A report entitled Reconfiguring Global Governance – Effectiveness, Inclusiveness, and China's Global Role calls for significant reform to global governance institutions to bring enhanced representation to emerging nations.

The report, published jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in China and the China Centre for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE) on August 29 in Beijing, captures the essence of the first High-Level Policy Forum on Global Governance which saw UNDP assemble over 100 academics and policy practitioners from five different continents in Beijing to discuss the current state of international governance in December 2012.

The report identifies three main challenges to global governance: the altered geography of global power caused by the economic rise of emerging nations such as China; the proliferation of globally-shared issues such as climate change and financial instability; and the need to ensure legitimacy and accountability of global public goods. It provides an in-depth analysis of these issues and the context in which they occur, offering a detailed look at China's growing role in international affairs.

Speaking at the release of the report in Beijing, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark welcomed the report's findings, noting that, "As global citizens, we face an unprecedented number of shared environmental, social, and economic challenges, from global warming to the spread of pandemics, to cyber-war and transnational crime, trade barriers, and the flow of refugees and others seeking a better, safer life. We depend on effective global governance to address such challenges."

Wei Jianguo, secretary-general of the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said that the focus of global governance should shift from the financial crisis to economic growth and potential. "Problems related to poverty and unbalanced economic development still remain in the world and require the attention of the global governance mechanism," Wei said.

The report suggests that China can serve as a bridge between developed and developing countries, helping the latter to become better heard in dialogues surrounding global issues. It argues that China has emerged as one of the leading voices of reform to spur collective action on various global issues, and as a champion of the United Nations and its attendant efforts to advance global peace and prosperity.

Specifically, the report emphasizes that in an increasingly global society, global governance institutions must be more highly accepted as the bodies capable of coordinating multilateral responses to issues that cut across national boundaries while affecting all nations equally. For example, a more robust Economic and Social Council would strengthen the UN's ability to coordinate global economic governance at a time when financial stability is of great concern.

In addition to providing a faithful account of the groundbreaking discussions at the forum, the report also includes expanded insights from a selection of experts who attended the forum, written specially for this report. These provide a detailed explanation of some of the forum's key contents, bringing readers a more comprehensive understanding of the report's findings.