UN Global Risk Report

The United Nations has now released its first Global Risk Report based on 2024 data.

We are living in an age of increasingly complex and interconnected global risks, and we are not sufficiently prepared. To better understand and prepare for these risks, the United Nations has conducted a global survey engaging over 1,100 stakeholders across 134 countries in government, the private sector, civil society, and academia. The survey asked which risks are most important and which risks multilateral institutions are least prepared for.

From the survey results, four groups of 11 risks emerged as both very important and least prepared for, called Global Vulnerabilities. These arise when institutions are underprepared for important risks; they cluster across political, technological, societal, and environmental domains. Many risks are already turning into crisis: over 80 per cent of respondents identified mis- and disinformation, a top Global Vulnerability, as currently occurring. Environmental risks are a priority across all regions: five of the top 10 most important risks are environmental.

When asked about solutions, respondents overwhelmingly identified joint action between governments as well as multistakeholder coalitions as the most effective approaches. They also highlighted critical barriers that prevent such joint action, including a lack of risk prioritization, consensus-building and accountability, as well as mistrust and information gaps, which if addressed, could significantly improve outcomes.

To illustrate the potential of improved joint action, the report closes with four future scenarios — ranging from fragmented to strong multilateral collaboration. The stark differences between these possible futures highlight a critical choice facing today’s policymakers: will the world choose breakdown, maintain the status quo, or break through to a more prosperous, greener and safer world for current and future generations?

SOURCES: https://unglobalriskreport.org/
https://un-futureslab.org/project/un-global-risk-report/