In defense of effective and inclusive multilateralism

The defense of a renewed multilateralism has been reflected in various aspects of Igarapé’s work. Since 2020, we have been the only Brazilian organization directly supporting the UN Secretary-General in strengthening global cooperation.

Through the Our Common Agenda initiative, which seeks to revitalize global governance in the face of simultaneous crises of peace, environment, and development, Igarapé led engagement with civil society, governments, philanthropy, and the private sector. We organized a digital consultation that gathered 1,759 experts from 147 countries, generating 523 proposals to address new and emerging challenges.

Igarapé’s president, Ilona Szabó, was a member of the High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism (HLAB), where she co-led the working group dedicated to climate governance. The HLAB report presented concrete recommendations for the Summit of the Future, held in New York in 2024, where we were present, reinforcing the urgency of more agile, legitimate, and locally grounded multilateral institutions.

Our conviction that only multilateral cooperation can address the complex and interdependent issues that define our time dates back to the very beginning of our history, when we worked with the United Nations on the Peace and Security agenda. The Institute advocated for the inclusion of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16 — peace, justice, and strong institutions — in the 2030 Agenda.

One of our guiding principles is to promote the integration of Global South perspectives into international debates on climate finance and global governance. During Brazil’s presidency of the G20 in 2024, Igarapé played a strategic role in producing inputs for the development of the Ten High-Level Principles on Bioeconomy, which were reflected in the final declaration of the world’s largest economies.

We also served as one of the leaders within the think tank group (T20), helping to ensure that concrete proposals to strengthen global cooperation and increase investment in tackling climate change — with a focus on reforming the international financial architecture — reached heads of state. Additionally, we have contributed to the Brazilian government’s proposal to create a Global Council on Climate and Nature.

We work with multilateral organizations, bilateral agencies, and non-governmental organizations to advance South-South cooperation across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Over the years, Igarapé has served as a bridge among diverse global actors, offering analysis, proposals, and strategic engagement aimed at contributing to innovative solutions capable of addressing the greatest challenges of the 21st century.