From the series ‘UN 2.0 and the Metaverse: Are we seeing what is possible?’ Full article was published with Diplofoundation.
Part 1 highlights the evolving relationship between UN 2.0 and the metaverse to accelerate reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.
Turning Words into Action: UN Virtual Worlds
In September 2024, world leaders gathered at the UN's Summit of the Future to commit to a new path that safeguards the needs and interests of both present and future generations by adopting the Pact for the Future. For this purpose, UN 2.0 calls for bold action.
A few months before the Summit, 18 UN organizations shared their perspectives on how the metaverse could drive the needed progress towards the SDGs. Through the Global Initiative on Virtual Worlds – Discovering the CitiVerse, the UN began exploring how virtual worlds and the metaverse can enhance global cooperation, sustainable development, and digital governance. The findings will be covered in following articles in this series.
A New Frontier for Global Cooperation?
The concept of 'all working together' in the metaverse extends beyond technological convergence to embrace a multi-stakeholder approach – a form of social convergence. As agents within this socio-technical ecosystem, our actions today shape the trajectory of our future.
This convergence reflects a profound socio-technical transformation in which the physical and digital realms are increasingly intertwined, reshaping not just how we interact but how we address global challenges. However, this transformation is not without risks.
Balancing Innovation and Human Rights
As with any technological concept, the dilemma lies in balancing innovation with the critical need to uphold human rights for all. To ensure that human priorities shape digital transformation, the UN has introduced the Quintet of Change. The Quintet offers a framework to address this balance. Rather than positioning humanity as a passive recipient of technological change, the Quintet reinforces a proactive approach, embedding foresight, behavioural science, and innovation into governance.
The future starts in the City
Another approach to ensure the balance between innovation and human rights will be introduced in the next part of this series. Part 2 will explore the CitiVerse Initiative, its envisioned potential to transform urban spaces and even a new form of dynamic policy.
Walking the Talk
Transformation begins with small steps that address real-world challenges.
52 technical reports from the Focus Group on the Metaverse, transcripts of the entire UN Virtual Worlds Day, and numerous other relevant documents make for an overwhelming amount of information to read and process. We have solved this problem by developing a DiploAI Assistant for UN Virtual Worlds to simplify this process for readers. If you have any questions, just ask my dedicated DiploAI Assistant.
For the full article, please go to my publication at Diplofoundation.
