Governance, Regional Cooperation, & Peace Reforming Institutions & Advancing Regional Cooperation and Peace

Through coordinated local, regional, and global engagement, the SDSN advances a holistic vision of SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions. Peace, justice, and effective institutions are recognized as foundational pillars of a fair, inclusive, and sustainable future. At the core of this approach is regional cooperation, which enhances dialogue, mutual learning, and collective action across borders.

A key expression of this commitment is the SDSN's GBA-ASEAN Initiative, an action-oriented platform that fosters collaboration between China’s Greater Bay Area and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The initiative promotes business cooperation, facilitates policy dialogue, and undertakes applied research to strengthen GBA–ASEAN relations and advance shared sustainable development objectives through strategic regional partnerships.

In parallel, SDSN’s governance work—led by its SDSN Kuala Lumpur Office—focuses on institutional reform in Malaysia. This work combines rigorous research with policy advocacy across critical areas, including access to information, constituency delimitation, electoral systems, parliamentary committees, shadow cabinets, political parties and finance, the constituency development fund (CDF), and reforms to the Attorney General’s Chambers.

Globally, SDSN collaborates with the Pontifical Academies of Sciences and Social Sciences (PASS) to help shape a renewed vision for economic and financial systems grounded in human dignity, ecological responsibility, and global solidarity. This partnership convenes world leaders, economists, faith representatives, and policymakers at high-level forums hosted at the Vatican, generating concrete pathways for financing sustainable development, strengthening ethical multilateralism, and advancing global economic reform.