Social Cohesion, Economic Transformation and Open Societies

The Think7 task force on social cohesion, economic transformation, and open societies will explore themes at the confluence of three pressing topics – the environmental transition, social protection systems, and digital democracy. Strengthening social cohesion will be pivotal for successfully maneuvering through the coming decade: Successful global climate action will require social conditions that promote willingness at all levels to engage. To relieve the strain from regional inequalities, de-industrialization, and ageing demographics, G7 countries will have to dramatically increase the efficiency and efficacy of their social protection systems and make them more adaptable, empowering, inclusive and sustainable. Last but not least, democracy requires that social cohesion be rooted in shared perceptions of facts and realities; thus, establishing “data citizenship” – whereby users gain individual and collective control over the data about themselves – is central to the long-term health of democratic governance.