Shaping Today and Beyond
Exploring the Future
The UN Futures Lab was established by the Executive Office of the Secretary-General in 2023. It is a global network that empowers the UN system and beyond to use futures thinking and strategic foresight in planning, policymaking, and decision-making.
The UN Futures Lab is driven by a Global Hub – currently staffed in New York, Geneva, Nairobi, and Helsinki – which support teams, provide tools, and builds capacity to help shape a more resilient and anticipatory UN.
The change
we want to see
- Future-proofed decisions and actions with a long-term perspective shift
- More accessible foresight tools, frameworks, and approaches
- A multilateral system that can withstand risks, shocks, and change
- A coherent method and approach to supporting Member States through change and turbulence
- A more inclusive foresight ecosystem that balances representation of the Global North and Global South with more diverse perspectives
About us
The way we all imagine the future matters.
Every “what if” sparks new ideas and drives us to create a better tomorrow. What if we embraced uncertainty and complexity with imagination? By exploring multiple futures, we gain fresh perspectives on present challenges and opportunities. We may not control uncertainty, but we can shape how we face it.
The UN Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda report in 2021 proposed the establishment of the UN Futures Lab to support being better prepared for major global risks while ensuring that policy decisions consider their impact on future generations. Member States emphasized the need for a more anticipatory UN and called for regular updates on the progress of the UN Futures Lab.
Our work
Our impact starts with dynamic partnerships. Together we tackle uncertainty head-on by co-creating ways in which we can make sense of complexity and embrace the unknown.
Latest news
ECOSOC Youth Forum: Turning Youth Insights into Sustainable Action for Future Generations
Young people are leading the charge toward a more inclusive, sustainable world. But how do we turn their bold ideas into systems-level action?
Join the UN Futures Lab/Global Hub and the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG) for a dynamic side event at the ECOSOC Youth Forum 2025.
Thursday, 17 April 2025
08:45 AM – 10:00 AM (EST) / 14:45 PM – 16:00 PM (CET)
Virtual Side event
Connect with us
Stay up to date with our work and learn more about futures and foresight initiatives across the UN system and beyond
Are you a UN colleague? Be part of our growing UN Strategic Foresight Community of Practice