Joshua Lincoln Ph.D.
I am currently a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Law and Governance at Fletcher, The graduate school of global affairs at Tufts University. I sit on the executive board of the Global Governance Forum and the advisory board of the Cambrian Futures Group. I also serve as an advisor to governments, companies and organizations drawing on twenty-five years of experience across four continents with the United Nations, non-governmental organizations, academia, and civil society.
My current work is focused on the net-zero transition and its implications, specifically for energy and materials, the evolving global and regional governance systems, and geopolitics. My approach is grounded in a symbiotic relationship between action and reflection, between knowledge-making and decision-taking, between generating learning and insight on the one hand, and making and delivering successful policy and programs on the other.
Timeline
The Fletcher School, Tufts University
2020 - Present
I’m a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Law and Governance, which leverages Fletcher expertise to promote sustainable and pragmatic solutions to global challenges. Its members engage with policymakers to better understand complex global phenomena and provide multi-dimensional research-based policy advice in economic relations, security, migration, the environment and technological change.
The Bahá’í International Community
2013 - 2019
Between 2013 and 2019, I served as Secretary-General of the Bahá’í International Community. In that role I represented the international governing council of the Bahá'í community in its external affairs; managed relations with governments, municipalities, universities, and civil society; and developed multi-year programs and partnerships.
The United Nations: New York & Geneva
2007 - 2013
I was Chief of Staff to the Head of UNOG/Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva and Senior Officer in the Executive Office of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York. Beyond executive management functions, I worked on global peace and security, climate change, and humanitarian, legal and human rights issues.
Mediation, Diplomacy & Peacekeeping
2000 - 2007
I worked as a program officer and civilian advisor on several African peace processes. I served with the UN Cameroon-Nigeria Mixed Commission (a boundary conflict initiative of Secretary-General Annan), the tripartite Military Coordination Commission and Boundary Commission of the Ethiopia/Eritrea UN peacekeeping mission, and the UN Mission implementing the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement in North/South Sudan.
Academic & Policy Research
1991 - 2000
I held various research positions, fellowships, and internships with institutions like the World Bank, Carter Presidential Center, Reebok Foundation, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Eisenhower World Affairs Institute (Graduate Fellowship), and the Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School while pursuing a BSFS at Georgetown and a MALD and PhD at Tufts University.
Helping you navigate
multilateral waters
Advisory Work
In order to succeed, governments, companies, and organizations must stay ahead of a global system in flux and find ways to thrive amidst climate change, the global pivot to mid-century net-zero, globalization, regional fragmentation, and geopolitics. I help their leadership teams understand and navigate the parts of the multilateral system that are relevant to them, usually to seize an opportunity, deploy a new technology, or solve an emerging problem. I offer research and analysis of the situation, independent outside counsel, and support in both designing and delivering a strategy, solution, or other pathway to success.
Strategy Development + Problem-Solving
Through close collaboration, thorough data-driven analysis, and an external independent viewpoint, help clients identify specific problems or opportunities and support the development of strategies and solutions.
Energy, Materials & The Net Zero Pivot
Assist companies and governments to manage the challenges of their energy transitions and help them explore or understand the global policy implications of their technologies, specifically low carbon materials.
Building Better Partnerships
Support clients as they develop public-private partnerships (ministries, cities, communities, and universities), build a shared vision, structure projects, negotiate agreements, raise funds, solve problems, and develop and manage key relationships.
International / Regional Organizations
Help clients understand and operate more effectively within the United Nations, international financial institutions, development banks, and regional organizations and support their organizational engagement and priorities within these spaces.
Effective Strategic Communications
Provide end-to-end strategic communications support: design social media campaigns; frame conceptual agendas for major conferences or summits; ideate, review and refine major communications deliverables.
Managing Geopolitical Uncertainty
Drawing on decades of international experience, offer both broad geopolitical insight in a context of globalization, regional fragmentation, and geopolitical conflict and country-specific strategic analysis and advice.
Agile Ethical Leadership
Assist clients to build and run globally diverse and gender-inclusive teams; drive organizational vision, set and deliver change goal; model moral leadership and ethical standards; and develop coalitions, partnerships and culture.
Multilateral Negotiations + Crises
Advise and assist clients engaged in multilateral structured negotiations or unilateral initiatives, combining substantive expertise and process (negotiating) experience as needed.
All actors will need to be more active, more agile, more self-reliant, more willing to lead, and more oriented towards issues than ideology
Global Governance in an Era of Pluralism
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joshua@lincoln.one