Franz Baumann

Franz Baumann is a Visiting Research Professor at New York University (Arts & Science) and a Senior Fellow at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Academic Council on the United Nations System and the Board of Advisers of the Centre for United Nations Studies at the University of Buckingham. With over three decades of experience at the United Nations (1980–2015), including roles as Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Environment and Peace Operations, his work focuses on international governance of climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He also critiques UN structural reforms and bureaucratic challenges.

• Education: PhD in Political Science (Carleton University), MA in Public Administration (Universität Konstanz), BA in Art History (University of Bristol)

Research interests center on climate policy, UN reform, and the political economy of global challenges. His recent publications analyze the systemic difficulties of international cooperation on climate action, the paradoxes of UN bureaucracy, and the intersection of environmental sustainability with human health. He advocates for structural rationalization within the UN Secretariat and emphasizes the need for a competent, integrated international civil service to address transnational issues effectively.