The 2005–2009 agenda has three main objectives:

• To adjust research activities in response to global developments and scholarly debates, as well as gaps in knowledge that have emerged in the course of current research;
• To examine issues that are not being addressed adequately or sufficiently by research networks associated with the United Nations system;
• To consolidate key aspects of UNRISD's 2000+ agenda by expanding work under certain programmes, and by developing synergies between projects in related areas that had previously been carried out under different programmes.