Public Finance and Social Protection

"Many countries in both the developed and the developing worlds face serious challenges when it comes to providing retirement security for the elderly, opportunity for young people, and broader financial well-being for everyone. As life expectancy rates increase, and government participation in benefits programs declines, new approaches are needed in order to support ageing populations. Meanwhile the methods adopted to stabilize national economies must better account for resulting impacts on vulnerable populations, and the systems we use to identify those most in need must be improved."

Civic Participation

"Bottom-up forms of civic participation are flourishing in a new era powered by technology. People are getting organized quicker and in greater numbers, and tools like petitions, direct action and civil disobedience are back on the scene."

Values

"Values are the basis of personal and collective judgments about what is important in life - influenced by culture, religion, and laws. They are factors in our decision-making on social, environmental, and political matters, and on the best uses of our time, money, and natural resources."

Future of Economic Progress

"Global economic progress is falling short of expectations. The uncertainty caused by technologies associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution, dramatic shifts in international cooperation and trade, and political upheaval have left many disillusioned - and triggered social tension, worsening inequality..."

Workforce and Employment

"The world of work is changing fast; recognizing and mapping new work models will be essential for channelling that change into the creation of stronger labour markets. Job creation is a constant on the global agenda, as are policies intended to ensure greater protections for both workers and their employers. The most successful approaches will utilize a firm understanding of demographics, of shifting job roles, and of the evolving demand for skills - and will leverage disruption as a means to design ideal contemporary workplaces."

Illicit Economy

"Organized crime may prevent the achievement of nearly one quarter of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, according to the Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime. Illicit trade in people, goods, drugs, money, intellectual property, and natural resources has made criminal networks into multi-billion-dollar syndicates - undermining legitimate companies, the integrity of governments, and public security."

Migration

"The United Nations has estimated that as of mid-2019 there were 272 million international migrants globally, equal to 3.4% of the world’s population - compared with 2.8% of the population as of 2000. When internal migration is taken into account roughly one-seventh of the world’s inhabitants are estimated to have migrated at least once in their lives. Emigration and immigration provide tremendous opportunities, though there are challenges tied to integration, social cohesion, labour, and border management."

Humanitarian Action

"More than 130 million people - more than ever before - are in need of emergency aid. But humanitarian action is being hampered by political threats and bureaucratic barriers. Humanitarian law is being flouted, as hospitals, refugee camps, and aid workers become military targets. More than 68 million people have been left forcibly displaced by conflict and climate-related disasters, and the $25 billion raised annually to help them isn’t enough."

Human Rights

"Human rights are inherent regardless of sex, national or ethnic origin, religion, or language. They are grounded in the concept of equal moral status, which underpins legal rights both internationally (the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and related treaties) and domestically (in the form of Bills of Rights). All human rights are interrelated, interdependent, and indivisible."

Mental Health

"The global cost of mental health conditions (and related consequences) is projected a rise to $6 trillion by 2030, from $2.5 trillion as of 2010, according to a study published by the World Economic Forum and the Harvard School of Public Health. That would make the cost of poor mental health greater than that of cancer, diabetes, and respiratory ailments combined. While mental health-related issues continue to have a serious impact on productivity and economic well-being, opportunities to improve awareness, analysis, and treatment abound."

LGBTI Inclusion

"Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex issues are fundamentally human rights issues. Sexual orientation, gender identity (a felt and experienced sense of one’s gender), gender expression (through actions and appearance), and sex characteristics are integral to everyone’s dignity and humanity - and should not become the basis for discrimination or abuse. In reality, however, many LGBTI people regularly face mistreatment and persecution."

Inclusive Design

"Inclusive design is a people-centred strategy for innovation, rooted in progressive, post-World War II ideas about providing ways for the marginalized and excluded - whether economically, culturally or technologically - to gain greater access. "

Cities and Urbanisation

"While urbanization creates many challenges that threaten the quality of life, it also represents our best hope of solving these challenges; that’s because the density of cities enables innovation, by readily providing testbeds to gauge the effectiveness of related solutions.

Future of Health and Healthcare

"More than 130 million people - more than ever before - are in need of emergency aid. But humanitarian action is being hampered by political threats and bureaucratic barriers. Humanitarian law is being flouted, as hospitals, refugee camps, and aid workers become military targets. More than 68 million people have been left forcibly displaced by conflict and climate-related disasters, and the $25 billion raised annually to help them isn’t enough."

Infrastructure Development

"Infrastructure development is essential for economic development. Providing necessary infrastructure can boost health, wealth, access to education, and public safety"