R03 · ABOUT · aboutGRF dossier · service level R0
GRFPolicy NexusEstablished
Mandate and publisher

Mandate, publisher and status

Policy Nexus is published by The Global Risks Forum (GRF), a Swiss association with a public-good, not-for-profit purpose and one of the three pillar institutions of Nexus Consortiums. This page sets out the platform's subject mandate, who answers for it, the professional status of those who take part and the limits of its role. It also explains how dialogue records are handled and how to raise a concern.

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In this dossier7 parts
  1. 01In briefThe short answer
  2. 02MandatePolicy analysis and institutional learning on shared risks
  3. 03RemitPolicy options for shared risk, compared before they are chosen
  4. 04Publisher and professional statusWho is responsible, and in what capacity people take part
  5. 05LimitsWhat the platform does not do
  6. 06RecordsHow dialogue records and briefs are handled
  7. 07Key termsTerms used on this page

GRF · Established · service level R0

STEM methods
4
Canonical methods this field applies
Topics
9
Subject pages in the field
Counterparts
7
Platforms in shared fields at GCRI, GRF and GRA
Report series
2
Nexus Reports series it contributes to
01In brief

The short answer.

Policy Nexus is a specialist platform of The Global Risks Forum for policy, governance and institutions, and risk management and systemic risk. Its mandate covers policy analysis, institutional capacity and cross-border learning focused on consequential shared risks. GRF publishes it, answers for its content and takes no decision on anyone's behalf. It is established and works at service level R0, information and enquiries.

02Canvas

Mandate to authority.

Canvas · mandate to authorityDesign, not a record
How Policy Nexus is governedA mandate sets the platform's scope; an editor and reviewers govern what it publishes; programmes and the community supply the work; the integrity route handles corrections; authority over decisions stays outside. Design of the governance, not a record.

Fig.How the platform is governed, from its mandate to the authorities who decide. Design, not a record.

03Geography

People and hazards in Africa.

For mandate, publisher and status, in GRF's situational-awareness reading, the map opens on population density, night lights and flood water, framed on Africa; every other NASA layer, live feed and forecast waits in the layer list.

The interactive map needs JavaScript; the layer list and sources are below.

Layers 3

People and hazards, for this page

Latest available

NASA GIBS / EOSDIS · ASTER GDEM (METI, NASA) · Blue Marble (NASA) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Natural Earth

Loading the latest NASA imagery.

Drag to move. Ctrl or ⌘ and scroll, pinch or the buttons to zoom; hover for the values under the pointer; reset returns to the region.

For mandate, publisher and status, in GRF's situational-awareness reading, the map opens on population density, night lights and flood water, framed on Africa; every other NASA layer, live feed and forecast waits in the layer list.Satellite and model products as NASA publishes them, each with its own date; indicators, not assessments of any place; claim ceiling INTEGRATED.

Data: NASA GIBS · ASTER GDEM · Blue Marble · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Natural Earth · GDACS · NASA EONETSources and licences

  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • We acknowledge the use of imagery provided by services from NASA's Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), part of NASA's Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2018. Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): Population Density, Revision 11. NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). CC BY 4.0
  • VIIRS Black Marble night-time lights, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; distributed by the NASA Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System (LAADS DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • VIIRS near-real-time products (flood, land surface temperature, snow cover, corrected reflectance), NASA LANCE; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), VIIRS 375 m active fire product, NASA LANCE; vector tiles via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • ASTER GDEM is a product of METI and NASA (ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003, NASA LP DAAC); imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Made with Natural Earth. Free vector and raster map data @ naturalearthdata.com. Public domain
  • © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), via NASA GIBS (coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names). Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). ODbL
  • Blue Marble, NASA Earth Observatory; imagery via NASA GIBS. Colours redrawn from the published colour map; values averaged into H3 cells where shown (modified). NASA open data
  • Context on the globe and flat map: coastlines, boundaries, roads and place names from NASA GIBS reference layers (OpenStreetMap data, ODbL, © OpenStreetMap contributors); Blue Marble imagery as an optional base; 3D terrain and the elevation read-out from the ASTER GDEM elevation colour index (5 m to 200 m classes, exaggerated for legibility). Boundaries are drawn as published and imply no position on any territory.
  • Globe: MapLibre GL JS 6.9.1, BSD-3-Clause, © MapLibre contributors.
  • Live: GDACS (EC JRC / UN OCHA) Events are indicative, not official warnings.
  • Live: NASA EONET Events are indicative, not official warnings.
  • Optional layers (35 sources in the layer list: live, forecast, observed and context) print their provider credit on the map and here when switched on; forecasts are model output and derived indices are estimates.

Layers and dates

  • Population density, 2020: Population: CIESIN, Columbia University, Gridded Population of the World v4.11 (2018), NASA SEDAC, CC BY 4.0 · static
  • Night-time lights, daily: VIIRS Black Marble (VNP46A2), NASA LAADS DAAC · 12 Oct 2026
  • Flood water, 3-day composite: VIIRS Global Flood Product, NASA LANCE · 14 Oct 2026
  • Active fires and thermal anomalies, last day: VIIRS NOAA-20 375 m (FIRMS), NASA LANCE FIRMS · 13 Oct 2026
  • True colour: VIIRS NOAA-20 corrected reflectance, NASA LANCE · 13 Oct 2026

04Mandate

Policy analysis and institutional learning on shared risks.

The platform exists to improve how public institutions understand, compare and learn about policy responses to consequential shared risks, particularly those that cross sectors and borders.

Field

Scope

Policy, governance and institutions, and risk management and systemic risk.

Community

Who takes part

Policy advisers, institutional analysts, international cooperation teams and public administration researchers.

Outputs

What it publishes

Policy primers, comparative institutional briefs and dialogue records.

05Remit

Policy options for shared risk, compared before they are chosen.

Policy Nexus works on the formulation stage of public policy for risk: framing the problem, setting out options, weighing evidence and trade-offs, and anticipating implementation. It draws on regulatory impact assessment practice and the appraisal methods ministries use, and it applies them to risks that cross ministries and borders.

  • In scope: options appraisal, implementation learning, cross-border policy alignment.
  • Out of scope: lobbying, drafting legislation for any government, endorsing an option.
06Publisher and professional status

Who is responsible, and in what capacity people take part.

The Global Risks Forum (GRF) publishes Policy Nexus and answers for its content under the rules in trust, rights and status.

  • Status: Policy Nexus is an established platform. Its existing community and published address are preserved, and earlier activity is described as current only once its records are confirmed.
  • Service level: R0, information and enquiries.
  • Officials and advisers who take part do so in their personal professional capacity unless their institution states otherwise in writing. Their participation does not commit their institution.
  • Dialogue participants agree the publication and attribution rules of each dialogue in advance.
07Limits

What the platform does not do.

  • It does not regulate, finance, procure or certify, and it does not make or approve policy.
  • It does not represent any government, and it does not lobby on behalf of participants or sponsors.
  • Hosting or sponsoring a dialogue confers no authority over its findings or records.
  • Scientific evidence comes from GCRI platforms such as Systemic Risk Management at GCRI; financial-sector analysis comes from GRA platforms such as Financial Regulation Nexus at GRA.

GRF convenes and governs programmes. It does not regulate, finance, procure or certify, and hosting or sponsorship confers no authority over findings.

08Records

How dialogue records and briefs are handled.

  1. 01

    Before a dialogue

    The scope, participants' capacity and the attribution rule are agreed and recorded.

  2. 02

    After a dialogue

    A record is drafted, checked with participants for accuracy and published only where they agree.

  3. 03

    Briefs and primers

    Comparative briefs state their sources and limits and are reviewed before publication on the publications page.

  4. 04

    Corrections

    Errors are corrected as new versions through corrections and concerns.

09Key terms

Terms used on this page.

Each term as this page uses it. Where a standard-setting body defines the term, the wording follows that body.

TermDefinition
Service level R0The current service level of Nexus pages: information and enquiries only. An enquiry receives a reference and a named next step; it creates no membership, contract, assignment or commitment.
Conflict of interestA situation in which financial, professional or personal interests could compromise, or appear to compromise, judgement in research or review.
Risk governanceThe institutions, rules and processes through which risks are identified, assessed, managed and communicated, as the IRGC framework sets out.
Regulatory impact assessmentA systematic assessment of the expected benefits, costs and effects of a proposed rule before it is adopted.
10Sources

Where this page's references lead.

The bodies and documents this page is read against. Status and editions change; each link goes to the issuing body.

11Questions

Questions and answers.

Is Policy Nexus a separate organization?
No. It is a specialist platform of The Global Risks Forum (GRF), which publishes it.
Can a serving official take part?
Yes, in a personal professional capacity, subject to the rules of their own institution. Participation does not commit their institution to any position.
Who can I contact?
Write to contact@globalriskforum.com or see contact the specialist team. The acknowledgement gives a reference and names the next step.
Related

Around Policy Nexus.

Policy Nexus

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The current service level is R0: information and enquiries. An enquiry receives a reference and names the next step; applications, payments, compute allocations and registrations open only when their team, terms and review capacity exist.

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