Mark Malloch-Brown, the former UN Deputy Secretary General (sort of like a vice president under Kofi) and former head of the UNDP, has just released a new book titled “The Unfinished Global Revolution: The Pursuit of a New International Politics”. It’s sure to be a wonky thriller.

I recently had the opportunity to listen to him talk about his book at the UN Bookshop. His main point was that in an increasingly globalized world we need ways to deal with transboundary problems. We need some form of global governance. Global health, international trade, environmental degradation, climate change, flows of finance, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, international human rights, displacement. All of these can’t be addressed solely by national governments.

Mark’s point was that we need to begin redefining what the UN is and how it is supposed to work. We need to include far more voices in discussions from a wide range of civil society. Mark also, somewhat surprisingly, made an impassioned plea for the UN to more fully embrace social media and the internet – as an alternative way for stakeholders to engage with the UN.

He made it clear that we need to create more robust avenues for individuals and organizations to involve themselves with UN. I agree. The halls here are packed, there are already too many people trying to attend meetings. (This building is surprisingly and depressingly small considering it’s supposed to be the headquarters for our fledgling global system of governance. I’ve been in bigger department stores.)

Mark told it like it is – we need to figure out better ways of engaging people, like having virtually mediated consultations (done well, with clear systems of synthesizing and furthering/using findings) prior to meetings. We also need to make information far more digitally accessible. Though mark didn’t specifically say this, I would add that we need to figure out how to actively engage individuals on the ground – we are the teeth of the UN. Without the support and engagement of people there is no power in this day and age. Egypt showed us that.