Global Agenda

Volume 1: 2019 - 2020

The Global Agenda forms part of our mission at the Global Diplomatic Forum: to bring together diverse voices and major players in international affairs, in order to find solutions to the most crucial issues facing the global community.

Our aim in this publication is to offer insights into the major challenges within international affairs, along with innovative potential solutions based on the GDF’s concept of Smart Diplomacy. The Smart Diplomacy approach advocates three main pillars for effective 21st century diplomatic practice: promoting multi-stakeholder involvement beyond the nation-state; the application of technology to tap into the potential of the digital age; and a bigger role for women in tackling global risks.

The Global Agenda has been thoughtfully curated to serve as an essential guide for diplomatic decision-makers and global leaders in the private and public sectors. The articles are designed to be brief enough for busy people to easily consume, while still detailed enough to support scenario analysis of future trends and their impacts.

Structurally, each topic comprises several sub-sections, starting with the Context: a succinct overview of the issue, prepared by the talented alumni of our Young Diplomats Forum. This is followed by Expert Insights from GDF advisory board members, who forecast key developments to watch in the coming two years. Our contributors come from 15 countries across the world, and possess extensive experience as analysts and practitioners.

Finally, each article sets out the GDF’s Smart Diplomacy Agenda, which suggests actions that can be taken to enhance the international community's effectiveness in addressing these major challenges, rooted in the principles of Smart Diplomacy.

For those who are keen to explore the issues in greater depth, our experts have also put together 3-4 references for further reading on each topic, which can be accessed directly from the digital version of this report by clicking on the headline.

Global Agenda

Volume 2: 2021 - 2023

The Global Agenda forms part of our mission at the Global Diplomatic Forum: to bring together diverse voices and major players in international affairs, in order to find solutions to the most crucial issues facing the global community.

We are delighted to present you with our second edition of The Global Agenda. Every two years, our publication brings together the best thinking around key challenges in international affairs - featuring board members of the Global Diplomatic Forum (GDF), as well as alumni of our prestigious Young Diplomats' Forum.

The Global Agenda has been thoughtfully curated to serve as an essential guide for diplomatic decision-makers and global leaders in the private and public sectors. The articles are designed to be brief enough for busy people to easily consume, while still detailed enough to support scenario analysis of future trends and their impacts.

Since our last edition, the world has gone through enormous upheavals due to COVID-19. We have asked our contributors to focus on the impacts-both negative and positive-that the pandemic has had on our world, and the implications for a post-COVID world.

Alongside pieces by members of the GDF board and global experts, we are proud to feature so many alumni of our Young Diplomats Forum in these pages. At the GDF, we believe strongly in the power of young people to create positive change - and their voices matter more than ever.