The COMPASS Initiative aims to provide timely analysis and solutions for governments and other stakeholders on multilateral approaches to pandemics. The aim is to strengthen and expand prevention and response to pandemic disease and its consequences across all sectors. Through this initiative, IPI is conducting two separate but interrelated work streams.
Preparation for a New International Instrument on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness, and Response
On March 30, 2021, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the President of the European Council, and 23 heads of government came together in a joint call for a new international treaty on pandemic preparedness and response. And on December 1st, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution in special session to launch a process to develop a WHO convention, agreement, or other international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. IPI is engaging in a series of consultations to assist member states in navigating the hard questions this process will present.
In 2021, IPI produced an inventory of existing fact-finding, verification, and compliance-monitoring mechanisms in the UN system to explore possible verification mechanisms that could be included in a framework convention. In 2022, IPI consulted with several small island developing states, including the Maldives and Fiji, in order to participate in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body process, which began in March in Geneva.
Whole-of-System Approaches to Pandemic Preparedness and Response
The second area of COMPASS activities takes a holistic perspective on multilateral capabilities for pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response through dedicated analysis, convening, and strategic outreach over a period of three years (2021–2023). This includes a dedicated focus on the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. IPI’s convening and research have addressed the equitable distribution of vaccines in conflict-affected areas, health emergencies and gender, and the role of humanitarian actors in sustaining peace during a pandemic.
In the past several years, there has been a much-discussed rise in strain on multilateralism. However, there have been few efforts to quantifiably assess the state of the multilateral system. The Multilateral Index, co-developed by IPI and the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), is the first known attempt to do so. It seeks to answer questions including: What is the state of the multilateral system? What is working? What is not? And how has the multilateral system changed over time?
IPI and IEP published a pilot version of the Multilateralism Index in 2022. It examines five domains of multilateral coordination: Peace and Security, Human Rights, Environment, Public Health, and Trade. The domains are evaluated using a total of sixty-five indicators across three dimensions: Participation, Performance, and Inclusivity. Overall, the index provides a basis for tracking the transformation of the multilateral system and informing decision making on the future of multilateralism. Future iterations of the index will be published biannually with additional indicators.
The current wave of technological change has created new opportunities for multilateral cooperation across a wide range of areas, including sustainable development, conflict prevention, humanitarian responses, peace operations, and state-society relations. At the same time, however, it has created an enduring “digital divide,” raised questions about Internet governance and privacy, and led to new forms […]
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Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and three of his fellow Elders told a thronged audience at IPI on May 9th that multilateral diplomacy was the only way to address critical issues facing the world today like armed conflict, climate change, mass migration, nuclear proliferation, and bad governance.“We need to work across national borders to […]
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Over the past few years, the world has been confronted with a series of crises that have challenged perceptions of global stability. Whether a moment of high risk or great opportunity, this is without a doubt a moment of growing complexity. More actors, institutions, and networks of interests are engaged in the international sphere than […]
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While the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) may seem antiquated and unlikely to materialize, the mere existence of WMD remains one of the paramount threats to mankind. Nuclear weapons present not only the biggest existential threat, but also the biggest gap in the multilateral disarmament and non-proliferation architecture. In this context, on March […]
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The preservation of human dignity and the desire to reduce human suffering are at the core of the contemporary international order and underpin all three pillars of the multilateral system anchored in the UN. Yet never before has the world witnessed humanitarian needs on such an epic scale and in so many simultaneous crises around […]
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Has the United Nations system sufficiently adapted to the challenges of the 21st century world? If not, how does it need to change? These were the central questions addressed during the launch of the summary report of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM), entitled “Pulling Together: The Multilateral System and its Future”, which was held […]
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“The UN still matters, but it needs to change,” declared IPI President Terje Rød-Larsen. “The main question is ‘How?’”Mr. Rød-Larsen made his remarks at the launch of the Independent Commission on Multilateralism (ICM) final report at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) in Geneva on December 12, 2016.The report, the product of […]
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How can open societies cope with threats that do not respect borders, from terrorist attacks, to cyber threats, to pandemics, to refugees and migrants? Is the fear caused by their “openness” fueling a rise in ideology and intolerance, and will this cause open societies to become more closed? And with open societies under attack, what […]
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Over the past two decades, an abundance of legal and policy frameworks in the multilateral system have focused on women’s security and empowerment. Women, however, continue to be poorly represented in formal peacemaking activities, and they suffer disproportionately from the indirect effects of conflict. The credibility of the multilateral system itself depends on progress in […]
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An overflow crowd attended the launch of the ICM final report at IPI on September 21 and heard a prediction from one of the co- chairs of the two-year project that the document would soon become essential reading for those plotting the future of the United Nations.“Regardless of who will be the next Secretary-General,” said […]
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The International Peace Institute is an independent, non-profit organization working to strengthen inclusive multilateralism for a more peaceful and sustainable planet. Through its research, convening, and strategic advising, IPI provides innovative recommendations for the United Nations System, member states, regional organizations, civil society, and the private sector. With staff from around the world and a broad range of academic fields, IPI has offices facing United Nations headquarters in New York and an office in Manama.
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