For the first Practitioner’s Corner article of 2026, we invited Talea von Lupin, Portfolio Manager of the United Nations Global Pulse, to share insights about the initiative and its role in driving innovation across the UN system.

1. Can you tell us about the Global Pulse initiative and what the fund is trying to achieve?

The UN Global Pulse is the Secretary-General’s Innovation Lab, supporting responsible and inclusive innovation across the UN system. While the core mission of the United Nations—peace, development, and human rights—has remained constant over decades, the technological landscape around us has transformed dramatically. The pace of change is accelerating, and we now operate in a world unrecognizable to the founders of the UN.

Acknowledging this shift, the Secretary-General has outlined a vision for modernizing the UN system—not simply by adopting new tools, but by building the internal capabilities needed to be more data driven and work more digitally, and innovatively across every part of our mandate. Global Pulse plays a central role in helping the organization evolve and meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world.

2. What is UN Global Pulse’s approach to achieving these goals?

We collaborate with partners to develop new solutions and support the UN family in its broader transformation toward a “UN 2.0.” Our work spans a wide spectrum of innovation areas, including data, digital technologies, behavioral science, and strategic foresight.

Examples of our work range from expanding digital inclusion for women in Indonesia, to predicting disaster impacts in the Philippines, to helping shape a national data strategy in Uganda.

Global Pulse both experiments with new tools and methods itself, and supports others across the UN system to do the same. Our role is not only to enable innovation but also to cultivate a culture of creativity, curiosity, and responsible experimentation. All of this is grounded in strong ethical principles and the building of multilateral coalitions to innovate for People, Planet, and future generations.

3. How does the multi-partner trust fund mechanism support Global Pulse in advancing innovation and driving UN system transformation?

The multi-partner trust fund (MPTF) mechanism gives us the flexibility to work across a wide range of topics and emerging priorities—an essential feature for innovation. This flexibility allows us to focus on where the potential for impact is greatest.

Another key advantage is how the MPTF model fosters shared accountability and aligns the interests of multiple donors. Investing in innovation is inherently uncertain, and outcomes cannot always be predicted. By pooling resources, donors share both the risks and the rewards, significantly increasing the likelihood of achieving meaningful and demonstrable impact.

Similar to how venture capital funds invest in a portfolio of ideas—knowing that a few high‑impact successes justify the investment—the trust fund model allows Global Pulse to explore multiple pathways and scale what works. It is a structure that mirrors the logic of successful innovation ecosystems and is instrumental in enabling our work.

Regarding sustainability, the pooled fund model also helps safeguard the initiative against fluctuations in donor priorities and risk tolerance. It creates a stable vehicle through which investments in a thematic area can remain sustainable over time, even as individual contributors adjust their level of engagement. When a donor steps back or reduces its investment, the pooled mechanism allows other contributors to step in, ensuring continuity, stability, and long‑term commitment to innovation.

This resilience is essential for nurturing transformative ideas that require time, experimentation, and sustained support to mature.