PSFN x APF | Updates on Foresight in the UN System

The United Nations is a leader in doing foresight within its operations and promoting foresight and the foresight ecosystem among Member States. The UN led the world's largest government foresight effort in history, with its vision and agenda-setting processes leading to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  The UN Secretary-General’s Office established the UN Futures Lab with widespread efforts to promote the use and coherence of futures thinking and strategic foresight initiatives across the UN, UN Global Pulse supports the transformation of the UN through strengthening innovation capabilities, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) work includes building anticipatory capabilities to better respond to risk, uncertainty and opportunities in the future. 

Other UN bodies such as UNESCO and the regional Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean promote foresight in agencies and Parliaments.   

The December 4 session will feature UN officials discussing such topics as: an overview of the evolution and current status of the exciting foresight developments in the UN System as well as specific examples of foresight-related activities. Officials from the UN Futures Lab, UNDP and UN Global Pulse will enhance your understanding of how the UN works to enable dynamic vision and strategy development.

Speakers:

• Irina Velasco, Programme Management Specialist (Foresight), UN Futures Lab

• Manasi Kumbhat, Futures Network Coordinator, Strategy & Futures Team, Executive Office at UNDP 

• Tiina Neuvonen, Strategic Foresight Lead, UN Global Pulse

• Bright Onapito, Data and AI Policy Officer, UN Global Pulse