Participating in the Guidance and Regional Intelligence for the Transition of UN Leadership consultations, organised by the UN Foundation, Cepei Think Tank, the NYU Center on International Cooperation (CIC), the Multilateral Dialogue Geneva of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation (KAS), and the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), at Villa la Collina, Lago di Como, was a highly rewarding and insightful experience!

I very much enjoyed exchanging ideas with policymakers, former diplomats, and think tank experts about what the UN can do for Europe – and what Europe can do for the UN – at Konrad Adenauer's informal diplomatic headquarters in Cadenabbia. It was a privilege to contribute to this conversation with insights from my own work on Europe’s multilateralism strategy, scapegoating, and institutional resilience at the EUI and LMU Munich.

I am very grateful to the organisers and participants, Ragnheidur Elin Arnadottir, Thibault Camelli, Gunilla Carlsson, Daniel Forti, Urszula Gacek, Solene Jomier, Mathu Joyini, Stephan Klingebiel, Marc Limon, Frederik Matthys, Ulrika Modeer, Anders Nordström, Anna Novoselova, Simon Reid-Henry, Philipp Schönrock, Annika Silva-Leander, Andrea Ostheimer, and Andrew Sherriff!

The workshop constitutes the European leg of the global project "A Transition Framework for the Next Secretary-General: Regional Inputs for the Next UN Leadership", which will inform the incoming UN leadership about regional priorities and provide policy recommendations.