A Second UN Charter: Modernizing the UN for a New Generation (Session 2)

The World Citizen Book Club continued its exploration of A Second UN Charter: Modernizing the UN for a New Generation in this second and final session, again featuring several co-authors for an in-depth Q&A discussion on the proposed reforms to the United Nations.

About the Book

Published in 2024 by the Global Governance Forum, this comprehensive volume puts forward a detailed draft for a revised UN Charter fit for the 21st century. Eighty years after the advent of the United Nations, the proposed charter — drafted by a broad range of international experts and academics — is accompanied by a running commentary explaining and justifying each revision. The book represents an important contribution to international efforts to create a UN architecture capable of addressing contemporary global challenges.

Co-Authors Joining the Discussion

• Augusto Lopez-Claros, international economist and Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum
• Ambassador Yvette Stevens, Executive in Residence at the Geneva Center for Security Policy and former Ambassador from Sierra Leone to the United Nations
• Patricia Nogueira Rinaldi, Associate Professor of International Relations at Faculdades de Campinas (FACAMP, Brazil) and Director of its Center of Studies and Research in International Relations (CERI-FACAMP)
• Vesselin Popovski, Professor, Vice Dean and Executive Director at the Centre for the Study of United Nations at O.P. Jindal Global University

About the Lead Author

Augusto Lopez-Claros brings more than 30 years of experience in international organizations, including service as director of the Global Indicators Group at the World Bank and chief economist at the World Economic Forum. He served as the IMF’s Resident Representative in Russia and as a Senior Fellow at Georgetown University’s Edmund Walsh School of Foreign Service. His publications include Global Governance and the Emergence of Global Institutions for the 21st Century (Cambridge University Press, 2020) and Equality for Women = Prosperity for All (St. Martin’s Press, 2018).

Discussion Highlights

This concluding session brought fresh perspectives to the discussion, with Ambassador Yvette Stevens contributing insights from her diplomatic experience representing Sierra Leone and Patricia Nogueira Rinaldi offering a Global South perspective on Charter reform. Participants examined specific proposed revisions and debated the political pathways to achieving meaningful UN modernization.