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| Forum 21 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Forum 21 |
| Formation | 2003 |
| Type | Nonprofit think tank |
| Headquarters | Geneva |
| Leader title | Director |
| Leader name | Maria Alvarez |
| Region served | Global |
Forum 21 is an international policy consortium and think tank established in the early 21st century to convene leaders from politics, business, science, and civil society. It positions itself as a neutral convener for multistakeholder dialogue among figures associated with United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, European Union, and city networks such as C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. Forum 21 organizes conferences, working groups, and publications aimed at shaping policy debates involving actors from United States, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, and regional organizations like the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Forum 21 describes its mission as facilitating evidence-based deliberation among representatives from institutions including Harvard University, University of Oxford, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Yale University, and London School of Economics. It emphasizes partnerships with intergovernmental bodies such as World Health Organization, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, International Labour Organization, and multilateral development banks like the Asian Development Bank and African Development Bank. The organization maintains advisory relationships with corporate actors including Microsoft, Google, Apple Inc., Siemens, BP, and Goldman Sachs, while also engaging with nongovernmental organizations such as Greenpeace, Amnesty International, Oxfam, and Human Rights Watch.
Forum 21 was founded in 2003 following a series of informal dialogues among diplomats from Switzerland, France, Germany, United Kingdom, and Italy, academics from Princeton University and Columbia University, and business leaders from General Electric and Royal Dutch Shell. Early programs focused on post-conflict reconstruction linked to outcomes from the Iraq War, stabilization lessons from the Balkans conflict, and financial governance after the Asian financial crisis. The organization expanded its portfolio after the 2008 financial crisis, adding workstreams on financial resilience in collaboration with Bank for International Settlements contributors and economists from London Business School. In the 2010s it broadened engagement on climate, public health, and digital governance, hosting high-level dialogues that included delegations from China Investment Corporation and representatives associated with the Paris Agreement negotiations.
Forum 21 is governed by a board comprising former diplomats, corporate executives, and academic chairs drawn from institutions such as United Nations Development Programme, International Energy Agency, European Central Bank, Council on Foreign Relations, and the Trilateral Commission. The secretariat is based in Geneva and operates regional hubs linked to New York City, Beijing, New Delhi, São Paulo, and Nairobi. Its leadership roster has included individuals affiliated with European Commission, U.S. State Department, Reserve Bank of India, and think tanks like Brookings Institution and Chatham House. Funding comes from a blend of philanthropic foundations like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, private-sector sponsorships from firms such as Amazon and Tesla, Inc., and project grants from entities including United Nations Development Programme.
Forum 21 runs annual plenary forums that mirror formats used by World Economic Forum and regional summits like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings. Program themes encompass climate resilience in partnership with Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change contributors, global health with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, digital governance involving stakeholders from Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers and Electronic Frontier Foundation, and urban policy tied to UN-Habitat and the Rockefeller Foundation. It convenes technical working groups that produce policy briefs, scenario exercises, and capacity-building workshops in collaboration with universities such as University of California, Berkeley and National University of Singapore.
Membership is by invitation and comprises senior fellows, corporate partners, academic associates, and national delegations. Fellows are frequently drawn from alumni networks of West Point, Ecole Nationale d'Administration, Kennedy School of Government, and research centers at MIT Media Lab or Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Corporate partners include multinational firms from sectors represented by International Chamber of Commerce constituencies. Regional chapters operate in partnership with institutions like African Union Commission offices, Organization of American States, and Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat. Participation protocols emphasize nondisclosure agreements for certain closed-door sessions, while plenary outputs are published for stakeholders including policymakers from G20 members.
Forum 21 claims policy influence through advisory memos circulated to institutions such as United Nations Security Council delegations, finance ministries of G7 countries, and regulatory bodies like Securities and Exchange Commission and European Banking Authority. Supporters point to its role in shaping resilience frameworks adopted by municipal authorities in London, New York City, and Mumbai. Critics, including investigative journalists from outlets like The Guardian, New York Times, and Le Monde, have raised concerns about transparency, potential conflicts of interest involving corporate sponsors such as ExxonMobil and JPMorgan Chase, and the representativeness of invite-only panels. Civil society coalitions including Friends of the Earth and Transparency International have pushed for stronger disclosure of funding and governance.
Notable Forum 21 events include a 2015 summit on urban climate adaptation that featured panelists from IPCC authors, mayors of Paris, Buenos Aires, and Seoul, and representatives from World Bank urban units. Its 2019 digital governance workshop convened experts from ICANN, European Commission digital services teams, and researchers from Oxford Internet Institute. Publications encompass policy briefs and white papers produced jointly with institutions such as Brookings Institution, Council on Foreign Relations, International Crisis Group, and academic presses at Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press. The organization’s compendia have been cited in reports by UNICEF, World Health Organization, and national agencies like UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
Category:International think tanks