Public Event

Advances in corporate governance: International organisations

International organisations, especially the United Nations and the Bretton Woods institutions remain key components of the global governance architecture – from peace and security to humanitarian assistance and achieving the world´s sustainable development goals. Join us for a keynote lecture given by Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations on how international organisations are governed, followed by a panel discussion together with Thomas J. Biersteker, Graduate Institute Geneva, and Franz Baumann, Member of the Board of Trustees and Senior Fellow, Hertie School and Assistant Secretary-General (ret.) of the United Nations, New York, chaired by Wolfgang Ischinger, Hertie School. This expert panel will explore the questions of what challenges do international organisations face, and what proposals for reform are currently being considered?

The lecture series Advances in corporate governance: comparative perspectives is organized as part of the 2017 Michael Endres Prize, which was awarded to Theodor Baums, Professor for Civil, Trade and Business Law at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, for his outstanding contributions to corporate governance research.

Words of welcome

Helmut K. Anheier is President of the Hertie School and Professor of Sociology.

Keynote speaker

Kate Gilmore is the United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights. She brings to the position diverse and longstanding experience in strategic leadership and human rights advocacy with the United Nations, government and non-government organisations. Prior to joining OHCHR, Ms. Gilmore was Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director for Programmes with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

Panelists

Franz Baumann, a Visiting Research Professor at New York University, is a Member of the Board of Trustees and Senior Fellow, Hertie School and a German former United Nations official for over thirty years.  His last assignment was Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Environment and Peace Operations at the United Nations Secretariat in New York.

Thomas Biersteker is Gasteyger Professor of International Security and Director for Policy Research  at the Graduate Institute, Geneva. He previously directed the Graduate Institute's Programme for the Study of International Governance (recently renamed The Global Governance Centre), the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University and has also taught at Yale University and the University of Southern California.

Chair

Wolfgang Ischinger is Senior Professor for Security Policy and Diplomatic Practice at the Hertie School and Director of the school’s Centre for International Security Policy (CISP). He has been Chairman of the Munich Security Conference since 2008. From 2006 to 2008, he was Germany’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and from 2001 to 2006, he was Ambassador to the United States.