External publications

Governing The Ungovernable: The First 1000 Days - a Strategic Agenda for the (Next) UN Secretary-General


External Publications (2026)

Bogota: Cepei (in partnership with IDOS)

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The Opportunity: You inherit the most powerful position in multilateralism at one of its weakest moments – and yet also its greatest opportunities. The convergence of UN80, the Pact for the Future, the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) and the approaching post-2030 transition creates a genuine opening for fundamental reform. But the UN is no longer the only game in town. Regional development banks mobilize billions without Security Council vetoes. BRICS builds a parallel architecture. G20 and G7 decide on policies. When the UN deliberates, others make the decisions. The Core Problem: The UN development system faces a legitimacy crisis rooted in a triple disconnect. Those who formally govern (Executive Boards, ECOSOC, and the General Assembly) control only 13% of funding – core funding. Those who provide resources (ten donors, who account for three-quarters of all contributions), operate outside formal channels through earmarking. Those most affected by decisions (programme countries, which host 86% of operations) have the least voice at the global level. Your Unique Leverage: You have four forms of power: a) symbolic (voice of the international community), b) managerial (through appointments and internal control), c) network (convening and brokering), and, maybe most importantly, the power of the Charter (constitutional authority under Articles 99-100 to set agendas independently). Previous Secretaries-General either underestimated this power or overreached beyond it. Your effectiveness depends on using each strategically. Five Strategic Priorities to Change the Governance of the UN Development System: (1) Make power visible through transparency. (2) Realign money and governance. (3) Democratize decision-making. (4) Strengthen coordination. (5) Embed inclusion. The Bottom Line: The UN is ungovernable by design. Your job is to make it governable by choice. That requires making invisible power visible, realigning incentives so coordination beats fragmentation, and building coalitions that sustain beyond your tenure. Reform will succeed only if those with power, including you, pursue substantive change backed by concrete accountability mechanisms. This brief explains how.

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