On February 27th at the Belvue Museum, Brussels, the first Tällberg Conversation outside of Sweden in 2008 was held. The conversation’s goal was to draw out suggestions, ideas and opinions regarding potential alternative solutions to global negotiation practices from a highly experienced participant group. These suggestions will inform the ongoing work of the Tällberg Foundation.  

Our participants represented negotiating institutions and ongoing processes of many kinds. There were representatives from the UN, EU, WTO, WHO, Kyoto negotiations, security and conflict resolution, humanitarian crises and so forth. There were also people associated with finance and business, with civil society and with research – in other words, a broad canvas of experiences, problems and temperaments. Sitting in a wide circle for a 4 hour free-flowing conversation, participants related the breadth of their concern for today’s management of all issues requiring global co-operation. 

The conversation clearly supported the need for innovation in international governance to counterbalance or challenge the current global negotiation system, which is in grave danger of not delivering. To summarize the learnings of the day, it was agreed that the Tällberg Foundation should instigate work to redefine:

• the challenges of the 21st century and the kind of institutional functions required (today’s international institutions are designed to address entirely different challenges)
• the actors needed at the negotiations – including those whose role today is “undefined”
• a language for the negotiation – to be used at all levels – that links the global challenges with the local and the individual
• how “benefits” and “costs” are described at all levels – especially with respect to individuals and nations
• the way that national interests are formulated – to introduce the reality of the whole

In his closing remarks, Bo Ekman acknowledged that there was the will to change. We must think outside the status quo, which is no longer a viable position, he said, and listen to those who want change. A new system must inject realism and transparency, and practice efficiently and legitimately. He asked, “Is a Global Contract a way forward?” In the end, the reality remains that we cannot negotiate with nature; we can only negotiate amongst ourselves.