Preface

In 2024, the Summit of the Future was convened by the United Nations as a high-level initiative to renew multilateralism and define a shared vision for humanity’s long-term future. Bringing together Member States, civil society, and global thought leaders, the Summit sought to strengthen collective action across peace, development, technology, and governance to better equip the international system for the challenges ahead. Its outcome document, the Pact for the Future, set out a blueprint for cooperation through five interconnected chapters addressing (I) Sustainable Development and Financing for Development, (II) International Peace and Security, (III) Science, Technology and Innovation and Digital Cooperation, (IV) Youth and Future Generations, and (V) Transforming Global Governance.

 

Ahead of the Summit, and in response to the UN’s global call for inputs from civil society, this paper was written as a submission to Chapter V: Transforming Global Governance.

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Overview

The paper explores the potential of intrinsic motivation, a largely untapped resource in behavioural science, as a catalyst for a paradigm shift in how societies and governments operate. By leveraging a deeper understanding of what drives human behaviour, it proposes a new path forward that aligns individual and collective aspirations towards more sustainable, inclusive, and thriving societies, primarily realised through a proposed new measurement standard called the Global Motivational Index (GMI).

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Additional policy proposals include educational reform to foster environments that nurture intrinsic motivation, advocating for Universal Basic Income (UBI) to empower individuals to pursue meaningful work, and creating a Civic Leadership & Education Program (CLEP) to engage youth in community-building roles. Furthermore, the paper calls for a renewed social contract in response to technological disruptions, a redefined concept of national sovereignty that emphasises shared global responsibility, and the creation of a UN media division to effectively communicate these ideas on a global scale.
 

Together, these initiatives outline an approach to transform global governance prioritising human flourishing and collective resilience over competition and survival.