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Shaping the Future: Human Flourishing and Mid-Century Development Goals

Blog post Rémy Weber

Lessons from GSI’s Engagement in India, March 2026

The world is at a turning point. Throughout March 2026, against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, widening economic disparities, and escalating environmental crises, the Global Solutions Initiative (GSI) convened and contributing to several high-level events in India. From closed-door roundtables to public dialogues, policymakers, researchers, and practitioners gathered to tackle a pressing challenge: How can we break down silos, foster equitable cooperation, and create a mid-century development agenda that truly supports human flourishing[1] in today’s interconnected yet fragmented world?

This report is divided in two parts, addressing distinct but interconnected aspects of the discussions:

Part I: A Month of Global Dialogues in India

This section provides the broader context of GSI’s recent engagements in India, highlighting key events such as the Raisina Dialogue 2026, the Conclave on Sustainable Development Beyond 2030, and the Nalanda Development Dialogue. Over 100 contributors—from government, academia, think tanks, and civil society—came together to explore the future of international cooperation, Asia’s role in global development, and new approaches to financing and governance.

Part II: Key Insights from the CEEW-GSI Roundtables

The second section focuses on the core findings from three high-level roundtables co-hosted with the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) in Delhi. Under Chatham House rules, participants discussed how to rethink mid-century development goals, align economic strategies with sustainability goals, and harness Asia’s growing influence in global development finance. One message was clear: Traditional approaches no longer work. What is needed are flexible, localized, and integrated strategies that balance economic growth, social equity, and environmental resilience.

 

Why This Moment Is Critical

The discussions unfolded during a period of profound global change:

  • Geopolitical shifts, reflected in developments around the French G7 process, India’s BRICS presidency, and the evolving agenda of the US G20 year.
  • Economic uncertainties, as countries continue to struggle with high capital costs, outdated risk assessments, and the urgent need to transition away from fossil fuels and scale up renewable energy production.
  • Institutional challenges, with global governance structures stuck in “survival mode” and multilateralism under pressure from geopolitical tensions.

Amid these challenges, the events in India offered a unique opportunity to bridge foresight and action. They highlighted the potential of “minilateralism[2]”, regional alliances, and country-led development strategies to create a more equitable and resilient global order. The insights gathered here will inform the agenda of the Global Solutions Summit 2026 in Berlin. They will also feed into the INTERSECTING editorial project, which seeks to connect foresight with actionable pathways for the future of common development goals.

 

A Call for Integrated Action

The lessons are clear: A mid-century development agenda needs to be ambitious, locally grounded, and supported by transparent financing. There is an urgent need to move beyond rigid metrics and top-down approaches by embracing strategies that respond to national priorities and local realities. As one roundtable participant phrased it: “This isn’t just about setting goals. It’s about creating roadmaps. Without clear pathways, we’ll keep repeating the past instead of building the future.”

This report calls on policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to engage with these insights and help turn urgency into action. Together, we can develop strategies that pave the way for a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient world.

 

This introduction synthesizes the overarching themes of the events and roundtables. Part I provides a detailed overview of the broader context and events, while Part II delves into the specific insights from the CEEW-GSI roundtables. Together, they offer a comprehensive perspective on the future of human flourishing and mid-century development goals.

 

 

[1] Human flourishing can be defined as a “broader range of states and outcomes, certainly including mental and physical health, but also encompassing happiness and life satisfaction, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, and close social relationships” (VanderWeele, T. J., 2017, On the promotion of human flourishing, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114(31), 8148–8156. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1702996114).

Read more on GSI’s human flourishing program here: https://www.global-solutions-initiative.org/programs/human-flourishing/.

 

[2] A form of collaboration between a limited number of states, distinct from both bilateral cooperation and multilateral initiatives and organisations. See for instance: Heiduk, F., & Wilkins, T. (2024). Minilateralism and pathways to institutional progression: alliance formation or cooperative security governance? Australian Journal of International Affairs, 78(6), 808–827. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2024.2416566