The Forever Crisis: Adaptive Global Governance for an Era of Accelerating Complexity

This book is an introduction to complex systems thinking at the global governance level. It offers concepts, tools, and ways of thinking about how systems change that can be applied to the most wicked problems facing the world today.

More than an abstract argument for complexity theory, the book offers a targeted critique of today’s highest-profile proposals for improving the governance of our environment, security, finance, health, and digital space. It suggests that we should spend less effort and resources on upgrading existing institutions, and more on understanding how they (and we) relate to each other.

The volume will be essential reading for public policymakers, NGOs and think tanks, foreign policy experts, government officials, and global decision-makers.

Adam Day is Head of UN University Centre for Policy Research in Geneva. He co-led the Secretariat of the UN High-Level Advisory Board on Effective Multilateralism and supported the Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda report. He previously served as Senior Political Advisor to the UN peace operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and in UN operations in Sudan, South Sudan, and the Middle East. A former human rights lawyer, Adam worked for Human Rights Watch, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and Open Society Justice Initiative in Cambodia. Amongst many publications on complexity, Adam’s previous book, States of Disorder, applies complexity thinking to UN state-building.