Publications

Shoring up an International System Adrift: A Policy Guide for the EU in Five Areas of Global Governance

Research Report

16.7.2026

Shoring up an International System Adrift: A Policy Guide for the EU in Five Areas of Global Governance

Fragmentation is reshaping global governance, and the EU cannot afford to sit on the sidelines. This report sets out five strategic priorities to make multilateral governance more effective, legitimate and resilient.

Overcoming Fragmentation: The EU Between OECD and UN Tax Governance

trade and inequality

Policy Brief

15.6.2026

Overcoming Fragmentation: The EU Between OECD and UN Tax Governance

Global tax governance is fragmenting and the EU is caught in the middle. How are the parallel OECD and UN reform processes reshaping international taxation and what must the EU do to act as a stabilising force?

Tomáš Boukal, Petr Janský, Miroslav Palanský, Michal Parízek

The WTO Between Two Worlds: Strategic Choices for EU Action

trade and inequality

Policy Brief

23.3.2026

The WTO Between Two Worlds: Strategic Choices for EU Action

The WTO is navigating parallel worlds: one in which members work to reform the institution, and another in which the very foundations of the multilateral trading system are being dismantled. This policy brief examines the state of WTO reform and what this means for Europe.

Clara Weinhardt, Michal Parízek

Pathways for Global Governance Transformation: Evidence from 15 Case Studies

Research Report

3.3.2026

Pathways for Global Governance Transformation: Evidence from 15 Case Studies

Despite global turmoil, states still want to cooperate - the question is how. What forms of global governance are currently at play and why this “variable geometry” has implications for our understanding of multilateralism.

Henning Schmidtke, Stephanie Hofmann

Beyond Rupture: Strategic Choices for the EU in an Era of Global Disorder

Policy Brief

26.2.2026

Beyond Rupture: Strategic Choices for the EU in an Era of Global Disorder

Amid renewed great-power rivalry and a fragmenting rules-based order, the EU faces mounting pressure to safeguard and transform multilateral governance. Based on 15 ENSURED case studies across six policy areas, this policy brief examines how the EU can position itself to sustain and reform multilateral institutions in a time of global disorder.

Act Now or Lose Momentum: Delivering on COP30’s Unfinished Climate–Biodiversity Agenda in 2026

climate and sustainability

Policy Brief

23.2.2026

Act Now or Lose Momentum: Delivering on COP30’s Unfinished Climate–Biodiversity Agenda in 2026

At COP30 in Brazil, Parties committed to advancing discussions on the synergies between the climate and biodiversity crises, but political divisions have stalled meaningful progress. As 2026 approaches, what concrete governance priorities should guide action?

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

ENSURED’s Research and Findings

Shoring up an International System Adrift: A Policy Guide for the EU in Five Areas of Global Governance

Overcoming Fragmentation: The EU Between OECD and UN Tax Governance

The WTO Between Two Worlds: Strategic Choices for EU Action

Pathways for Global Governance Transformation: Evidence from 15 Case Studies

Beyond Rupture: Strategic Choices for the EU in an Era of Global Disorder

Act Now or Lose Momentum: Delivering on COP30’s Unfinished Climate–Biodiversity Agenda in 2026

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