Briefings

Indispensable ecosystem services

Why biological diversity must be protected better
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Children's rights

Children's rights matter - and deserve more attention
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Digital trends

Digital technology is changing how we live
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Divisive racism

Forms and impacts of racism
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Covid-19 diary

The coronavirus pandemic is affecting societies and economies around the globe
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Middle class growth

Broad-based prosperity depends on more than purchasing power
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Patents, pharmaceuticals and health care

Pharma supply and intellectual property in pandemic response
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Climate action

Our common future hinges on UN climate summit in Glasgow in November
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Literacy matters

Written communication is becoming increasingly important
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Chemicals management

The global challenge of making chemicals usage sustainable
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Diaspora communities

Diaspora communities: potentially powerful drivers of change
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Urban housing

Millions of people cannot afford more than a mere shelter – that has to change
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The forcefulness of political movements

Political movements express discontent - and where civil-society space is limited, they become campaigns for democracy
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Healthy diets

Healthy nutrition is a matter of public awareness and political will
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Sustainability and finance

Capital markets' growing interest in investments' environmental, social and governance impacts
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Understanding development

Re-assessing the controversial term "development"
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Traumatised nations

National traumas can stand in the way of development
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Indispensable forests

Forests are important ecosystems, deliver relevant resources and serve climate protection
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Water supply and climate crisis

Global warming and overuse are making access to water ever more precarious
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Energy

Humanity urgently needs a transition to renewable energy
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Demographic trends

The world population is growing more slowly, but ageing fast
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Poverty and disease

Health problems disproportionally affect econmically disadvanted people
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Employment and innovation

Tech start-ups help, but much more is needed to generate millions of decent jobs in developing countries
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Transport infrastructure

Safety and environmental issues should be taken into account when building transport infratructure
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Why the world needs the EU

European contributions are essentail for making global governance work
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Agricultual change

The pathway towards sustainable agriculture and rural prosperity
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Faith and politics

The ambivalence of religion: faith leaders can drive sustainable development, but some engage in dangerous identity politics
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Digital future

Global action is needed to grasp digital oppurtunities and avoid the pitfalls
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Gender specific socialisation

How gender roles are shaped, reinforced and changed
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SDG finance

The SDG agenda is unprecdented and requires adeqaute funding
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Mental health

Mental disorders are obstacles to development and deserve more attention
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Private schools

Private-sector education is growing fast
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The refugee challenge

Violent conflict, state failure and natural disasters force masses of people to leave their homes
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Trade matters

The global trade regime is in disarray, but so far has not suffered long term damage
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Global environment in crisis

Desertification, biodiversity loss and other destructive trends compound risks of climate change
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Rule of law

Good governance requires generally accepted laws, responsible enforcement and broad-based participation in public affairs
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Drugs policy

Regulating the narcotic market is a responsible alternative to prohibition
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Unequal opportunities

The politics of providing opportunities to everyone are difficult
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Technology and labour

What impacts digitalisation can have on employment
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Development achievements

Taking stock of progress made and persisting challenges
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Lessons of structural adjustment

Reconsidering the crisis lending of international financial institutions in past decades
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Climate change

Implications of global warming
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Disasters and aid

The challenges of humanitarian relief
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Dangerous disinformation

How to stem the tide of fake news, ditigal propaganda and agressive trolling
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Formative years

Children's development opportunities matter
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Non-communicable diseases

Chronic diseases are a growing global health challenge
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Military force and political power

A nation's armed forces should not play a role in domestic politics
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Tax disputes

Prudent tax policy: close loopholes and broaden the base
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Private mega-donors' role in development

Philanthropy must not replace capable democratic governments
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Postcolonial realities

Colonial legacies include racism, corruption and authoritarian attitudes
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Climate action is becoming ever more urgent

Two years on from Paris Agreement: the state of multilateral climate talks ahead of the summit in Bonn
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Formal and informal employment

SDG8: A lot must happen to achieve decent work for all
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Pregnancy and childbirth

Pregnacies should be safe and wanted
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Land ownership

Without secure tenure of homes and land, poor people cannot build a better future
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Water: life saving, but devastating too

Water is an indispensable resource
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Global agenda

SDGs: The United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals are decisive for humanity's future
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Vulnerable coasts

Development challenges are particularly urgent in coastal regions
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Promoting peace

Peace requires civil engagement
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Populist politics

The rule of populist leaders tends to be abusive
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Young people ­deserve ­opportunities

Youth unemployment compounds problems of crime, migration, political instability and religious fanaticism
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International cooperation

In order to rise to global challenges, nations must join forces
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Infectious diseases

Strengthening health care: infection risks need to be reduced
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Urban agenda

Humankind's future depends on the quality of cities
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Why and how foreign trade matters

Exports must drive development
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Women, men, families

Who marries whom and implications of family life
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Managing waste properly

Garbage challenges: waste-management systems must improve
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The power of sports

Sports - mass attention, individual health and various sociopolitical implication
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Digitalisation

Digitalisation affects all spheres of life
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International financial institutions

Powerful multilateral agencies and lenders of last resort: international financial institutions
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Global refugee crisis

Europe and global community must rise to refugee crisis
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Indispensable education

Why schools are high on the SDG agenda
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Emerging-market multinationals

Multinational corporations from emerging markets are forces to be reckoned with long term
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Artistic expression

Why the arts matter and need to be free
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International non-governmental organisations

International NGOs: helpful, though not beyond reproach
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Social protection and inequality

Social protection: means to fight poverty and reduce inequality
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When people keep animals

Animal keeping and its impacts
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Climate summit in Paris

Ahead of Paris climate summit, governments make insufficient pledges
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Disadvantaged communities

Prevent discrimination: all communities deserve equal rights
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Responsible tourism

Tourism: challenges and opportunities
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How the EU can influence the world agenda

The global relevance of the European Union
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Garments and textile industries

Garments and textiles: tough labour conditions where industrialisation sets in
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The media and development

Media matters: democracy and development
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Successful countries

Successful development in different countries
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New energy

There are alternatives to fossil fuels and nuclear power
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Hoping for peace

Challenging transition: from lawlessness to peace
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Harnessing market forces

Private sector: gearing business interests to development
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Disability and inclusion

Disability: Inclusion is the alternative to poverty
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Viable farms

Smart smallholders: a new vision for rural development
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Local self-administration

Devolution of state powers: all politics is local
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Planned parenthood

Planned parenthood: taking one's fate into one's hand and contributing to a global public good
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Climate finance and development

Climate finance and development policy need to be made coherent
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Digital revolution

Information and communications technology: access to mobile phones and Internet leave their mark on politics and economic life
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Global public goods

Global public goods require action at multilateral and national levels
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Delivering justice

Independent, but not unaccountable: the judicial branch of government
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Social protection

Social protection is becoming ever more urgent public issue in view of demographic change
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Dwindling forests

Sustainable forest management: a global challenge
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Give peace a chance

Peacebuilding is difficult, but indispensable
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The challenges of climate change

Global warming: slow progress in spite of pressing problems
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New global agenda

Beyond the Millennium Goals: international debate assesses global priorities
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Youth worries

The young generation: willing to assume responsibility, but kept in limbo
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Religion and politics

Faith-based politics: personal guidance or societal polarisation?
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Enough food

Food security: Hunger and malnutrition remain huge challenges
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Decentralised politics

Devolution of powers serves government effectiveness and deeper democracy
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Banking

Relevant banks: development requires lots of unspectactular financial services
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Urgent health issues

Health care: policymakers must tackle many dimensions
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Managing migration

Migrants and refugees: whether people move from country to country legally or not makes a huge difference
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Disputed seas

The seas: common goods are disputed, plundered and endangered in many ways
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Traumas of the past

Traumas of the past: coming to terms is tough, but necessary
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Voices of civil society

Public sphere: non-governmental organisations are needed to keep a check on government
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Climate finance

Climate change: humankind needs an agreement on who will pay
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Natural resources

Natural resources: far too often, what schould be a blessing, becomes a curse
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Higher education

Universities: indispensable for individual upward mobility as well as for societal progress
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Infrastructure for megacities

Urban dilemma: agglomerations are growing faster than their infrastructures
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