The UN Without the U.S.:
Global Governance and
the Private Sector
In-person, Members-only
Monday, November 17, 2025| 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM ET
Eighty years after its founding, the United Nations faces one of the most consequential periods in its history. Wars in Gaza and Ukraine, stalled climate progress, and worsening humanitarian crises have exposed deep fractures in the international system. As geopolitical pressures intensify and the United States pulls back from its traditional leadership and funding role, the multilateral institutions built to uphold global cooperation are facing profound challenges. How can they evolve to confront the realities of this era, share responsibility more equitably, and remain effective in a world defined by shifting power and uncertainty?
Join us in-person on Monday, November 17th from 6:30-8:30 PM ET for a conversation with Ambassador Chris Lu, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations for Management and Reform and current James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at University of Virginia’s Miller Center. Drawing on his experience leading UN budget negotiations and advancing institutional reforms, Ambassador Lu will unpack what meaningful reform looks like for the UN and how it can partner effectively with the private sector to advance its mission in an era of shrinking resources, geopolitical rivalry, and evolving U.S. engagement.
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SPEAKER:
Ambassador Chris Lu
Chris Lu is the James R. Schlesinger Distinguished Professor at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. During a public service career that has spanned all three branches of the federal government, Lu’s experience includes both domestic and foreign policy as well as the management of complex organizations.
Lu has been confirmed twice by the U.S. Senate for senior-level presidential appointments. During the Biden Administration, he served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for management and reform, where he led negotiations on the UN budget, coordinated oversight of UN programs, and managed cross-cutting issues, including global AI policy.
During the second term of the Obama Administration, Lu served as the U.S. deputy secretary of labor. In this role, he was the chief operating officer of a Cabinet department with 17,000 employees and a $12 billion budget.
From 2009 to 2013, Lu served as the White House cabinet secretary and assistant to the president, where he was the primary liaison between the White House and the federal agencies. President Obama said of Lu’s service: “Through his dedication and tireless efforts, Chris has overseen one of the most stable and effective cabinets in history – a cabinet that has produced extraordinary accomplishments over the past four years.”
The proud son of immigrants, Lu is one of the highest-ranking Asian Americans ever to have served in the federal government. As the deputy secretary of the Labor Department, he was only the second Asian American in history to hold that position in a cabinet department. During the Obama Administration, Lu also co-chaired the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Prior to his service in the executive branch, Lu was the legislative director and acting chief of staff for then-Senator Obama. The day after Election Day 2008, he was named the executive director of the Obama-Biden transition planning team, which was widely recognized as one of the most successful presidential transitions in history.
His government experience also includes serving as the deputy chief counsel of the House Oversight Committee and a law clerk to Judge Robert E. Cowen of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Outside of government, Lu serves as the chair of the board of directors of the Fair Labor Association. He was a senior advisor to FiscalNote (a global AI/technology company), a senior fellow at the Miller Center from 2017 to 2021, and the co-editor of the book Triumphs and Tragedies of the Modern Congress. Lu is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School and holds an honorary doctorate from MacMurray College.
THIS SESSION IS FREE FOR NETWORK 20/20’s MEMBERS
NOT YET A NETWORK 20/20 MEMBER?
Apply today to enjoy all exclusive briefings with high-profile speakers
Image credit: Image by Nils Huenerfuerst
from Unsplash
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