Global development our 'first line of defence’: Marcos Neto warns 'multilateral system under strain'

François Picard is very pleased to welcome Marcos Athias Neto, UN Assistant Secretary-General & UNDP Assistant Administrator. In the view of Mr. Neto, the world today is experiencing a profound crisis of development. Global development should not be understood as a secondary or charitable concern, he explains, but as the foundation of global stability itself. In an era defined by geopolitical tensions, climate disruption, and economic uncertainty, development is no longer simply a "soft power", it has become the "first line of defense" against instability.