International organizations and the future of global governance: technical report: GLOBE survey

Abstract

In this working paper, we present the results of a survey completed by 1,004 staff members of 30 international organizations (IO) across six key areas of governance: trade, climate change, development, migration, finance, and security. The selected organizations also include United Nations (UN) agencies as well as three Directorates-General (DG) of the European Union. Respondents were asked to share their opinions on the main trends shaping the future of global governance. Looking specifically at the 2020–30 decade, we focused our questions on perceptions about the role of IOs in the increasingly complex global governance environments they are involved in. We were also interested in staff members’ perceptions of their own organizations’ internal dynamics and performances, as well as in their perceptions of the main difficulties and problems their organizations face. Overall, the survey reveals that IO staff are sensitive to global trends and challenges, notably climate change, global inequalities, and geopolitical clashes. While respondents are aware of certain organizational shortcomings, and the risks of unfavourable external environments that might undermine the work of IOs, they are nevertheless hopeful about other aspects, including the prospect of evidence-based policymaking; the effectiveness of international instruments such as treaties and regulation; the autonomy of their IOs in relation to member states and lobbying influences, and their interactions with other IOs.