Global Solutions Summit 2026

As a result, traditional forums are losing trust, which they must urgently win back, because we believe multilateralism remains the most effective mechanism for achieving shared global goals. The problem is not that the multilateral architecture is broken, but that it was built for another era. To remain relevant, it must be redesigned to be more inclusive, credible, and effective. That requires creating space for frank, sometimes uncomfortable conversations that can rebuild trust and lay the foundations for a new multilateralism. 

The Global Solutions Summit 2026 is designed to do exactly this. It will create a space where leaders, thinkers, and practitioners step outside the constraints of formal negotiations to engage in frank, informal solution-oriented dialogue. Unlike larger forums, GSS is not about managed statements or symbolic outcomes. Its value lies in stress-testing workable solutions and bold ideas, tackling uncomfortable debates, and creating continuity across policy platforms. Crucially, the Global Solutions Summit will intentionally convene those whose voices risk being sidelined and are directly affected by today’s overlapping crises. In doing so, it will contribute to rebuilding a more inclusive multilateral architecture — together with partners who share the belief that cooperation must evolve to remain credible and effective.

 Core themes of GSS 2026

1.     Climate Action and Sustainability

• • How can cities, businesses, researchers, civil society, and citizens drive meaningful change when national and international politics provide limited space for action? What does effective bottom-up climate action look like, and which structures can sustain and amplify it?
  • What mix of public finance, private capital, and new instruments (e.g. debt swaps, carbon pricing) can make energy transition both just and achievable at scale?

 2.     Digital and AI Transformation

• • How can technical innovation and new digital and AI governance models support people and democracy and bridge the innovation–regulation divide to ensure that frontier technologies expand opportunities globally, rather than excluding or disempowering the Global South?

 3.     Global Governance and Multilateralism

• • Many elements of the 80-year-old multilateral system are no longer respected, functioning and, in some cases, deliberately undermined. A fundamentally new approach is needed – one that includes the Global South as an equal partner from the outset. How can global cooperation be protected and revitalised in the face of growing narratives that challenge or retreat from multilateralism?
  • What role can middle powers play in sustaining and advancing multilateral cooperation when traditional leaders are less willing or able to address shared global challenges?

 4.     Global Trade, Geoeconomics and Finance

• • What concrete steps can be taken to stabilize international trade, uphold multilateral trade rules and contain protectionist tendencies amid a strong rise in the use of tariffs, export controls and further trade barriers? How can a fair access to critical products and resources as well as participation in global value chains be governed in a time of high geoeconomic competition and what role may the G20 and other global fora play to achieve this?
  • Which international and domestic initiatives and policies can make a concrete contribution to stopping inequalities from further widening, and how can these be realistically rolled out?  What role can for instance financial transaction taxes (FTT), wealth or inheritance taxes play?

 5.     Human Flourishing

• • What governance and policy frameworks can most effectively align business profitability with global environmental sustainability and social well-being? How can these frameworks address the distinct challenges and responsibilities faced by high-income and low-income countries, given their differing economic priorities and institutional capacities?

 By convening 250–300 participants from government, business, academia, and civil society, the GSS 2026 will ensure diverse and credible voices from Asia and Africa as well as Europe and the Americas, are part of reshaping global solutions.

Purpose and Impact

The purpose of the GSS 2026 is to bring forward networks and solutions that can rebuild rules-based cooperation and the architecture of new multilateralism.

1. Content that matters – Through a mix of public-facing sessions (to showcase innovative, future-oriented solutions) and closed-door discussions (to refine them into actionable proposals), the GSS 2026 will advance future-oriented and concrete solutions to global challenges. Unlike larger platforms, it is designed for candor and depth: a place where uncomfortable issues can be debated openly, lending credibility to the solutions that emerge.

2. Influence through networks – The Summit will foster new alliances with a multiplier effect across continents and regions, as GSI functions as a hub of hubs connecting diverse policy ecosystems. This networked approach ensures that debates in Berlin in June 2026 resonate beyond Europe, shaping discussions across continents.

3. Sustained momentum – Outcomes will connect directly into the agendas of upcoming G7, G20, and BRICS presidencies, as well as international organizations such as the UNWTO and country-led summits. Positioned in the critical 2026–27 cycle (France G7, UK G20, Canada G7), the GSS will act as a bridge, ensuring continuity of ideas and influence across shifting presidencies.

At a moment when cooperation is fragile, the GSS 2026 will stand out as the place where difficult conversations happen, bold ideas are tested, and a more inclusive multilateralism begins to take shape.