New York: A new global survey has revealed overwhelming public support for international cooperation on pressing challenges, but also highlighted diminishing trust in major institutions such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization, and the International Monetary Fund.
The poll, conducted between August 8 and September 10 across 34 countries and involving more than 36,300 participants, found that three out of four people favor global cooperation if it is seen as effective. However, only 42 percent believe such efforts directly benefit their own lives, suggesting a disconnect between global initiatives and individual perceptions.
Respondents identified key areas where cooperation is deemed critical. Ninety-three percent stressed the importance of joint action on food and water security, 92 percent emphasized trade and economic development, 91 percent underlined the need for global health collaboration, and about 90 percent highlighted jobs and employment as central issues requiring collective solutions.
Despite this broad consensus on the value of cooperation, confidence in leading global institutions remains lukewarm. About 58 percent of those surveyed expressed trust in the United Nations, 60 percent in the World Health Organization, and just 44 percent in the International Monetary Fund. The results point to significant dissatisfaction with how these organizations address global crises and deliver results.
In response to these concerns, the Rockefeller Foundation has announced a \$50 million initiative called “The Shared Future,” aimed at rethinking and revitalizing international cooperation. The initiative will focus on restructuring global health systems, reimagining humanitarian food distribution, and promoting trade partnerships that shift communities from aid recipients to active economic partners. Former U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo will lead the cooperation initiative, with other experts heading efforts in health and food security.
The findings come at a time when development funding is shrinking in many advanced economies, and rising nationalist sentiment is challenging the role of multilateral organizations. Analysts warn that unless these institutions demonstrate greater effectiveness and relevance, public disillusionment could deepen, undermining international efforts to address shared problems such as climate change, food security, and global health threats.
The survey underscores a clear message: while citizens around the world recognize the necessity of working together to solve global issues, they are demanding tangible results and more inclusive systems of cooperation that connect international action to everyday realities.