Held on the margins of the 2026 IMF–World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, this high-level roundtable – convened by UNU-CPR in partnership with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the Reinventing Bretton Woods Committee – brings together policymakers and analysts to examine the evolving relationship between the Global South and North in a rapidly shifting global landscape.
The international financial architecture is under growing strain from overlapping pressures, including climate transition, sovereign debt distress and deepening geopolitical fragmentation. At the same time, traditional Western leadership is being recalibrated, while emerging economies are playing an increasingly central role in shaping global economic outcomes.
Against this backdrop, the roundtable explores whether middle powers – spanning advanced and emerging economies – can help anchor a more stable, equitable and effective global order. Discussions will assess the political feasibility of a middle power-led system, the diplomatic strategies and coalitional models through which such actors can exercise influence, and the extent to which they are already driving innovation in development cooperation and institutional reform.
The event will also examine the constraints facing middle powers, including geopolitical competition, internal heterogeneity and limited economic leverage, while probing their potential role as bridge-builders across North–South divides. By fostering a focused exchange among senior practitioners and experts, the discussion aims to generate practical insights on the future of international cooperation and the evolving architecture of global governance.
