Global polls show broad trust in U.N., public backs cooperation on crises, Gordon Brown says

Gordon Brown, the United Nations special envoy for global education, opened the briefing by releasing the first results of two new global public-opinion surveys commissioned by the Rockefeller Foundation. "We are releasing today the first results of two new surveys of global public opinion," he said, and reported that "62% in our poll trust the United Nations." Brown said the findings show broad public support for countries cooperating on global problems even when that requires compromise of national interest.

Brown emphasized that the polling counters a perceived trend toward isolationist views. He pointed to regional differences—higher optimism in the global south and especially Africa—and to survey evidence that civic engagement increases willingness to support international responsibility. "If you're involved in a local civic organization or meet people across different lines of difference, you're far more likely…to believe in us having a shared responsibility to others," he said. The envoy framed the results as a public mandate for policies that expand cooperation to meet crises affecting children's education.