Publications

Governing in Complexity: Assessing the Quality of Global Governance Across 15 Case Studies

Research Report

29.1.2026

Governing in Complexity: Assessing the Quality of Global Governance Across 15 Case Studies

In today's world, governance complexity has become the rule. Drawing on the 15 ENSURED case studies, this report explores growing governance complexity and its effect on international cooperation.

Henning Schmidtke, Stephanie Hofmann

Reforming Global Institutions in an Era of Geopolitical Strain: Evidence from 15 Case Studies

Research Report

15.1.2026

Reforming Global Institutions in an Era of Geopolitical Strain: Evidence from 15 Case Studies

Global governance is often described as being in crisis, yet demand for effective international cooperation has never been higher. Drawing on ENSURED's 15 case studies, this report asks: How can international institutions be transformed to address global challenges given the crisis of the rules-based international order?

Hylke Dijkstra

Robust, Effective, and Democratic Global Governance for a World in Transition: Evidence From the ENSURED Expert Survey

Research Report

17.12.2025

Robust, Effective, and Democratic Global Governance for a World in Transition: Evidence From the ENSURED Expert Survey

Based on the ENSURED Expert Survey, this report offers a global assessment of how 110 international organisations (IOs) are coping in today’s turbulent world.

Soetkin Verhaegen, Hylke Dijkstra, and Thomas Sommerer

Building Consensus Amid Growing Rivalry: Taking Stock of UN Cyberspace Governance

digitalisation

Policy Brief

15.12.2025

Building Consensus Amid Growing Rivalry: Taking Stock of UN Cyberspace Governance

Amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry, UN-led efforts to govern cyberspace remain essential – but also fragile. How can the UN’s Open-Ended Working Group and Internet Governance Forum be strengthened to deliver a global cyber governance framework?

Federica Marconi, Ettore Greco

Actorness in Different Shades? Comparing EU External Action Across Global Governance Institutions

EU foreign policy

Research Report

11.12.2025

Actorness in Different Shades? Comparing EU External Action Across Global Governance Institutions

How strong an international actor is the EU in a shifting geopolitical landscape? Findings show significant variation in actorness across policy areas and highlight that different forms of EU support matter for its influence in global governance.

Franziska Petri, Steven Blockmans, Edith Drieskens, Ceren Ergenc

Anchoring Global AI Governance: How the EU Can Leverage the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence

digitalisation

Policy Brief

8.12.2025

Anchoring Global AI Governance: How the EU Can Leverage the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence

As AI evolves faster than regulation, the Council of Europe’s new treaty offers a rare chance to anchor technology in democratic values. How can the EU turn this promise into global leadership on trustworthy, rights-based AI?

Between Stability and Stagnation: The Performance and Openness of International Organisations in a Changing Global Order

intersecting policies

Research Report

4.12.2025

Between Stability and Stagnation: The Performance and Openness of International Organisations in a Changing Global Order

As global governance faces rising geopolitical pressures, understanding how IOs are performing is increasingly vital. Drawing on two updated datasets, this report maps how IO effectiveness and inclusiveness have evolved and what these trends mean for the future of multilateralism.

Thomas Sommerer, Ha Eun Choi

The Global Governance of Sex and Gender: Women's and LGBTQI+ Rights Amid Regress, Reform, and Resilience

migration and human rights

Research Report

1.12.2025

The Global Governance of Sex and Gender: Women's and LGBTQI+ Rights Amid Regress, Reform, and Resilience

After decades of progress and some landmark wins, women’s and LGBTQI+ rights are becoming increasingly contested on the global stage. How resilient is human rights governance in the face of pushback?

Ha Eun Choi and Andrea Liese

Moving Global Biodiversity Governance Forward: How to Strengthen the Convention on Biological Diversity

climate and sustainability

Research Report

27.11.2025

Moving Global Biodiversity Governance Forward: How to Strengthen the Convention on Biological Diversity

More than 30 years after the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) came into force, the world is still struggling to slow biodiversity loss. Is the CBD still up to the task?

Franziska Petri, Jayati Srivastava, Edith Drieskens, and Noa Lameire

ENSURED’s Research and Findings

Governing in Complexity: Assessing the Quality of Global Governance Across 15 Case Studies

Reforming Global Institutions in an Era of Geopolitical Strain: Evidence from 15 Case Studies

Robust, Effective, and Democratic Global Governance for a World in Transition: Evidence From the ENSURED Expert Survey

Building Consensus Amid Growing Rivalry: Taking Stock of UN Cyberspace Governance

Actorness in Different Shades? Comparing EU External Action Across Global Governance Institutions

Anchoring Global AI Governance: How the EU Can Leverage the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence

Between Stability and Stagnation: The Performance and Openness of International Organisations in a Changing Global Order

The Global Governance of Sex and Gender: Women's and LGBTQI+ Rights Amid Regress, Reform, and Resilience

Moving Global Biodiversity Governance Forward: How to Strengthen the Convention on Biological Diversity