New Foundation of International Institutions Project

Refounding the UN to meet the challenges of our time

A coalition of associations and NGOs is putting forward eleven proposals for a fairer, more representative international system that is able to act.

The Palais des Nations, Geneva

Why refound rather than abandon

The UN was founded in 1945 by fifty states. Today there are one hundred and ninety-three. Threats have changed, and so has the balance of power, but the architecture has not: a single deadlock in the Security Council is enough to paralyse the Organisation. We reject both walking away and the status quo.

About the project

Eleven proposals, three stages

Our prospective chronological timeline orders our proposals by what they require of existing law, from measures possible today to a review of the Charter.

  1. First stage

    Achievable now, building on existing institutions without amending the Charter.

    1. 1 Give NGOs their full place
    2. 2 Financial transparency for INGOs
    3. 3 Support representative democracy
    4. 4 Regulate digital technology and AI
    5. 5 Human security and shared standards
  2. Second stage

    Legally possible, politically difficult.

    1. 6 Peacekeeping and diplomacy first
    2. 7 Arms embargoes
    3. 8 A world institution for the climate
  3. Third stage

    Our flagship proposals: they require a review of the Charter.

    1. 9 Secretary-General and General Assembly
    2. 10 A representative Security Council
    3. 11 Suspend the veto

See the full table

The organisations behind the project

See all partners
Partner logos: Pax Christi Vlaanderen, Utopia, Article 109, IPB, Anastasis, Pax Christi France, Convivialism, European University of Peace, Lutte et Contemplation, Chrétiens de la Méditerranée, Mouvement de la Paix, Pax Christi International, IFCU, MIAMSI

Support the proposals

Signing takes one minute. A signature from an organisation carries even more weight.

How to take action