In 2024, Professor Rinaldi had the honor to advise and conclude two undergraduate research projects and three undergraduate theses: 

Undergraduate research projects

• South-South Cooperation in Latin American Health: Opportunities and Challenges for Achieving SDG 3 of the 2030 Agenda - Professor Rinaldi advised International Relations student Mariá Fonseca Rodrigues on her research on the effectiveness of South-South Cooperation in the work of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) as a means to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3, "Good Health and Well-being," of the 2030 Agenda. Mariá presented the results of her research at the XXVIII Brazilian National Meeting of International Relations Students.

• From Distance to Development: The Relationship Between the ILO and the Global South Before and After the Philadelphia Declaration - Professor Rinaldi advised International Relations student Gabriel Rezende Pellegrina on his research on the ILO's development agenda for the Global South. In recognition of his research, Gabriel was selected to attend the “Future Leaders in the World of Work” training, hosted by the International Training Center of the ILO (ITCILO) in Turim, Italy.

 Undergraduate theses

• Building a New Ladder: The Role of Developing Countries in Shaping the United Nations' Global Goal Agendas - Professor Rinaldi advised International Relations student Gabriel Yuri do Nascimento Vieira on his research on the role of developing countries in shaping the UN global development agenda between 1990 and 2015. In his research, Gabriel argued that the developing countries evolved from supporting actors in defining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to central players in the construction of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• The ILO Agenda for Developing Countries: The Impacts of Dominant Economic Ideologies (1919-1999) - Professor Rinaldi advised International Relations student Gabriel Rezende Pellegrina on his research on how three dominant economic ideologies - classical liberalism, embedded liberalism, and neoliberalism - influenced the International Labour Organization's policies and actions toward developing countries. By examining these dominant economic ideologies, his research sought to understand how they shaped the ILO’s approach to promoting the development of countries in the Global South.

• The Relationship of Bolivian Foreign Policy with Harmony with Nature (2009-2015) - Professor Rinaldi advised International Relations student Giulia Colombo Feijó on her research on Bolivia's leadership in the topic of Harmony with Nature at the United Nations. Her research aimed to understand how Bolivian foreign policy contributed to the institutionalization of the harmony with Nature paradigm within the UN framework for sustainable development.

Professor Patrícia Rinaldi had the honor of delivering a lecture in the International Law course taught by Professor Denise Garcia, at Northeastern University. The central theme was “Rights of Nature and the Global Movement Towards an Ecological Economy”. Professor Rinaldi explored the progress of the Rights of Nature within the framework of the UN Harmony with Nature Program, emphasizing how these rights align with ecological economics and international law.

During the lecture, Professor Rinaldi discussed the growing impact of the Rights of Nature on legislation worldwide and their role in fostering a more equitable and sustainable economy. Following her presentation, she participated in a simulation exercise led by the students, where they negotiated a draft document for a potential future Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth to be presented at COP-29.

As part of the side events during the UN Summit of the Future Action Days, Professor Patrícia Rinaldi had the honor of representing the remarkable work of the Brazilian civil society organization Mapas at the event “Rights of Nature and Rights of Future Generations” organized by the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN).

Professor Rinaldi’s participation was marked by a rich exchange of experiences and ideas on integrating the Rights of Nature into local and global legislation, emphasizing the urgent need for action to secure a sustainable future for present and future generations. The work of Mapas, recognized for its innovative vision in advancing the Rights of Nature in Brazil, served as an inspiration to participants, highlighting the critical role of local movements in aligning ecological justice with human rights.

Professor Patrícia Rinaldi had the honor of participating in the launch of the report “A Second United Nations Charter: Modernizing the UN for Future Generations.” This ambitious project, led by the Global Governance Forum think tank, proposed a rewrite of the UN Charter to align the organization with present and future challenges.

Alongside diplomatic leaders such as Ambassador Paula Narváez of Chile and Ambassador Martin Kimani of Kenya, Professor Rinaldi presented her contributions to the reform of the UN Charter. She was responsible for revising the chapters on international cooperation and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Her proposals focused on fostering greater democratization and diversity of representation in economic and social matters, as well as expanding ECOSOC's role in coordinating and enhancing coherence across the various parts of the UN system.

Professor Rinaldi's participation underscored the vital role of Brazilian academics in the international debate on UN reform to promote innovative solutions to global challenges.

The  International Education Programme to the United Nations and the Summit of the Future was curated by Professors Patrícia Rinaldi, Patricia Borelli, Roberta Machado, and Rúbia Marcussi as a partnership between CERI-FACAMP and the FACAMP International Office. The program was designed to provide an academic and professional immersion at the heart of multilateral negotiations at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

With a delegation of 11 FACAMP students, the program was structured around meetings with renowned experts and participation in the Summit of the Future. Firstly, the group was welcomed by Daniel Perell at the Baha’i International Office, where they engaged in a roundtable discussion exploring the role of global communities in promoting peace and unity. 

At St. Francis College, students participated in a range of activities. They had a lecture with Yasmina Gourchane, from the Coalition for the International Criminal Court, and Omar Hernández, a former staff member of the UN Department of Global Communications. The speakers discussed the role of civil society in strengthening multilateralism and global justice. Students also engaged in a practical workshop on human rights advocacy certified by Amnesty International and conducted by Professor Reza Fakhari. 

The program’s highlight was the participation in the Summit of the Future Actions Days, at the UNHQ. The delegation attended sessions addressing topics such as technology, sustainability, gender equality, human rights, and the role of youth. The students were not mere observers. They had the unique opportunity to voice their ideas during an interview with UN News, where they emphasized the importance of youth involvement in international discussions and the need to implement policies prioritizing climate action, sustainable development, and harmony with Nature. 

Beyond the formal discussions, the Summit of the Future Action Days provided an invaluable networking environment. The UN corridors became the backdrop for informal dialogues with leaders, academia, and professionals from around the world, broadening the participants’ connections and strengthening their roles as future international relations professionals and agents of change.

The program also provided an immersion in history and culture. The delegation explored iconic symbols of New York, such as the Statue of Liberty, the Immigration Museum at Ellis Island, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), allowing students to experience the city’s culture while reflecting on the impact of international organizations.

Under the theme “Act Now: Save Today Our Tomorrow,” the eleventh edition of  FACAMP Model United Nations (FAMUN) inspired participants to accelerate the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The conference encouraged 500 hundred participants from Brazil and abroad to achieve a healthy planet, just societies, a better economy, and a world working together. 

Since partnering with WFUNA to the organization of the WFUNA International Model United Nations Brazil in 2017 and 2018, FAMUN has been dedicated to providing an authentic United Nations simulation experience by adhering to best practices in leadership structure, rules of procedure, and flow of debate. FAMUN stands out not only for its commitment to delivering a realistic simulation experience but also for the depth of its thematic discussions. Participants simulated the UN Security Council, under the topic "Children and Armed Conflict in the Occupied Palestinian Territory"; and the UN Environment Assembly, under the topic "Nature-based solutions for supporting sustainable development". 

Professors Patrícia Rinaldi and Patricia Borelli advised the research and simulation of the UN Environment Assembly. In the Research Guide, Professors Rinaldi and Borelli explored with the students how the concept of Nature-based solutions remains open to discussion, as governments, civil society, and the private sector have different understandings about it and how they can tackle these challenges. In FAMUN 2024, the focus of the discussions was to further the consensus on the concept of Nature-based solutions and design a strategy for the implementation of this approach, based on best practices that are truly in harmony with Nature and incorporate the ecological knowledge of indigenous peoples and traditional communities.

Professor Patrícia Rinaldi had the honor of being a guest lecturer at the prestigious Northeastern University Dialogue - United Nations in Geneva. She delivered two lectures to a group of 24 students on the Rights of Nature and the importance of promoting an ecocentric approach to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Professor Rinaldi also accompanied the group on technical visits to international organizations based in Geneva and attended a session of the UN Human Rights Council as an observer, focusing on the representation of Indigenous peoples.

A wholehearted thanks to Professor Denise Garcia, the curator of the program, and congratulations to her cohort of excellent students for the high-level discussions on the subject!

Professor Patrícia Rinaldi attended the Annual Conference of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS) under the theme “Global Governance and Sustainable Development: Revitalizing Research to Support Multilateral Solutions". The event was held in person at the United Nations University and the University of Tokyo in Japan.

Professor Rinaldi organized the roundtable “The Need for an Earth-Centered Approach to Sustainable Development: Towards a United Nations Earth Assembly,” which featured as panelists the members of the UN Harmony with Nature Independent Experts Network: Jorge Calderón Gamboa, Juliana Neira, María Estrella Sanchez Corchero, Mariana Ribeiro Santiago and Miguel Ricardo Peña Varón. The roundtable emphasized that the UN urgently needs a shift to an Earth-centered approach to sustainable development and advocated for the creation of a UN Earth Assembly that would serve as a multilateral platform for mainstreaming that approach across all UN sustainable development efforts as per General Assembly resolution 77/169. The panelists discussed expanding Earth Jurisprudence, which entails the Rights of Nature, as it has developed in different regions worldwide; and promoting Ecological Economics, moving away from GDP as a measure for development and building an ecocentric economic model that favors social solidarity initiatives and long-term planetary wellbeing.

She also participated as a panelist in the roundtable "Second Charter: Imagining a Renewed United Nations", chaired by Augusto López-Claros, the Executive Director of the Global Governance Forum. Along with panelists Joshua Lincoln, Daniel Perell, and Vesselin Popovski, Professor Rinaldi discussed the core principles and priorities to consider for a reformed UN Charter, to ensure its relevance and effectiveness in addressing the complex global crises and challenges that we face in our 21st century.

From January 26 to 28 in Madrid, Spain, Professor Patrícia Rinaldi participated in the in-person consultation of the research and advocacy project "Second Charter: Imagining a Renewed United Nations," organized by the think tank Global Governance Forum. Comprising twenty experts from leading academic institutions and civil society organizations worldwide, the project involves a comprehensive review of the United Nations Charter, the foundational document adopted in 1945 that defines the principles, objectives, and structure of the United Nations (UN).

Professor Rinaldi is the sole representative from a Brazilian university in this initiative. Her contribution focuses on proposing reforms to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) to enhance coordination among UN development system entities and foster greater engagement with civil society and other stakeholders. According to Rinaldi, "The meeting was an exciting and timely exercise, enabling the UN to become more effective and better equipped to address present and future challenges."

It is an honor to have Professor Rinaldi alongside other high-level leaders in the international debate on UN reform, including María Fernanda Espinosa, Ecuadorian ambassador and former President of the General Assembly in 2018; Yvette Stevens, Sierra Leonean ambassador who served on the Human Rights Council from 2019 to 2020; and the research project director, Augusto López-Claros, Executive Director and Chair of the Global Governance Forum.