Thursday, 12 June 2025
The UN Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda and the vision for UN 2.0 call for a more anticipatory United Nations that can navigate uncertainty and complexity with greater agility and purpose. The Quintet of Change, which includes strategic foresight alongside data, digital, innovation, and behavioural science, is at the heart of this transformation.
UN 2.0 Week is an annual series of virtual events exploring how we can radically transform the way we work to accelerate progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year’s UN 2.0 Week 2025 will focus on delivery for impact and features a strong line-up of top thought leaders and on-the-ground solutions:
At a time when complex, interconnected risks and accelerating change are placing unprecedented pressure on global governance systems, the need for forward-looking, anticipatory approaches in policymaking is more urgent than ever. As the UN continues to build future-ready capabilities through the Quintet of Change, foresight is a vital tool for strengthening strategic planning, forward-looking leadership, and system-wide learning across the organization.
Strategic foresight enables the UN system to think beyond short-term cycles, respond proactively to emerging challenges, and shape more resilient, inclusive futures. As foresight practice expands across the organization — from global trend analysis to country-level planning — there is growing recognition of its potential to drive system-level change.
Convened by the UN Futures Lab/Global Hub, the day will spotlight strategic foresight in a high-level opening panel, 9 curated side events, and a practical solutions “expo” session.
Thursday, 12 June from 9 – 10am ET / 3 – 4pm CET
The high-level session, “From Signals to Systems: Embedding Foresight Across the UN”, will convene a panel across sectors for an engaging discussion on the role of futures and foresight in enabling a more adaptive, inclusive, and future-ready United Nations in support of more anticipatory approaches across the multilateral system.
This high-level session aims to elevate foresight from individual initiatives to institutional capacity. It reflects a shared commitment to embedding futures thinking across mandates, fostering intergenerational equity, and strengthening the UN’s ability to support Member States through turbulence and transition. By convening a diverse and cross-sectoral panel, the session seeks to inspire system-wide engagement with foresight as a lever to enhance anticipatory governance and organizational resilience, spotlighting the value of long-term, inclusive, and imaginative thinking in shaping the future of multilateralism. Panelists representing a range of institutional, regional, and disciplinary perspectives will share practical insights on how foresight is informing decision-making, strategic planning, and institutional transformation across the UN and beyond.
Thursday, 12 June from 7am – 1:50pm ET / 1 – 7:50pm CET
A series of curated side events led by UN entities and partners highlights the diverse ways foresight is being applied to inform decision-making, strengthen collaboration, and support systems-level change across the UN.
Event title | Organzing entities | Time | |
---|---|---|---|
Towards Foresight and System-based Approaches in UN Country Work | United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) Mauritius and Seychelles Resident Coordinator’s Office (RCO) Cameroon | 7 – 7:50am ET / 1 – 1:50pm CET | Register here |
Signals that Save: Human Rights, Data, and Anticipatory Action in Crises | Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) | 7-7:50am ET / 1 – 1:50pm CET | Register here |
Future of Programming | United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) | 8 – 8:50am ET / 2 – 2:50pm CET | Register here |
Feminist Foresight for an Inclusive Future | UN Women UN Futures Lab/Global Hub | 8 – 8:50am ET / 2 – 2:50pm CET | Register here |
Decolonial Feminist praxis for Transformative and Equitable Foresight | United Nations University (UNU) | 10 – 10:50am ET / 4 – 4:50pm CET | Register here |
Youth Foresight: Reimagining Decision-Making Spaces | UNICEF UN Futures Lab/Global Hub | 10 – 10:50am ET / 4 – 4:50pm CET | Register here |
Navigating Uncertainty, Shaping Futures: Driver-Based Scenario Building | United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) Peacekeeping-Intelligence Coordination Team | 12 – 12:50pm ET / 6 – 6:50pm CET | Register here |
Seeing Beyond: Why Foresight Matters Now More Than Ever | United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) University of Houston | 12 – 12:50pm ET / 6 – 6:50pm CET | Register here |
Seeding the Future: Transforming Agriculture in Egypt’s Nile Delta | UNDP Egypt Egyptian Food Bank International Organization for Migration (IOM) Knowledge Economy Foundation Canal Sugar The Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation of Egypt Small Grants Program Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) | 1 – 1:50pm ET / 7 – 7:50pm CET | Register here |
Thursday, 12 June from 11am – 12pm ET / 5 – 6pm CET
Explore how strategic foresight is shaping smarter decisions across the UN system. This Solutions Expo highlights how UN teams are embedding futures thinking to anticipate risks, shape long-term strategies, and unlock more adaptive, resilient approaches. From livestock policy reform to predictive analytics for peacekeeping, each pitch demonstrates how foresight can move us from reacting to shaping the future. Join the live session to hear real-world use cases, then dive deeper with the teams in interactive breakout discussions. Solutions that will be showcased: