Climate change is destroying the Earth, its inhabitants and our future. Over 3 billion people are highly vulnerable, with those living in low-income countries most impacted. It kills hundreds of thousands each year through heat waves, storms, droughts, and floods. The death toll, economic destruction, forced migration flows, and food and water scarcity will only get worse. 

Unless we take global, radical climate action. Let’s start by moving away from the fossil fuel economy that created a climate crisis on steroids. Now.

We won’t lie; it will be expensive and require sacrifices. We must pay up before it’s too late and pay up equitably. Our transition will be fair. 

01. Decarbonise our Economies

The next Secretary-General must reduce carbon pollution, through a global carbon tax.

To avoid the worst effects of climate change, we will need to change our carbon-intensive ways of life and do it quickly and fairly.

To do so, we must use the best economic tool at our disposal: a global carbon tax. Under a carbon tax, authorities charge a fee for every ton of greenhouse gas released into the air. Products that create more carbon pollution become more expensive so people switch to alternatives that pollute less. Carbon taxes have been shown to work but at the moment only one-quarter of the world’s carbon emissions are covered and most prices are not high enough to meet our targets.

02. Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground

The next UN Secretary-General must stop new coal, oil & gas projects from being developed to ensure our survival.

Long-term climate change has been caused by human activity: mainly from the widespread use of fossil fuels in homes, factories and transport. Fossil fuels account for over 75% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

We must stop approving new coal, oil and gas projects. And it won’t happen magically: it’s time to act by banning exploration, moving away fairly but fast from current exploitation and stopping the destruction of our planet. This should of course come with a ban on fossil fuels subsidies that should be redirected towards green energy! 

03. Support Those on the Frontlines

The next Secretary-General must ensure the most vulnerable can finance their response to climate disasters.

The climate transition must not be just fast and radical, but fair to all peoples and nations. Some communities - typically low-income countries - are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis, despite having been those who contributed the least to causing it.

A real Global Loss & Damage Fund must be created to support communities in need and expanded to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Such a Fund was theoretically agreed to, but it still has not been created and has no funds or rules.

04. Shield Nature from Human Harm

The next Secretary-General must protect large areas of our planet from harmful human activities.

Human activity has been destroying nature, driving species to extinction while also destroying carbon-absorbing nature, such as forests, seagrass and salt marshes. This must end: it is our collective duty to ensure our planet’s survival and restore it, everywhere, every day.

To save our planet, the next UN leader should create Global Safe Zones for Nature Conservation & Restoration to designate 30% of land and marine areas as protected safe zones, recognized as part of our collective global heritage.

700 million people - one human being in ten -  live in extreme poverty. They survive on less than $1.90 a day, with the COVID-19 pandemic having pushed 150 million more into extreme poverty. People go hungry and lack basic services, such as clean water, sanitation, healthcare and housing. 

And all this in a world of plenty. We produce enough food to feed 1.5 times the global population. We have more wealth and resources than ever, although the Few - some countries, companies and individuals - hoard them. We must redistribute our common goods better and guarantee safety nets for all.

We won’t lie. It won’t be easy. Those who benefit will fight back, and there is no perfect formula. However, the endless cycle of wealth-creating more wealth for the few must end, and instead, it must benefit the many.

01. Lift Every Human Out of Poverty

The next UN Secretary-General must set up a global safety net to eradicate extreme poverty across the planet.

The world economy generates enough financial resources to eradicate poverty, but the political will to redistribute them is still lacking. It is unacceptable.

This global safety net will uplift everyone, in collaboration with national governments’ policies, above the national poverty line. It will consist of a:

1. A Basic Income, first available to the most vulnerable in society but aiming to be expanded to all people, and
2. A guaranteed job scheme for non-vulnerable people in the absence of a true Universal Basic Income

02. Raise The Funds to Stop Poverty

The next UN Secretary-General must gather the needed resources to fight poverty.

Just a few dozen billionaires own as much as half of humanity, all the while people struggle to make ends meet. Nothing justifies that. Lifting everyone out of poverty requires global solidarity.

A wealth tax on the hyper-rich must be set up worldwide, and a portion of those national taxes must be paid into the global safety net fund to lift every human out of poverty.

03. Resolve Debt Crises

The next UN Secretary-General must shield people from excessive and doomed austerity measures.

Due to historical injustices, bad governance and dire economic downturns, governments sometimes take on more debt than they can handle. They then impose austerity measures, such as cutting public services and raising taxes, to repay loans to international creditors like the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Because of the lack of an international legal process to forgive public debts, governments tend to press too much austerity on their people for too long, past the breaking point of social unrest.

Just as companies can use national courts to manage their way out of bankruptcy equitably, the UN must establish a legal system that allows for countries to resolve debt crises in an orderly and equitable way.

04. Shut Down Tax Havens

The next UN Secretary-General must close loopholes allowing multinationals and wealthy individuals to avoid taxes.

Countries are deprived of much-needed corporate and income tax revenues due to tax havens. While the international community has taken some measures in recent years (including a global minimum corporate tax of 15%), high-income countries are dragging their feet to let the United Nations take on the problem earnestly.

It is fundamental to adopt stronger rules against international tax evasion, increase the minimum corporate tax rate, and switch to a system where multinationals are taxed fairly and those taxes are redistributed equitably to the countries where business activities take place.

05. Create a Global Market for Online Jobs

The UN Secretary-General must stop the exploitation of remote online work.

The COVID-19 pandemic has normalised remote working for white-collar workers worldwide. We all know that, when working remotely, there is no difference whether your home is around the block from the office or across the world. But two workers doing the same tasks for the same company can earn very different salaries in very different conditions depending on the country they are based in. That is due in part to national legal barriers and gives room for workers’ unfair treatment.

Breaking down such barriers will enable skilled workers in low-income countries to access more job opportunities, take home higher pay, and boost their national economies.

Pandemics have the potential to destroy our civilisation. The havoc caused by COVID-19 is fresh in our collective memory. It killed over 7 million people worldwide, and 65 million are still struggling with long-COVID. The pandemic shut down our economies, weakened our social structures and led to an epidemic of loneliness. 

It didn’t have to be the case. COVID-19 wasn’t just destructive because of the virus but because of our selfish responses. Many deaths were preventable, but we failed to share vaccines globally. We must prepare and ensure that medicines, technology, and know-how are shared equitably during an emergency. 

We won’t lie. There will be another pandemic; it’s just a matter of time. We need to put in place the infrastructure capable of curtailing it and avoiding health apartheid.

01. End Health Apartheid

The next UN Secretary-General must pass a Pandemic treaty to ensure global health threats are swiftly and equitably dealt with.

Past pandemics have demonstrated how wealthy nations effectively monopolize the global vaccine supply. This has led to avoidable deaths, not least during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This can be stopped from happening again through a Pandemic Treaty that can: increase medicines manufacturing capacity globally, include all countries in preparedness efforts and share intellectual property rights, technology, and know-how during emergencies.

02. Support People in Emergencies, Everywhere

The next UN Secretary-General must co-create a Universal Emergency Health Service to provide quality, online healthcare to every person in case of pandemics.

Covid-19 highlighted the need for a coordinated international response to health crises. Existing national health systems, especially in low-income countries, often struggle to cope with the surge in demand, leading to unnecessary suffering and loss of life.

The Universal Emergency Health Service will provide reliable online counseling from doctors and health information to people affected by emergencies. Along with the World Health Organization, the next UN leader must make the Universal Emergency Health Service one of the core services provided by the agency.

Artificial Intelligence is already impacting every aspect of our lives. From May to December 2023, 1,000% more websites have posted AI-created fake articles, influencing elections and trust. Governments already use the technology to censor, surveil and discriminate. But it doesn’t stop there. 40% of jobs are at risk of being replaced by artificial intelligence. 

Artificial intelligence is not like other technologies. Its potential is infinite, both in the good and the bad. However, just like other technologies that know no borders, it must be regulated globally to be curtailed. There is no other way than having international AI treaties, regulations, and law enforcement mechanisms.

We won’t lie. Multinational corporations will seek loopholes as lack of regulation equals more opportunities to squeeze profits out of our declining privacy, freedom, choices, and ultimately well-being. But we will not give up: AI must be regulated for its risks to be tamed and its benefits to be shared equitably.

01. Give People Power over Artificial Intelligence

The next UN Secretary-General must establish a Citizens’ Assembly dedicated to regulating AI for the benefit of humanity.

Currently, the UN's approach to AI involves "experts," selected NGOs, countries, and big tech companies, who sit on panels and agencies to determine how this technology should be managed. Unfortunately, the interests of the global population are often overlooked. This must change.

The Citizens’ Assembly, informed by experts, will draft a Treaty to regulate AI globally, setting forth principles that all countries and companies must adhere to when deploying AI systems. The next UNSG must then push this Treaty to be adopted and implemented worldwide.

The wars in Ukraine and Gaza make headlines around the world, while others continue to destroy Ethiopia, Libya, Myanmar, the Sahel region, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Yemen and other countries. Hundreds of thousands die, more are injured, and entire areas are razed to the ground. Conflicts deny fundamental rights and dreams to whole generations, devastate ecosystems and erase cultural heritage.

Today’s wars divide nations close to breaking point, paralysing the United Nations. The institution is stuck in the hands of superpowers, refusing to stand by international rules, hypocritically choosing when to act against aggression and when to provide diplomatic cover to war crimes. Humanity’s best chance to decrease conflicts and avert the risk of nuclear war is to radically reform the United Nations so that it can end wars, regulate weapons and ensure our survival. It must have the competencies, legitimacy, and resources needed.

We won’t lie. Superpowers do not want to lose their privilege and untouchability nor yield power to a supranational organisation. But doing so remains fundamental: how else can the United Nations ensure peace and security?

01. Make The UN a Real Peace-Builder

The next Secretary-General must reform the United Nations to be capable of avoiding and ending wars.

The United Nations is currently unable to fulfil its mission of ensuring peace and security. The wars against Ukraine and Gaza are perfect examples of a few superpowers blocking action to stop ongoing crimes. That’s due to five countries having veto power over ... anything..., and the UN’s top court’s inability to enforce international law.

For the UN to have a chance at delivering peace on security, the next UN leader must work to abolish the Security Council permanent members’ veto right and make the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court compulsory for and enforceable on all UN member states.

02. Commit to Mutual Defense

The next UN Secretary-General must support the development of a mutual defence system among democracies.

UN member-states already have the obligation to militarily assist each other when called upon by the Security Council. However, that security guarantee is very weak because of the Security Council’s dysfunction. Ukraine is just the latest instance of a UN member state suffering an invasion without consequences whatsoever on the aggressor.

Through this, democratic countries will benefit from an enhanced security guarantee and be compelled to protect each other in case of aggression - without possibilities of opt-out - and to take steps to integrate and coordinate their defence, while respecting international law and remaining under the authority of the Security Council when it does find the resolve to act.

03. Make Nuclear Weapons History

The next Secretary-General must ensure all nuclear weapons are dismantled and removed.

Since their inventions, nuclear weapons have been one of the biggest threats to our collective survival and today, once more, nations are heading towards re-armament and even considering live testing.

To ensure humanity’s survival no new country can develop nuclear weapons and all countries having them must eliminate them. For this, the next UN leader must ensure all countries ratify and implement the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, along with provisions for their verified elimination.

Global freedom declined for the 18th year in 2023. Today, almost 40% of the world’s population lives under authoritarian rule. This impacts the billions of people directly affected, and us all. Authoritarian regimes increase the risk of conflicts and crises, threatening global peace. They are also more illiberal towards minorities, whose rights and freedoms are cracked down upon most. 

No country alone has the leverage to push back against authoritarian states or protect freedom; it is fundamental to present a common front. For democracy to thrive, countries believing in its values must unite internationally. This way, they’ll be able to coordinate sanctions and responses to authoritarian crackdowns and learn from one another to better democratic systems.

We won’t lie. Standing against dictatorship isn’t straightforward, especially when democracies commit some of the ills authoritarian states are accused of. But it is needed for humanity’s future. How else could we start to improve it?

01. Unite Democracies in a Caucus

The next UN Secretary-General must facilitate the creation of a Democracy Caucus to lead the way in promoting democracy and human rights.

The protection of human rights has been a core mission of the United Nations since its creation. Nearly all countries have signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But let’s face it, some are not committed to it, and the United Nations lacks the means to enforce human rights. Answers to clear breaches of human rights are not often confronted with a unitary front, weakening responses against oppressive states.

The Democracy Caucus will be opened for all countries to join, provided that they run free and fair elections certified by independent monitors. The Caucus will enable members to coordinate responses and sanctions to authoritarian crackdowns and threats and will develop standards to protect democracy from interference and better protect and promote rights across borders.

02. Give Countries a Stake in Democracy

The next UN Secretary-General must create incentives for countries to strengthen democracy through stronger political and socio-economic ties.

Authoritarian countries are gaining ground politically, economically and in terms of influence worldwide. Democracy is retreating worldwide for the 17th year in a row.

Collaboration, preferential treatment and solidarity must happen for democracies to stand strong and appeal to others! This means 1) setting up a Democracy Fund to finance democratic transitions, 2) offering trade preferences to other democracies and 3) fostering integration via incentives to more inclusive immigration policies.

Our survival is at risk. Climate change, artificial intelligence, wars, dictatorship, pandemics, and poverty all have the potential to destroy humanity unless they are tackled quickly.

Those threats are global, and the United Nations cannot deal with them due to its undemocratic and outdated setup. Even its leader, the Secretary-General, is chosen in an opaque process by countries seeking to uphold the status quo.

We must rebuild the United Nations. The next Secretary-General must, of course, stop 5 superpowers from controlling the UN & prioritising their national interest, and make international law enforceable. But she must go further and ensure the UN has the necessary competencies and legitimacy to ensure our survival.

01. Give People the Power

The next Secretary-General must give people a vote for the UN to have the legitimacy and credibility to solve survival threats.

Confidence in the United Nations is sinking. The organization is not only held back by outdated structures but also by the denial of any meaningful involvement of the global population. Countries put their national interest first, trumping the global one.

People must have the ultimate decision-making power for the UN to have the legitimacy to act on survival threats. The next UN leader must do so by:

1. Establishing a democratic election for the United Nations Secretary-General.
2. Creating a democratically elected UN parliamentary assembly to act as a second chamber alongside the UN General Assembly. This Assembly would be elected directly by the people.

02. Give the UN the money it needs

The next UN Secretary-General must enable the creation of a global taxation system to directly and independently finance its work and programmes.

The United Nations is completely underfunded. Its total operating budget, including its agencies, hovers at around USD 75 bln( which is significantly smaller than that of New York City, standing at USD 104 bln), and is at the mercy of member states’ willingness to pay up.

It is fundamental for the United Nations to create a UN Tax Authority to raise taxes to fund its operations and programmes. It is only this way that it can properly fund efforts to tackle global issues like saving our planet and ending poverty.

03. Deal With Global Issues

The next Secretary-General must get the UN the competencies it needs to manage global issues.

Climate change, artificial intelligence, wars, dictatorship, pandemics, and poverty all have the potential to destroy humanity unless they are tackled fast, everywhere. However, national governments still hold the ultimate decision-making power, putting humanity at risk and
hampering responses.

The UN must have the competencies to manage global challenges and safeguard our future, such as global environmental policies or the regulation of disrupting technologies, to stand a chance at survival. Once global citizens can vote for a UN Parliamentary Assembly, the UN should be given the powers and responsibilities for solving issues that can only be solved at a global level.

We will push this Survival Bill forward throughout our campaign for United Nations Secretary-General, for all of our sake. Let’s be clear: our survival is at risk. Climate change, artificial intelligence, wars, dictatorship, pandemics, and poverty all have the potential to destroy humanity unless they are tackled fast.

Those threats are global, and the United Nations cannot deal with them due to its undemocratic and outdated setup. Even its leader, the Secretary-General, is chosen in an opaque process by countries seeking to uphold the status quo. But we must have a UN with the necessary competencies, legitimacy, and leadership to ensure our survival.

And for this, we need you. Endorse our campaign to make this programme a reality. Challenge this broken system, put survival threats on top of the political agenda, and ignite the fire of a revolution that will start at the UN but won’t stop there. This is just the beginning.

Endorse Our Campaign

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This programme is in the making. Until September 2025, we will continue to involve the people of the world in finding solutions to the most urgent threats of our times. Until then, we will be adopting new policies, amending and bettering existing ones, and publishing supporting documents to explain how we will and can create this much-needed change. Join us: 

• Volunteer to craft our people-backed political programme
• Attend our consultations to debate the programme