Global Policy Forum is an independent policy watchdog that monitors the work of the United Nations and scrutinizes global policymaking. We promote accountability and citizen participation in decisions on peace and security, social justice and international law.
GPF gathers information and circulates it through a comprehensive website, as well as through reports and newsletters. We play an active role in NGO networks and other advocacy arenas. We organize meetings and conferences and we publish original research and policy papers.
GPF analyzes deep and persistent structures of power and dissects rapidly-emerging issues and crises. GPF's work challenges mainstream thinking and questions conventional wisdom. We seek egalitarian, cooperative, peaceful and sustainable solutions to the world's great problems.
Basic Facts
GPF was founded in New York in December 1993 by a group of fourteen progressive scholars and activists, among them James Paul, Erskine Childers and Joel Krieger. GPF is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization, with consultative status at the UN. In September 2004, Global Policy Forum Europe (GPF Europe) was founded as the sister-organization of GPF. GPF Europe is registered as a not-for-profit organization in Germany ("gemeinnütziger eingetragener Verein"). GPF Europe's primary aim has been to monitor and analyze German and European policy-making relating to and within the UN. The office of GPF Europe is located in Bonn, Germany.
Programs
GPF uses a holistic approach, linking peace and security with economic justice and human development. We put our energy into well-focused and unique programs in which GPF has a special analytical and organizational edge. GPF's main programs cover currently environment and development concepts and politics, financing for development, tax justice, UN reform, global governance, corporate accountability, peace and security, and food and hunger.
Website
The website is GPF's major public outreach vehicle and one of the world's largest in the global policy field. First launched in 1996, the site now contains almost 30,000 text files and it attracts more than one million hits each year. Among the worldwide visitors are students and scholars, journalists and NGO staff, diplomats and UN officials, as well as concerned citizens. Many pages of the site are among the top selections of Google and other search engines.
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Research & Publications
GPF does original research in its areas of special concern and publishes each year a variety of reports and major policy papers, shorter specialized texts, statements, and tables and charts. These papers inform the public and at the same time they develop new ideas that are useful to experts and policy makers. Some papers are published in partnership with other NGOs or NGO networks. Over the years, GPF has published studies on many topics, including: Sustainable development, MDGs, the global financial crisis, tax justice, UN finance, corporate accountability, Security Council reform, sanctions, the Iraq war, and Private Military & Security Companies (PMSCs). Several GPF reports have been published in other languages, particularly in German, as well as in French, Spanish and Arabic. All GPF's publications can be accessed on the website.
Conferences, Meetings & Other Events
GPF organizes a number of public events each year, including workshops, conferences, lectures, and dialogue sessions. These events are opportunities for advocacy and education, but they are also occasions for mutual learning, reflection and deeper understanding of issues. Previous events have covered topics including the Post-2015 development agenda, international tax cooperation, corporate accountability, transparency in the extractive industry, Security Council reform, sanctions, and UN finance.
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Conference: Financing the United Nations, February 2009 |
Networking
Global Policy Forum plays an active role in international NGO networks and coalitions, particularly Social Watch and the Global Alliance for Tax Justice. GPF works together with numerous civil society organizations, networks and foundations.2
Board, staff and finances
The operations of GPF are governed by a Board in New York and a separate Board of GPF Europe. The programs of GPF are implemented by its offices in Bonn and New York, and a network of research fellows and policy advisors, based in different parts of the world. GPF receives most of its annual funding from foundations, partner organizations, membership fees and individual donations.
