Reforming international institutions

The international system must address the new challenges that threaten the world's stability, prosperity and sustainability. The solutions to these problems also need to be transnational or global.

'Global problems require global solutions.'

British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, launched the UK’s initiative on international institutional reform (April 2008), setting out the UK Government’s ambition for systemic reform.

You can read his full speech on the 10 Downing Street website.

The Foreign Secretary, David Miliband MP, spoke about strengthening international institutions at the launch of the Commonwealth Conversation.
' … In recent years it has become increasingly apparent that our rules and institutions have failed to keep pace with global change'.

Read the full speech

Institutions for 21st century challenges

Global shifts in culture, economy, politics, technology and communications have helped to create an increasingly interdependent world - many of our interests are shared.

The efforts of the international community working through its international institutions are key to dealing with some of our global challenges. We need to ensure that our global institutions are current and have the capacity to respond to these problems.

Indian flood-affected villagers

Some of the current challenges include:

climate change
terrorism
nuclear proliferation
poverty
shared prosperity

We must now work together to make these institutions deliver real and lasting change to tackle these 21st Century challenges.

The UK wants action to reform institutions

Prime Minister Gordon Brown speaks during the United Nations General Assembly September 23, 2009 at UN headquarters in New York

Action by members of the international community at the G20 meetings helped the world fight back against global recession. Important progress was made on reform of International Financial Institutions.

The world is faced with other pressing challenges. This requires robust international cooperation.

The Prime Minister, spoke about the need for renewed multilateralism at his address to the UN General Assembly on 23 September 2009.

He said '…As never before, the fate of every country rested on the actions of all. And as the fear of the unthinkable took hold, we reached a clear choice: to fail separately or to succeed together'

Read the full speech

Learn more about our active role at the United Nations and European Union.