International Advocacy

At the international level, we advocate inside multilateral institutions — especially the United Nations — to reshape the assumptions, language, and logics that drive global governance.

What do we do?

Our international advocacy focuses on:

  • Embedding epistemic justice – amplifying underrepresented knowledge systems and critical perspectives

  • Bridging theory and practice – using philosophical insight and scientific method to strengthen global governance

  • Shaping the agenda – participating directly in the UN ecosystem as a recognised stakeholder in global policy debates

A man in a dark suit with a badge around his neck standing next to a PACS Institute sign that says "Pioneering Research, Advancing Peace" outside a building of the United Nations with numerous international flags on poles.
A man in a navy suit sitting at a desk in front of the United Nations emblem, with a wooden wall background.
Illustration of a handshake between two people, with a dove holding an olive branch, symbolic of peace. Background includes silhouettes of individuals, a globe, scales of justice, and the United Nations emblem, representing international cooperation and justice.

Events Hosted at the United Nations

  • Flyer for a UN panel discussion titled 'The Future of Peace: Defining a Foundation for Global Peacecraft,' scheduled for March 24, 2025, from 12:00 to 13:00 in UNGO Room XXV. The flyer features photos of three speakers: Anders Reagan, Dr. Cecilia Bailliet, and Sean Conner, with their respective titles. The background includes a silhouette of two hands shaking, with a dove symbol behind them. The top contains logos of PACS Institute, UN Human Rights Special Procedures, and IPB.

    UN Side Event: “The Future of Peace: Defining a Foundation for Global Peacecraft”

    Event organised by PACS Institute at the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, held on 24 March 2025, Room XXV/Hybrid. Moderated by Anders Reagan, this event tackled the absence of a clear, empirical definition of peace and its policy implications. Panellists included UN Independent Expert Dr. Ceciilia Bailliet, and Executive Director Sean Conner.

    Topics explored: (1) Why peace must be understood as a measurable systemic condition—not simply absence of conflict, (2) how emerging disciplines (neuroscience, cognitive science, evolutionary theory) can inform peace frameworks, and (3) the design of global prevention systems grounded in robust, interdisciplinary peace ontology.

    Outcome: The event attracted missions from multiple UN Member States, UNDP representatives, and other stakeholders. It directly contributed to PACS input under MGoS, and was recorded and archived for broader dissemination.

    Watch the recording

Written Statements Submitted to the UN

  • Official United Nations document titled 'Economic and Social Council,' dated July 2025, discussing peace and conflict science, with the UN emblem at the top left corner.

    ECOSOC & High-Level Political Forum 2025

    In our official written submission to the 2025 ECOSOC High-Level Segment and the High-Level Political Forum, we addressed the theme: “Advancing sustainable, inclusive, science- and evidence-based solutions for the 2030 Agenda.”

    Our statement called for: (1) A reframing of institutional legitimacy as a systemic property, not just a political one, (2) concrete recommendations for reforming public sector accountability and SDG governance, and (3) a push to centre inclusive, interdisciplinary, and locally grounded evidence in global implementation efforts.

    Outcome: Our language and framing were reflected in the final Ministerial Declaration, and referenced by other civil society actors within the Major Groups and Other Stakeholders mechanism.

    Download
  • United Nations General Assembly official document titled 'Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development,' dated 20 February 2025, related to the Human Rights Council, fifty-eighth session, agenda item 3, with a written statement submitted by the Peace and Conflict Science Institute, a non-governmental organization, dated 26 January 2025.

    UN Human Rights Council (HRC58)

    Our submission to the 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council examined the philosophical foundations of universal human rights.

    Key arguments included: (1) the need to critically reassess the conceptual architecture of rights, (2) a call for integrating scientific and philosophical rigour into the UN’s human rights framework, and (3) recommendations for how the HRC can evolve from normative declarations to evidence-responsive legitimacy.

    Outcome: The statement was circulated by the Secretariat as part of the official record, and cited by academic observers tracking philosophical contributions to international law.

    Download

Why This Matters

Through both written statements and a high-profile side event, the PACS Institute:

  • Positioned philosophical and scientific reasoning at the heart of UN discourse

  • Elevated systemic thinking about legitimacy, peace, and institutional responsibility

  • Influenced multilateral policy language and practitioner understandings of peace and human rights

We aim to reshape how the UN engages with the idea of peace — backed by interdisciplinary evidence, inclusive epistemologies, and practical pathways to durable peace.

Explore Our Advocacy Work

  • A busy city crosswalk with many pedestrians walking in different directions, cars and buses on the street, tall buildings, and a park with trees in the background, with a city tower visible in the distance.

    National

    We collaborate with emerging and established political actors to build systems-literate, evidence-based platforms grounded in wellbeing and democratic legitimacy. Our national work currently focuses on a partnership with Sweden’s Tillsammans party — translating deep research into real-world political frameworks.

    Link
  • People standing in a row, all using smartphones, at an indoor event.

    Media

    We engage in long-form public thinking through podcasts, interviews, and social platforms — turning critique into conversation. From our appearance on Sentientism to thoughtful posts on LinkedIn and Bluesky, we use media to test ideas in public and invite deeper discourse.

    Link