Geneva, Switzerland - On 12 June 2025, UNITAR took part in UN 2.0 week, hosting an online side event entitled, "Towards foresight and system-based approaches in UN country work". The side event provided an opportunity for UN Country Teams (UNCTs) in Seychelles and Cameroon to share their recent experiences, having embraced these innovative methods either in building capacities of governments or in developing UN Country Analysis as a foundation for UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Frameworks (UNSDCFs). Among the speakers who gave their insights were Ms. Elizabeth Agathine, Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Seychelles, Ms. Lisa Simrique Singh, UN Resident Coordinator for Mauritius and Seychelles, and Mr. Issa Sanogo, UN Resident Coordinator for Cameroon.
UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR Ms. Michelle Gyles-McDonnough opened the session by highlighting the need to leverage strategic foresight and systems thinking to anticipate future trends, risks, and opportunities for policy, resilience, and sustainable impact, in response to the increasingly complex challenges of our world today. UNITAR and UNDESA have a long-standing collaboration on embedding foresight and systems thinking into country approaches. The partners recognize that additional training and capacity development alone will not be enough. What is required is a change in mindset, highlighted Adriana Alberti, Chief, Programme Management and Capacity Development Unit, DPIDG/UNDESA.
Common themes amongst the speakers recognize the significance of shifting mindsets towards a more forward-looking perspective. In thinking more strategically and for the long term, less "firefighting" is necessary, as PS Agathine mentions during the session. Encouraging co-creation was likewise echoed as critical to overcoming silos and recognizing interlinkages, to move forward with coherence and strategic purpose. Seychelles has developed a nationally tailored five-step methodology grounded in systems analysis and strategic foresight to be applied in their national planning and budgeting processes. As a result of an extensive capacity-building programme, they start to see an emergent trend towards more policy coherence across sectors. The objective is to institutionalize foresight and systems thinking and empower a wider range of stakeholders to engage meaningfully with their development agenda. Resident Coordinator Ms. Lisa Singh echoed the power of co-creation amongst UN agencies and National Governments, and the need to scale up peer-to-peer capacity building and training.
In the case of Cameroon, Resident Coordinator Mr. Issa Sanogo shared how the UNCT has begun embedding strategic foresight and systems thinking into their country analysis, seeing them as "practical tools for navigating complexity". They help understand interactions, explore possible future scenarios, and test the resilience of the pathways in the face of trends like climate change and declining official development assistance. As a result, the country analysis was formulated with greater strategic clarity and organized around the key pathways and leverage points complemented by stakeholder analysis. Building on the lessons learned shared by previous speakers on the importance of co-creation to add legitimacy, and mindset shifts for meaningful application, Mr. Sanogo shared additional lessons: first, the importance of continuity to maintain consistent engagement and integration of the tool; second, that in pioneering systemic change, non-prioritized areas benefit indirectly, creating strategic opportunities to do more with less; and third, that the clarity of purpose is vital.
Azeema Adam, senior inter-regional advisor from DPIDG/UNDESA, facilitated the latter part of the workshop, beginning with a short poll to gauge the level of demand for strategic foresight, its use amongst countries, and expectations for an e-course on the subject. This was followed up by the introduction by Ms. Elena Proden, a senior specialist from UNITAR, of a new course to be launched in August entitled, "Anticipatory Governance: Anticipatory Governance and Future-Oriented Decision-Making: Systems Thinking and Strategic Foresight for Adaptive and Resilient Societies". The course was designed to offer flexible learning opportunities, comprising foundational theory and skill-focused modules, as well as a module addressing implementation challenges for more advanced practitioners. The course also offers a wealth of case studies and insights from experts sharing their experiences.
Ms. Gyles-McDonnough closed the session, encouraging continued work on nurturing and developing 2.0 skills. She emphasized the role of all sectors in collaborating with each other and reaffirmed the commitment of UNITAR in supporting countries and building capacities for stronger system-based approaches in UN country work.
