This year will be marked indelibly by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has laid bare and accelerated pre-existing trends and issues. Its impact on the global economy and our institutions is already significant.
CIGI responded quickly with analysis from world-renowned experts on the impacts of the pandemic. They also looked at how governance can — and perhaps must — change in a post-pandemic world.
Even before the pandemic hit, calls for a “new Bretton Woods moment” gained currency in response to the problems facing global institutions. Growing nationalism, trade wars and a rapidly evolving digital economy have given rise to profound governance issues. As we mark the seventy-fifth anniversaries of the Bretton Woods institutions and the United Nations, renewed leadership and new ideas are once again critical.
Countries have already shown they can make structural changes — from supply chain management to new public health policies — that in ordinary times would take much longer to achieve. This capacity and momentum must now be used to build innovative, sustainable and inclusive economies in an era defined by intangible assets amid a global race for their ownership and control.
A major issue facing democracies is how to govern the private, transnational social media platforms that contribute to disinformation, electoral interference, online hate and violence. CIGI’s robust digital platform governance response includes an international network of scholars and civil servants that is building on the work of the International Grand Committee on Disinformation.
As a think tank for today’s digital era, CIGI is well-positioned to support policy makers and institutions in responding to these challenges through its new Strategic Plan. I continue to be inspired by and learn from the experts associated with CIGI and remain grateful for the hard work of our staff, fellows and board members.
Jim Balsillie
Chair, CIGI Board of Directors