CSPPS Participates in the UN’s 75th Anniversary Initiative

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, founded in the wake of World War II to promote peace and shared prosperity. To mark the occasion, Secretary-General António Guterres in January launched the UN75 Initiative – a year-long “global conversation” to gather perspectives about people’s wishes and expectations for the future. “We need your opinion, your strategies and your ideas for us to be able to deliver better for the people of the world,” Guterres said.

An important part of the Initiative is the short UN75 Survey, available in 47 languages. As CSPPS enjoys close working relations with several UN agencies, we agreed to circulate this survey through our membership with a unique CSPPS ID to analyse the feedback and data from our network. At the time of writing, we have collected 119 responses from a wide variety of countries.

The survey consists of several questions with multiple-choice options, of which two are dedicated to COVID-19. The first question relating to the pandemic asks: “What should the international community prioritize to recover better from the pandemic?” Respondents could select up to three responses from a list of 12 options. By a sizeable margin, the most frequently selected option is to “prioritize universal access to healthcare”, followed by “increase support to the hardest hit countries and communities”. CSPPS members also stressed the need to reduce conflict and promote national cohesion. The second COVID-19-related question asks how the pandemic has changed one’s views about the need for international cooperation. CSPPS members indicate that the pandemic has underscored the need for more cooperation.

Aside from the questions about COVID-19, the survey asks: “if you picture the world you want in 25 years, what three things would you most want to see?” By a wide margin our members chose “less conflict”, followed by “more respect for human rights” and “better access to education”. Healthcare came in a close fourth.

The survey also enquires about what global trends respondents believe will most impact the future. Three options could be selected from among a list of 11 trends. By far, CSPPS members expressed worry about climate change and political violence. Concerns about health are in a distant third place.

Asked about the extent to which international cooperation matters to tackle these trends, CSPPS members overwhelmingly responded that such cooperation is “very important” or “essential”.

Finally, CSPPS members struck an optimistic note. The survey asks: “do you think that people in 2045 will be better off, worse off, or the same as you are today?” A plurality of members, some 48%, answered that the world will be better off, while 35% responded that it will be worse.

CSPPS will continue to support the United Nations, including through constructive critique, to #BuildBackBetter after the pandemic and forge a brighter future like our members expect. 

#ShapingOurFuture @JoinUN75