Repository of problems worth solving
World Solve is a public institutional repository for identifying real unresolved problems across science, society, health, governance, economics, and local systems. Each entry is intended to be citable, inspectable, and actionable.
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4194Total
4194Open
0Solved
9Humans
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some contested borders have remained unresolved for decades, occasionally flaring into conflict, without any agreed process forcing a final decision. This leaves both governance and everyday life uncertain for people living near these borders.
society-governance
global-unspecified
any
process
border
disputes
between
neighboring
countries
persist
generations
binding
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
don
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
People without citizenship often can't access healthcare, education, legal employment, or travel documents, trapping them in a kind of legal limbo. Resolving statelessness requires cooperation between countries that often have little incentive to act.
social-civic-problems
global-unspecified
statelessness
people
leaves
millions
any
country
willing
legally
recognize
citizens
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
legal
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
The same person fleeing the same crisis might face a fast, fair asylum process in one country and years of limbo in another, based purely on geography. A more consistent international standard remains unbuilt.
society-governance
global-unspecified
asylum
face
country
refugees
seekers
wildly
inconsistent
legal
processes
depending
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
determine
have
don
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Voters often know little about how a party chooses its candidates or policies internally, even though those internal decisions shape who ends up on the ballot. More transparency here could improve accountability before elections even happen.
society-governance
global-unspecified
internal
transparency
decisions
political
parties
some
democracies
operate
almost
made
whether
philosophy-ethics
evidence
haven
resolved
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Once elected, officials often make major decisions with limited mechanisms for ongoing public feedback until the next vote, sometimes years away. Tools for continuous citizen input remain underdeveloped almost everywhere.
society-governance
global-unspecified
input
decisions
citizens
democracies
have
little
formal
made
between
election
whether
philosophy-ethics
evidence
resolved
public
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When election results are close or contested, some countries have no clear, agreed procedure for resolving the dispute short of prolonged conflict or unrest. This leaves democratic transitions vulnerable at exactly their most sensitive moment.
society-governance
global-unspecified
countries
clear
election
lack
legal
process
peacefully
transferring
power
disputed
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
False claims about candidates or voting processes can spread across social media faster than officials can issue corrections, especially close to election day. This growing speed gap threatens the integrity of public understanding during critical voting periods.
society-governance
global-unspecified
during
election
officials
disinformation
campaigns
elections
outpacing
ability
respond
voting
whether
philosophy-ethics
fiscal
austerity
technology-computing
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Legislatures in various democracies have seen government shutdowns or near-shutdowns simply because opposing parties can't agree on routine budget matters. This turns basic governance into a repeated crisis rather than a stable process.
society-governance
global-unspecified
basic
political
polarization
making
governing
functions
like
passing
budgets
increasingly
philosophy-ethics
whether
have
public
haven
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some leaders who were initially bound by term limits have successfully changed laws or constitutions to stay in power far longer than originally intended. This weakens one of democracy's basic safeguards against entrenched rule.
society-governance
global-unspecified
leaders
term
limits
power
political
inconsistently
applied
sometimes
removed
once
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
haven
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Even where donation limits exist, wealthy donors can often find legal workarounds through political action groups or indirect spending. This keeps outsized influence in the hands of a few, regardless of formal campaign finance rules.
society-governance
global-unspecified
wealthy
political
influence
there
reliable
way
stop
individuals
buying
disproportionate
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
haven
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Politicians in charge of drawing district boundaries can shape them to protect their own party's power rather than reflect the actual population. This practice, often called gerrymandering, distorts the link between votes and representation.
local-regional
global-unspecified
party
redrawing
electoral
districts
places
unfairly
favor
political
politicians
charge
society-governance
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
resolved
representation
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Citizens are often legally entitled to request government records, but agencies can slow-walk or deny these requests with few real consequences. This makes transparency laws look stronger on paper than they are in practice.
society-governance
global-unspecified
laws
but
practice
freedom
information
exist
countries
routinely
ignored
delayed
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
determine
resolved
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When the people appointing or removing judges are the same people those judges might need to rule against, fair trials involving powerful officials become far less likely. This weakens the separation of powers meant to keep governments in check.
society-governance
global-unspecified
judges
judicial
independence
remains
fragile
countries
removed
political
leaders
people
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
determine
resolved
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Where spending limits are weak or unenforced, a small number of wealthy donors can have outsized influence over who gets elected and what they prioritize once in office. This tilts democracy toward those with money over those with votes.
society-governance
global-unspecified
wealthy
donors
political
campaign
financing
rules
vary
widely
dominate
elections
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
haven
determine
have
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
In many countries, there's little requirement to disclose which companies or interest groups pushed for specific changes to legislation. This makes it hard for citizens to know whose interests their laws actually serve.
society-governance
global-unspecified
laws
lobbying
powerful
industries
shape
public
ever
knowing
influenced
countries
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
determine
know
resolved
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
People who report corruption or abuse of power frequently lose their jobs, face legal retaliation, or worse, while the officials they exposed face little consequence. This discourages future whistleblowers from coming forward at all.
society-governance
global-unspecified
face
whistleblowers
expose
government
wrongdoing
often
punishment
wrongdoers
themselves
people
philosophy-ethics
whether
haven
climate-environment
african
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Anti-corruption agencies are sometimes created by the same officials they're meant to hold accountable, limiting how far they can actually investigate. Genuine independence for these watchdogs remains rare rather than standard.
society-governance
global-unspecified
investigate
governments
lack
independent
body
real
power
own
corruption
anti-corruption
whether
philosophy-ethics
haven
resolved
determine
know
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
When a country can't repay its debts, negotiations with lenders happen case by case with no consistent rules, often favoring lenders over the country's ability to recover. This can trap nations in cycles of debt renegotiation that stall development for years.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
lenders
debt
nations
sovereign
disputes
between
poor
have
fair
standardized
philosophy-ethics
whether
determine
resolved
don
haven
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
Some UN peacekeeping operations have run for so long that local governments and populations start questioning whether they're actually achieving anything anymore. Without clear exit criteria, missions risk becoming permanent without ever solving the underlying conflict.
society-governance
global-unspecified
peacekeeping
missions
clear
often
kept
place
decades
plan
end
some
whether
philosophy-ethics
resolved
know
have
determine
open
Global / Unspecified, Global
A country can be found in violation of international law and simply ignore the ruling with little real consequence, especially if it holds significant economic or military power. This selectively weakens the rule of law based on who is being judged.
economics-resources
global-unspecified
international
courts
have
reliable
way
enforce
own
rulings
against
powerful
philosophy-ethics
whether
resolved
determine
don
agreed
