FOGGS - Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability

What FOGGS - Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability does

FOGGS (Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability) is a Brussels-based non-profit foundation established in 2013 that operates as a policy think tank and advocacy organization focused on United Nations reform, multilateral governance, peace, security, and sustainability. Its product surface is built around content and convening rather than technology: it publishes the online magazine Katoikos.world, produces The Global Citizen Podcast (including a 'Change Makers' sub-series), runs the recurring virtual FOGGS Open Consultation Mondays expert series, and issues FOGGS Papers on topics such as European security and the Israel-Palestine conflict. The organization convenes and supports two flagship networks — the Peace Reflection Group (PRG) of former UN system staff and the Global South Perspectives Network (GSPN) — alongside a portfolio of research projects including the Global Resilience Council (GRC) proposal, the Horizon Europe-funded DEMOCRAT Project, Project CASA, M4CE, COVIDEA, and the UN2100 initiative.

Underlying the activities is a small operational core (7 employees) led by President Richard Kinley, Vice-President Yoriko Yasukawa, and Executive Director Georgios Kostakos (a former UN Secretariat/UNFCCC staffer), with board members including Veerle Vandeweerd (ex-UNEP/UNDP) and Cilene Victor. FOGGS does not sell products or services: all publications, events, and resources are provided free of charge, and the foundation is funded through grants, project financing (notably Horizon Europe for DEMOCRAT), and institutional partnerships with organizations such as UNA-UK, ACUNS, MEGA, IGD, ISI, and HumanizaCom.

In October 2025, the Executive Board decided to wind down operations with the intention of shutting down completely, citing dwindling resources; a FOGGS Legacy Platform is being prepared for early 2026 to preserve key elements of its research and network output.

Name

FOGGS - Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability

Legal name

Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability (FOGGS)

Website

https://foggs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FOGGS is a Brussels-based non-profit think tank and advocacy foundation that conducts policy research on UN reform, global governance, and sustainability, serving UN officials, civil society, policymakers, and Global South stakeholders via publications, podcasts, and expert networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Global Governance Advocacy

NAICS

International Affairs (928120)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Data, Monitoring, Remote Sensing & Early Warning (BPADALAN)

Keywords

• Global governance research
• Policy advocacy services
• UN reform proposals
• Sustainability research
• Civil society engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Foundation Operations: FOGGS operates as a non-profit foundation funded through grants, project financing, and institutional support. The organization mentions 'dwindling resources' as a factor in their decision to wind down operations, indicating dependence on external funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FOGGS produces policy research, analysis, and recommendations on United Nations reform, multilateralism, peace, security, and sustainability. Its core deliverables include the Katoikos.world online magazine, the Global Citizen Podcast, FOGGS Papers, and the recurring FOGGS Open Consultation Mondays expert series, all distributed free of charge to policymakers, diplomats, academics, and civil society.

Product overview

FOGGS (Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability) is a policy research and advocacy organization that does not operate a traditional technology product. Instead, it offers a portfolio of publications, networks, and initiatives focused on global governance reform and sustainability. The core offerings include Katoikos.world (an online magazine and opinion platform), the Global Citizen Podcast (featuring interviews with global leaders), and the FOGGS Open Consultation Mondays (expert discussion series). These are supported by collaborative initiatives including the Peace Reflection Group (PRG) of former UN staff, the Global South Perspectives Network (GSPN), the Global Resilience Council (GRC) proposal, and various research projects such as DEMOCRAT, Project CASA, and M4CE. FOGGS also produces policy papers and publications addressing UN reform, peace, security, and development topics. The organization is currently winding down operations with plans to preserve its legacy through a FOGGS Legacy Platform in early 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Katoikos.world An online magazine featuring analysis, editorials, op-eds, and dialogue pieces on global governance, international affairs, peace, security, and sustainability topics, freely available to policymakers, academics, and civil society.
• Global Citizen Podcast A podcast series featuring interviews with politicians, activists, and leaders discussing global challenges, peace, and transformative change, including the 'Change Makers' sub-series hosted by Vice-President Yoriko Yasukawa.
• FOGGS Open Consultation Mondays A recurring online consultation series bringing together experts and stakeholders to discuss topics including UN reform, global governance, climate action, peace, and resilience.
• Global Resilience Council (GRC) A FOGGS-initiated policy proposal for a new UN body to address systemic, multi-dimensional threats to human security such as climate change and pandemics, refined through collaboration with the Institute for Global Dialogue and the Inclusive Society Institute.
• Peace Reflection Group (PRG) An informal group of former UN system staff who use their collective experience to articulate positions and recommendations for world leaders, advocating for UN Charter principles and multilateralism.
• Global South Perspectives Network (GSPN) A network of think tanks and individual experts from the Global South that provides a platform for voices and perspectives on global governance, including UN reform discussions.
• DEMOCRAT Project A Horizon Europe-funded project focused on advancing democratic education and citizen participation, with FOGGS hosting 'Democracy Talks' events as a partner.
• Project CASA A research and policy initiative addressing climate adaptation and resilience issues, co-sponsored by FOGGS.
• M4CE Project (Militaries for Civilian Emergencies) A project exploring the role of military forces in civilian emergency response situations.
• COVIDEA (COVID Education Alliance) An alliance focused on COVID-related education issues and responses.
• UN2100 (UN to 100) Initiative An initiative envisioning the future of the United Nations at its 100-year mark.
• FOGGS Papers and Publications Policy papers and publications covering topics such as UN reform, European security, peace processes, and global governance challenges, including titles like 'European Security in the Age of Trump and Putin', 'World Peace: Reclaiming the United Nations', and 'Resolving the Israel-Palestine Conundrum'.
• UN Charter at 80 Initiative A signature campaign calling on the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter to reclaim its purpose, gathering signatories from former UN officials, VIPs, and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Active in UN reform advocacy since 2013 with proposals influencing intergovernmental negotiations
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Inclusive Society Institute (ISI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024South African institute that co-hosts events with FOGGS including the Africa Consultative Meeting 2025. ISI prepared reports on the Zero Draft of the Pact for the Future on behalf of the Global South Perspectives Network.
• Institute for Global Dialogue (IGD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024South African think tank that collaborated with FOGGS on refining the Global Resilience Council (GRC) proposal, preparing joint iterations of the concept document.
• UNA-UKmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnered with FOGGS to coordinate an open letter to the UN Secretary-General signed by 60+ former UN officials and civil society leaders calling for merit-based appointment of the Emergency Relief Coordinator.
• HumanizaComcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023HumanizaCom serves as co-conveners of the Global South Perspectives Network (GSPN), a key FOGGS-supported initiative that amplifies voices and perspectives from developing countries on global governance issues.
• Peace Reflection Group (PRG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOGGS supports and facilitates the Peace Reflection Group of former UN system staff, an informal network that produces policy recommendations on peace, security, and UN reform. PRG is FOGGS's flagship initiative for engaging former UN officials.
• Global Resilience Council (GRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOGGS initiated and develops the Global Resilience Council proposal as a new institutional framework to address systemic threats to human security. The proposal has been refined through collaboration with IGD and ISI.
• DEMOCRAT ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon Europe-funded project on democratic education in which FOGGS participates, organizing Democracy Talks series and contributing to transnational workshops.
• Project CASAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOGGS is involved in Project CASA, a research and policy initiative addressing climate adaptation and sustainability challenges.
• MEGA (Mobilizing an Earth Governance Alliance)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOGGS joined MEGA as a co-sponsoring organization - a coalition of civil society organizations working to strengthen environmental governance in cooperation with governments and stakeholders.
• Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOGGS organized three roundtables at ACUNS Annual Meeting 2024 in Tokyo, covering topics including the Global Resilience Council, institutional capacities, and UN Secretariat reform.
• Digital with Purpose Global SummitminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFOGGS co-convened the Education Track at the Digital with Purpose Global Summit 2024 in Cascais, Portugal, partnering with GeSI on digital education initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Chatham House (Royal Institute of International Affairs): Large, established London-based institute covering global affairs — a broader incumbent in the same space as FOGGS, with deeper resources but similar mission on multilateral governance and international cooperation.
• Atlantic Council: Major US-based think tank addressing global affairs, including UN reform and global governance — a broader incumbent operating in adjacent and overlapping thematic territory.

Direct peers

• Stimson Center: US-based think tank covering global governance, security, and sustainability — comparable to FOGGS in combining research with policy advocacy across UN-system issues.
• European Policy Centre (EPC): Brussels-based think tank producing policy analysis on EU and global affairs — a geographic and thematic peer to FOGGS's Brussels-headquartered global governance work.
• International Crisis Group: Global think tank producing field-based analysis and policy recommendations on conflict prevention — directly comparable to FOGGS's peace, security, and crisis governance research.
• Global Policy Forum: Independent policy organization focused on UN governance, global economic justice, and civil society participation — closely overlaps with FOGGS's advocacy on UN reform and inclusive multilateralism.
• International Peace Institute (IPI): Independent think tank headquartered in New York focused on UN reform, peace, and security policy — a direct peer to FOGGS's work on UN system reform, Security Council debates, and multilateral governance.
• Club of Rome: Global think tank focused on sustainable development and systemic change — peer to FOGGS's work on sustainability, environmental governance, and inclusive globalization.
• South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA): African policy research institute on global governance — a peer to FOGGS's Global South Perspectives Network (GSPN) and Inclusive Society Institute partnerships.

Others

• United Nations University (UNU): UN-affiliated academic and research institution producing policy-relevant research on global challenges — thematically aligned with FOGGS's focus on UN system reform and sustainability, though operationally much larger.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/foggs_org
• Facebookfacebook.com/FOGGS-469578433157906
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/foggs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FOGGS - Foundation for Global Governance and Sustainability