3 June 2026, Geneva, Switzerland. UN DESA and UNITAR launched a new free self-paced e-learning course, “Anticipatory Governance: Systems Thinking & Strategic Foresight for SDG-Aligned Integrated Planning,” designed to help policymakers, planners and development practitioners better navigate uncertainty and complexity in public decision-making.

The launch webinar on 26 March 2026 introduced the course and highlighted how anticipatory governance, systems thinking and strategic foresight can support more integrated and future-ready planning. In a context marked by climate risks, economic volatility, social inequalities and increasingly interconnected policy challenges, speakers emphasized the need for governments and institutions to move beyond reactive approaches and strengthen their capacity to prepare for different possible futures.

Opening the session, Ms. Adriana Alberti, Chief of the Programme Management and Capacity Development Unit at UN DESA’s Division for Public Institutions and Digital Government, underlined that anticipatory governance is about helping governments think ahead and build resilience into decisions made today.

Ms. Mihoko Kumamoto, Director of UNITAR’s Division for Prosperity, echoed this message, noting that traditional approaches to decision-making are no longer sufficient in the face of today’s complex challenges. She emphasized the importance of more integrated, forward-looking and adaptive forms of governance, supported by systems thinking and strategic foresight.

The webinar also situated the course within the broader global policy context. Mr. Sami Areikat, Programme Officer in UN DESA’s Division for Sustainable Development Goals, highlighted the growing importance of anticipatory governance for advancing the 2030 Agenda, particularly by helping countries prepare for uncertain futures and formulate strategies around the futures they want to achieve.

Country perspectives from Seychelles, Saint Lucia and the Dominican Republic brought the discussion into practice. Speakers reflected on how governments are working to strengthen planning systems, question assumptions, connect policy areas and build more agile institutions.

Ms. Maryana Labonte, Director General of the National Planning Department in the Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade of Seychelles, emphasized that anticipatory governance is not only a technical approach, but also a mindset shift. It requires institutions to see connections across sectors and move from reacting to change to preparing for it and shaping it. From Saint Lucia, Ms. Denise Joseph, Change Management Lead for digiGov in the Ministry of Public Service, Transport, Information and Utilities Regulations, highlighted the value of systems thinking and strategic foresight in helping governments respond to overlapping pressures, anticipate risks and develop policies that support long-term stability. Mr. Nelson Chavez, Director of Social Development and Planning at the Ministry of Finance and Economy of the Dominican Republic, stressed that institutions must not only respond to current demands, but also anticipate emerging challenges, identify future opportunities and act with greater agility and coherence.

The course was also presented as a practical tool for strengthening national planning processes. Ms. Elena Proden, Senior Economist at the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office for Mauritius and Seychelles, explained that the course helps participants think in systems, shift perspectives and better understand interactions across actors. By doing so, it supports more agile planning and stronger anticipatory governance systems.

The course is divided into two parts. The introductory part, “Foundations of Anticipatory Governance,” introduces key concepts and tools and explores how systems thinking and strategic foresight can support strategic planning and policymaking. The advanced part, “Implementation of Systems Thinking and Strategic Foresight,” focuses on how these methods can be embedded in decision-making through partnerships, monitoring, evaluation and implementation.

Closing the webinar, Ms. Azeema Adam, Senior Inter-regional Adviser on Strategic Foresight and Systems Thinking at UN DESA, emphasized that anticipatory governance is not just a technical exercise, but a way of taking the future seriously that institutions and societies are helping to shape.