UN 2.0 Week 2025: Insights from WFP

By Miranda Stobbs

Exceptional times need exceptional solutions. That principle shaped the discussions during UN 2.0 Week 2025, a systemwide virtual gathering of United Nations entities and partners convened to explore how innovation, data, digital, foresight and behavioral sciences are transforming the way the UN delivers results for people around the world.

As the world faces more complex and connected challenges, the World Food Programme (WFP) shared experiences in these spheres to strengthen food security, improve humanitarian response and be more efficient and effective.

Opening Panel: Innovation for breakthrough impact

Rania Dagash-Kamara, Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation at WFP, opened the week by joining UN leaders to explore how innovation delivers tangible, scalable impact. She underscored how innovation and collaboration are key to modernising the way the UN operates and ensuring we are more agile and fit for purpose.

“Innovation is not about gadgets. It’s about solving real problems in new ways with the people we serve at the centre,” she said.

“When the world changes fast, innovation helps us keep up — and lead. It is the bridge between ambition and action, and we must embed it into the DNA of how we work.” Her words set the tone for a week that would showcase how WFP is turning ambition and action — and doing so at scale.

📺 Watch the recap of the Opening Panel

AI for Impact: Use cases and learnings

Diana Klein, Head of Data Strategy and Governance at WFP’s Technology Division and Hila Cohen, Deputy Head of the WFP Innovation Accelerator, joined a cross-UN panel to share how artificial intelligence (AI) is already improving programme design, early warning and emergency response. Speakers from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) the The Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) The UN Development Coordination Office (DCO) and Tandemic also shared their experiences.

“We’re not experimenting for the sake of it,” said Hila. “We’re using AI where it adds value — to make faster, better-informed decisions that save lives.”

“AI is most powerful when it’s built with context,” Diana added. “Our work ensures that data, governance and trust are at the centre of every solution.”

📺 Watch the recap of AI for Impact — Use Cases and Learnings

Catalysts for Change: Scaling Innovations Together

In Catalysts for Change — Scaling Innovations Together for Global Impact, co-hosted by WFP and UN Global Pulse, the spotlight was on how different parts of the UN system and partners are working together to scale solutions. Alex Lozan, Regional Innovation Advisor for WFP Latin America and the Caribbean, moderated the session that included :

• Nilus, a social enterprise in Latin America, tackling food waste and access by redirecting surplus food to vulnerable communities. Ady Beitler, Founder and CEO of Nilus emphasized that scaling innovation demands a deep understanding of the local systems and stakeholders involved. For Nilus, this meant mapping the food supply chain, identifying pain points for suppliers and consumers, and aligning with local regulations.
• A convergence of WFP’s SheCan programme with WHO’s Tobacco-Free Farms in Zambia, combining public health and economic opportunity to support smallholder farmers.
• Insights from HIP Norway and UN Global Pulse on building pathways that allow innovation to scale sustainably. Ragnhild Nauste from HIP Norway warned against short-term agreements that lack long-term incentives and stressed the need for co-designed partnerships where all actors — UN agencies, private sector, and governments — remain engaged. Ragnhild also underscored the value of working with early adopters and iterating based on their feedback before scaling. Patricia Loh from UN Global Pulse challenged the system to make scaling the norm. “Pilots are not the endgame,” she said. She called for institutional reforms — shared funding, cross-agency learning, and incentives for teams that scale — to embed scaling into the DNA of the UN system. Her message was clear: systemic impact requires systemic change.

📺 Watch the recap of Catalysts for Change — Scaling Innovations Together for Global Impact

Solutions Expo: Innovation Edition

As part of the Solutions Expo — Innovation Edition, Monica Bernard, Product Manager for Building Blocks in the WFP Technology Division, presented Building Blocks — WFP’s blockchain-based cash assistance platform that enhances security, speed and cost efficiency in humanitarian settings. Since 2022, Building Blocks has prevented over $200 million in unintended overlapping assistance in Ukraine. Between 2022 and 2024, the system processed data for over 4.8 million unique households in Ukraine, identifying and preventing 855,000 duplicate cases. In 2024 alone, the platform coordinated efforts among 65 organizations, leading to $67 million in savings and more efficient and equitable aid distribution.

Following the successful deployments in Jordan, Bangladesh and Ukraine, it is also currently being deployed and operationalized in Syria and Palestine

“Building Blocks is now operational at scale and ready to power cash-based assistance in complex emergencies,” Monica said.

Innovators from other UN agencies also shared how digital learning, automation and local partnerships are driving better outcomes for communities.

📺 Watch the recap of Solutions Expo — Innovation Edition

AI for WFP’s Country Strategic Plans

In a WFP-led session, Natalie Aldern, Programme and Policy Officer, Programme Cycle and Quality, WFP and Rizwan Sadiq, AI Consultant at WFP Innovation Accelerator, demonstrated how AI is already helping country offices develop and update strategic plans. The AIxCSP tool, powered by large language models, helps teams quickly extract right insights from large collection of long documents — making planning faster, more data informed and more agile, all aligned with national policies.

“AIxCSP doesn’t replace people — it empowers them,” said Rizwan. “By surfacing key insights faster, it helps teams plan more effectively and deliver smarter solutions.”

📺 Watch the recap of AI for WFPs Country Strategic Plans

UN 2.0 Talent: Innovating for Impact

Diana Klein, Head of Data Strategy and Governance in WFP’s Technology Division, shared how the next generation of UN professionals are building careers at the intersection of data, tech and impact.

“Digital skills are not just relevant — they are essential. We need people who can translate data into solutions that help us reach the last mile,” Diana said.

📺 Watch the recap of UN 2.0 Talent — Innovating for Impact

Looking Ahead

UN 2.0 Week 2025 reminded us that innovation is not an add-on — it is foundational to delivering results in today’s world. At WFP, we remain committed to embedding innovation and the UN2.0 agenda into the way we plan, partner, and operate.

From AI-powered decision-making to blockchain-based assistance and regional scaling platforms, the future of humanitarian impact is already taking shape.

Let’s keep building it — together.

Learn more about how WFP drives innovation at innovation.wfp.org.

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