandemics, cash flows, the movements of migrants and refugees, terrorism or organized crime, the countries of the world need to come together to manage their joint responsibilities and take the necessary collective action to work toward a more peaceful world that is more prosperous and sustainable.
The world is evolving at an incredible pace. Too kept up, rapid innovation and adaptation have become a global imperative. The world is looking to Canada for leadership, it is time to move Canadian ideas from incremental to disruptive and to leverage Canada’s greatest asset – our human capital. Where will our generation’s creative genius take us?
IMAGINING MULTILATERALISM FOR THE 21st CENTURY
The rules-based international order created in the shadow of the second world war no longer reflects the world that has emerged in the 21st century. The old system is characterized by old school diplomacy, development and peacekeeping which no longer fit in an increasingly intersectional, technological, and data drive way of doing business. As the world struggles with this reality, Canada has a real but limited window opportunity to advance a vision for a new world order/new multilateralism that can better meet the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century. If we wait too long, others will step up.
Much of this rests on us moving beyond public-public structures to 4P (public, private, philanthropic partnership) structures that allow us to leverage the global currency of ideas and innovation. Formal and informal economies around the world are looking to interact across borders and across sectors in a way that facilitates real-time, level, and action-oriented impact. Creating a people-centred global ecosystem has the potential to reverse the decades old dependency model, catalyzing a new level of global engagement (rules-based order) while empowering even the smallest and least likely players.
Disruptive innovation happens when we collide across sectors, perspectives, people, and ideas in new and unexpected ways. So what if we could align our global human capital in a way that focuses on imagining solutions to the world’s biggest and emerging challenges (e.g. the Syrian conflict, cancer, green energy)?
ECOSYSTEM GOVERNANCE
To succeed, the world needs new organizing principles. Within reorganization we must also critically ask ourselves what value we are getting out of current global structures, regulations, and institutions and also what the comparative advantage is among engaged actors.
DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH - THE POWER OF THE ROADMAP
In 2015, 193 UN member states agreed on a road map for global progress. This roadmap contained goals that were flexible enough to be applied and monitored at national, regional and global levels. They were designed with the expectation that they were people-centric and that to be achieved, all sectors, all institutions, and all nations need to work together in partnership so that the world and its people can reach it potential. The key to the roadmap’s success is reinventing the rules-based international order and present day institutions to become catalysts for hyper innovation and people-centered design.
In looking at this roadmap, it would be hard not to see a platform on which to mobilize Canadians for common purpose from coast to coast to coast. When thinking in terms of multipliers we can also imagine mobilization across 193 countries and among the worlds 7 billion people. The roadmap can be easily communicated, understood and actioned by breaking it down to its most fundamental elements: People, Planet, Peace, Prosperity and Partnerships. Not only is this a roadmap but a common language that cuts across languages, culture, generations, political persuasion, and institutions.
If we need to focus on global solutions, what better agenda than Agenda 2030 with its 17 universal goals 169 targets, and, buy-in of 193 member states, the private sector, civil society, academia, and the global citizen movement. This solutions-focused agenda covers issues as diverse as: ending poverty; life on land and in water; industry, innovation, and infrastructure; peace, justice, and strong institutions; and decent work and economic growth.
When people hear about the Sustainable Development Goals of Agenda 2030, many simply tune-out, thinking it is an international development agenda and has nothing to do with broader Canadian interests.
The reality is that the traditional notion of development no longer exists. The increasing interconnectedness of today’s world demonstrates that economic crises, climate change, conflict, migration, education, and capitalism, among others are not national issues, they are truly global issues requiring that we leverage borderless human capital and that we build global solutions. What we need is a level playing field where all actors are empowered to step up to the plate.
While the world is making progress in leading edge areas like blended finance, I would say that money is not our greatest global asset…rather our greatest asset is the untapped passion and talent of our human capital and the value they can contribute to knowledge economies in a world where ideas and creativity are the new currency of the 21st century.
To really achieve results against these goals, we need a global effort. One that embraces creativity and co-creation, and fosters communities across sectors. With so many players across so many countries…how can we possibly align our efforts and track our progress?
THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT
When you think about global cooperation, the United Nations frequently comes to mind. Whether it is setting global health standards, maintaining peace and security, stabilizing financial markets, monitoring rules of aviation, defending human rights, providing reliable weather and climate information, supporting refugees, governing the peaceful uses of outer space, taking action on climate change, or enhancing agricultural capacity, the United Nations impacts the lives of people around the world every day.
With 193 member states, the United Nations remains the most inclusive and legitimate forum for setting global norms, addressing global issues, and advancing global action. The United Nations provides unique platforms that allow wide-ranging perspectives, knowledge, and assets to be mobilized for the global public good. Canada’s diplomacy and leadership at the United Nations gives a strong voice to Canadian principles and values on the world stage.
The thrust of multilateral reform must acknowledge the need to align the UN and the wider multilateral system to the goals of the 2030 Agenda. A core tenant of this paradigm shift is the recognition that we cannot continue to compartmentalize global engagement - e.g. sectors (public, private, philanthropic), government departments, foreign affairs, trade and development, peacekeeping and humanitarian response, or levels of government. The ‘nexus’ or the fourth sector ‘blended’ approach is increasingly the way of the future. This nexus requires that we develop a model of ecosystem governance facilitated by a realignment of our multilateral institutions. This involves, aligning the road map with the key players, identifying areas of duplication, articulating organizing principles and making data and engagement open to all.
REIMAGING MULTILATERALISM - DESIGN AND CO-CREATION
When adapting to rapidly changing realities, continuous innovation is an important and necessary ingredient for success. Design thinking and co-creation are increasingly being used by all sectors as a way to reimagine and reinvent. The advantages stem from a methodology that requires engagement of diverse talent/expertise, starts with empathy (people-centered), and moves quickly to prototyping. Design thinking is useful in a broad range of contexts from small team exercises to national/global engagements around major challenges. IDEO, MindLabs, NESTA among others have proven the exponential value creation possible through design methods. Scaling design in Canada and in the multilateral system with the proper technology and data analytics could be a disruptive game changer.
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an example of a fourth sector hub containing multi-layer and open platforms at local, regional and global levels. The full potential of WEF has yet to be reached but its efforts and progress offer insights for the broader multilateral system. To seize this moment we need to tap market makers and early adopters of nextgen multilateralism to pave the road (e.g. Convergence and EMPEA).
A UNIQUELY CANADIAN OPPORTUNITY
As multilateralism meets its pivot point, the world in looking to Canada to lead. But what does present day Canadian leadership look like? What could it look like? To advance a uniquely Canadian vision that can capture the imagination of the world we need to take a leap towards the moonshot.
In a world where ideas, creativity and innovation are the new global currency, we must invest in and leverage the uniqueness of our human capital. Our human capital mix is a powerful hallmark of our brand that includes our indigenous peoples and diverse immigrant communities. With this in mind, a uniquely Canadian approach to multilateralism could be one that combines the deeply rooted wisdom of our indigenous communities with the views and perspectives of our diaspora communities. To achieve this we must design our vision together to micro policy bursts of co-creation. These efforts towards a common vision for Canada’s engagement with the world will also dually support strengthening nation-to-nation ties our Canada’s indigenous communities.
There are growing opportunities for Canadian leadership at multilateral tables. To take advantage of them, we need to demonstrate innovative, dynamic, and timely thought leadership. In building a better world, we know that multilateralism recognizes that we are stronger when we stand together.
To be a global leader Canada needs to find ways to mobilize, connect and accelerate its talent from coast-to-coast-to-coast. We are ready to roll-up our sleeves, get creative, co-create, innovate, and advance Canada’s role as a thought leader….lets be bold with our national ambition and give more Canada to the world.