A Second Charter: Imagining a Renewed United Nations

This Report, published by the Global Governance Forum, explores the rationale and concrete proposals for UN Charter reform to make the UN more fit-for-purpose to more effectively address global issues of today and tomorrow.

The Report argues that virtually all of the major global catastrophic risks we face today are linked to the inability of the human institutions that were created out of the chaos and destruction of World War II to adapt to the demands of a rapidly changing and increasingly complex world. The Report highlights three key areas where UN reform is necessary: management of the Earth System, collective security and disarmament, and economic and social development.

The Report proposes a UN Charter Review conference to consider concrete measures for institutional reform to ensure that the organization remains relevant and effective in the 21st century.