Bretton Woods institutions in a new world order

Bretton Woods institutions in a new world order

This week Mark Leonard is joined by Mark Malloch-Brown. Mark is the former president of the Open Society Foundations, former head of the United Nations Development Programme, formerly UN secretary general Kofi Annan’s chief of staff, and former UN deputy secretary general. From 2007-2009 he joined the British government of prime minister Gordon Brown as minister responsible for Africa and Asia.


Together, Mark and Mark discuss how the role and impact of the Bretton Woods institutions, such as the World Bank and IMF, have changed. How can these institutions adapt to the rough-and-tumble world of 21st-century geopolitics—especially considering China’s increased support for the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and projections that Asia will hold 50% of global GDP by 205?


Is Mark Carney right that there is a rupture in the old order? How did the Bretton Woods institutions underpin the old order? Are the World Bank and IMF problematic and outdated? Is it possible to reinvent these institutions for a new era? Or is it better to work through new, more representative institutions?


Bookshelf


1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in History – and How It Shattered a Nation by Andrew Ross Sokin


Facing Up to the Future: Navigating Disruption, Building Trust by Patrick Achi, Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Mark Malloch-Brown

News and reflections from Mark Malloch-Brown by Mark Malloch-Brown


This episode was recorded on February 6th 2026

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Avsnitt(632)

China's technological dominance

China's technological dominance

China’s rise has long fascinated policymakers, economists and technologists. But few observers have studied the country’s technological ambitions as closely as Dan Wang, research fellow at the Hoover ...

5 Dec 202530min

ECFR at 18: Has European foreign policy come of age?

ECFR at 18: Has European foreign policy come of age?

The European Council on Foreign Relations turned 18 in November 2025. This milestone offers a unique moment to reflect on the world in which ECFR was founded—and how dramatically it has changed. In 20...

28 Nov 202543min

Trump's 28-point plan for Ukraine

Trump's 28-point plan for Ukraine

In this emergency podcast episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Kobzova, co-director of ECFR’s European Security Programme, and Jim O’Brien, former US assistant secretary of state for Europe and ECFR di...

21 Nov 202530min

The future of European air defence

The future of European air defence

Europe’s most ambitious defence project is in deep trouble. Europe’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS), presented as the crown jewel of Franco-German cooperation, was meant to deliver a next-generation ...

21 Nov 202526min

The politics of migration and integration

The politics of migration and integration

Across Europe, immigration and integration have become pressing political issues. The far right is surging in national polls, and debates over borders and national identity are reshaping party systems...

14 Nov 202528min

Russia’s hybrid war in Africa

Russia’s hybrid war in Africa

In recent years, military juntas have replaced democratically elected governments in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. These have expelled European forces and welcomed Russian mercenaries—yet stability in...

7 Nov 202532min

Venezuela and Trump’s hemispheric defence agenda

Venezuela and Trump’s hemispheric defence agenda

This week, Mark Leonard returns to the World in 30 Minutes to unpack the latest development in US foreign policy: America’s military buildup off the coast of Venezuela. The US has deployed troops in t...

31 Okt 202522min

Ukraine, Russia and Trump’s sanctions gamble

Ukraine, Russia and Trump’s sanctions gamble

Donald Trump’s efforts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine have largely taken a backseat to events in Gaza. But a recent call with Vladimir Putin, followed by a tense meeting with Volodymyr Zel...

24 Okt 202530min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
svenska-fall
p3-krim
rss-krimstad
blenda-2
flashback-forever
rss-sanning-konsekvens
politiken
rss-vad-fan-hande
aftonbladet-daily
motiv
rss-krimreportrarna
spar
grans
svd-ledarredaktionen
rss-frandfors-horna
rss-flodet
dagens-eko
olyckan-inifran
rss-klubbland-en-podd-mest-om-frolunda