Global Advocacy Rome Workshop: - Advocacy in a transitioning world order

Overview

The multilateral system that has underpinned global development progress for decades is showing serious strain. Recent G7 and G20 summits reveal a decision-making architecture struggling to deliver: the 2024 G7 in Italy produced fragmented commitments on development finance amid geopolitical tensions, while the 2024 G20 in Brazil saw significant disagreements on core development priorities, resulting in watered-down communiqués and limited concrete action on education, health, and nutrition. Trade disputes, competing priorities, and domestic political pressures within member states are increasingly undermining consensus-building on critical issues. For development advocates, this faltering global order presents urgent practical challenges—traditional advocacy pathways are yielding diminishing returns, funding commitments are stalling, and policy momentum is fragmenting. As we look ahead to the French G7 presidency in 2026, followed by the United States in 2027 and the United Kingdom in 2028, the advocacy community must candidly assess what is and isn't working, explore alternative forums and innovative approaches, and develop new collaborative strategies to achieve meaningful outcomes for the world's most vulnerable populations.

Dates

The meeting will take place over 2 days in the week of the 23rd March despite Eventbrite saying it is 5 days as it can't handle non-specific date. The exact dates of this two day event will come shortly as negotiating with the venue:

• Day 1 9h30 CEST to 17h00 CEST
• Day 2 9h00 time to 13:30 CEST

Venue

The Forum will take place in a hotel in central Rome. The exact location will be shared in late December/early January but if you are planning travel, plan to be in central Rome within 30 minutes walk the Terminus rail station (the map shows the Colosseum as Eventbrite can't handle just a city as a location).

This is an in-person event.

Focus Areas

The forum will concentrate on development, women and gender equality, education, health, agriculture, and nutrition—recognizing that robust forums already exist for climate advocacy in this space.

This will not be a policy development forum for the French G7 or US G20. Any joint policy work will be coordinated by the C7/W7/Y7 etc or the C20/W20/Y20 etc organising groups respectively.

Objectives

The event will convene experienced advocates to confront these challenges head-on and chart a more effective path forward. Specifically, the forum will:

• Assess the impacts of a changing global order in the most recent G7 and G20 summits
• Identify opportunities and constraints within the evolving political landscape of host countries
• Discuss possible approaches for the 2026-2028 summit cycle
• Strengthen networks among advocates working on shared priorities
• Build capacity for engaging with multilateral decision-making processes

Outcomes

The primary outcomes are:

• An understanding of the changing global policy environment
• Shared examples and case-studies of successful or promising new strategies
• Up-dates on the French G7, the US G20 and a look ahead to the UK G7
• Design of possible tools to help track and capture sucessful advocacy initiatives to inform the sector

The secondary outcomes are:

• Increased awareness of the sectoral priorities (health, climate, rights etc).
• Greater trust between groups and sectors.
• Informal networks and collaborative groups that can work together throughout the year.

The full agenda is being built and will be shared with the participants in ealry January.

Who Should Attend

All those working on critical issues on development, education, global health and the pandemic, climate, human rights, gender, LGBT+, peace and security, economics and finance, and humanitarian. It is a hands-on Forum with a mix of panels and discussion sessions allowing all participants to share ideas, initiatives, and policy options to be considered in face of the changing world order

Fees

The Forum is self-funding with no outside sponsors. The fees are as follows:

• NGOs & Civil Society - US$370.00 + Eventbrite fees
• UN agencies - US$500.00 + Eventbrite Fees
• Foundations - US$1,750.00 + Eventbrite Fees

The registration fee covers participation in the meeting and workshop as well as coffees teas and the group lunch. Participants are responsible for the costs of their own travel, food and accommodation for the event.

What World Assembly is partnering with Resolute Tool Co Ltd. which is organising the logistics and finances so your receipt for the Forum will be from Resolute Tool Co. Ltd. a Canadian registered company.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher The Sherpa