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Saturday, October 10, 2020
ANBOUND Engaged in The Future of the UN, Policy Advice and Think Tanks: Shaping Our Future Together
Yi Wang

Given the truly unprecedented and global nature of the challenges currently confronting policymakers, the global think tank community is invited to help address global policy issues while fostering international cooperation in this important and momentous undertaking. Think tanks from around the world will come together in the Working Groups to provide innovative ideas and specific suggestions for the Secretary-General of the United Nations on how to operationalize the commitments by September 2021.

The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) have been partnered with the United Nations (UN) to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations by convening the World's Leading think tanks from around the world on October 6, 2020 8:30-11AM for a virtual global gathering of think tanks, policymakers and intergovernmental organizations. Under-Secretary-General, Fabrizio Hochschild Drummond, who acts as Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Commemoration of the United Nations 75th Anniversary joined this important meeting.

UN75 THINK TANK SUMMIT in 2020 is on The Future of the UN, Policy Advice and Think Tanks: Shaping Our Future Together. Over 500 senior executives and scholars from the leading think tanks around the world participated in this summit which looked at how think tanks can collaborate with the United Nations in meeting the challenges of our future. ANBOUND Consulting was also included in the list of institutions and think tanks participating in the Think Tanks, Policy Advice and the UN at 75 Event. After that, Chan Kung, founder of ANBOUND, talked his impression on this summit. Think tanks in different countries and economies have their own concerns, hope to express their voices, equity and justice through the United Nations. On the very influential platform of the UN, think tanks are playing increasingly prominent roles. In the future, think tanks will independently more engage in various communication channels across countries in the world. If the cooperation and exchanges between think tanks would be strongly encouraged by the governments of all countries, and truly form a joint force to cope with the common challenges and crises facing human society, think tanks would make huge contributions to the peace and rationality in the world.

To mark the occasion, Dr. Jim McGann, Senior Lecturer and Director of TTCSP collected 75 commemorative quotes from think tank presidents that speak to the theme of the UN 75th conference.

"From the perspective of public policy and information environment, if the government is the first channel, news or media would be the second channel, then think tanks would take the role as the third channel to exert great impacts on social environment. Think tanks not only play a role in public policy research, but also contribute to facilitating the improvement of public welfare. In today's world, upholding morality and justice (or 'daoyi 道义' in Chinese) is considered as a historical responsibility, a heavy burden with higher risks. Think tanks could not shirk this responsibility, and it is at least an explicit mission for those think tanks that are truly independent."

— Chan Kung, Founder of ANBOUND.

In recent years, alongside the wave of anti-globalization and the rise of new trade protectionism, the function of WTO have been increasingly marginalized. The Western countries pose to collaborate with regional groups, which has made the development of emerging economies in obvious lack of multilateral cooperation mechanisms. The outbreak of the war in the world market will smash all previous successes in globalization so that the world economy will stagnate and will even be forced to return to the past. Large amounts of capital will be used up and empty. All countries will only seek to protect themselves and shrink into a few small areas. It greatly reduces the existing space in the world market. The fluctuations in the world financial markets are unmanageable, and the shadow of the economic crisis will engulf the world.

To avoid such terrible prospects of turmoil, it is necessary to promote global amalgamation as soon as possible and further on the basis of globalization so as to well address the various negative issues left by globalization. In this respect, ANBOUND think tank scholars put forward the following three suggestions.

1. The United Nations serves as a "super organization", progressively helping developing countries to improve their capabilities of public service, overseeing countries to adhere to their commitments, and increasing the supply of public welfare worldwide.

Noticeably, the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic articulated the international community who can create concerted efforts and effectively alleviated the spread of coronavirus shocking various regions and countries. E.g. the World Health Organization (WHO) and others joining forces called for urgent coordination. In the future world, the importance of international organizations will even surpass the nations.

Through the United Nations and its organizations to collaborate arrangements, the countries across the world will strengthened constructive dialogue and jointly push forward global integration. The world's economies have the desire to break through the limitations of small regional space, extend to global market space, mobilize resources to achieve wide circulation, and optimize the international industrial division of labor. That would boost a sustained growth for the world economy and drive capitals to flow freely and go into virtuous circle. The future government will gradually become a public institution like a social welfare organization. Taking welfare distribution into consideration, the world requires such a "super organization" as the United Nations to play a greater role. This will ensure that global manufacturing and commercial operations in normal status, fair and effective market competition, and social wealth accumulation. People in every country and region enjoy the conditions to obtain public benefits, including environmental resources, medical and health, social insurance, equal education, scientific and technological welfare distribution. Ultimately, we see the peace and security in various fields, improve the quality of human life and sustainable development.

2. The United Nations should support independent think tanks from developing countries that would access to the equal opportunities that could engage in more international affairs and global policy-related activities, and to guarantee them with the right to provide professional capabilities in policy formulation. They would effectively cope with all aspects of injustice, and contribute more wisdom to global governance.

Independent think tank, is non-partisan, non-governmental organization, with independent funding, objective, and neutral stance. Around the world, most of think tank researchers are equipped with high-level academic training. Many of them have worked for the governments so that earned a wealth of knowledge and experience in mapping out development strategies, proposing tactics and promoting cooperation. The professional opinions that think tank scholars speak out are more easily acceptable by the media and the public. As the voice from a third party, the policy recommendations put forward by think tanks that are increasingly being highly valued by the governments.

Definitely, the working mechanism in the United Nations should be continuously designed for innovation that provides an open policy platform, increase policy dialogues and research interaction amongst think tanks in different countries, and widely listen to the insights from non-governmental organizations. The United Nations will convene some research programs, which could cover a wide range of policy issues, conduct in-depth research on social issues that arouse high global concerns, share information and exchange views. Think tank scholars from different countries and cross-disciplines who can offer recommendations and solutions to resolve those complicated international issues. Cross-organizational collaboration enabled by the United Nations will be ongoing beyond geographical limitations and transcend ideology to think about how to respond to challenges and difficulties. Policy proposals that collect the professional strength with different think tanks that would be more practical to carry out. In this way, the United Nations will upgrade its capability to provide policy guidance and coordinate actions for those countries in trouble, and to propel the countries to reach new cooperation consensus on global governance issues.

3. The United Nations should put more efforts to convening public and private R&D institutions, enterprises, and government agencies from developing countries that come together for the meetings and discussions on the formulation of international rules and standards, as well as global technology-related standards.

Mankind is facing lots of common challenges and risks, the spread of crises, the raging of viruses, and suffers various threats. In addition, climate issues, network governance, information security, digital crimes... One shall realize to avoid the wide spread of negative effects that demand for all parties to increase trust, share responsibilities, and increase digital cooperation. The United Nations shall help strengthen information sharing between regions, maintain global security and stability, and strength the resilience of all economies.

The United Nations shall be leading to invite the governments, enterprises, non-profit organizations, civil society, and academia in developing countries more to participate in global agenda and rulemaking. Among organizations, enhance information transparency, assist the international levels to obtain essential and reliable data. In terms of the design of rules and standards, different groups exchange experiences, lessons, and best practices with each other, which is conducive to emergency coordination between countries and prevents the recurrence of crises. Commonly recognized objective standards can reduce implementation costs, heighten the problem-solving efficiency, and help achieve the goal of sustainable development. In the implementation of open procedures, advocate market opening and fair competition. The United Nations shall be pro-active in offering guidance and training on the use of standards to professionals from all over the world, encourage the dissemination of advanced technologies, and create favorable environment and conditions for poverty eradication.

ANBOUND is an independent think tank positioned to promote the increase of the public welfare in the world. That is our mission, fundamental value, and what's the difference of our public policy research from others.

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