Blog | ENSURED: Shaping Cooperation for a World in Transition

“Public Opinion Is Not Background Noise”: How Citizens Shape and Constrain International Organisations

Blog Post

27.4.2026

“Public Opinion Is Not Background Noise”: How Citizens Shape and Constrain International Organisations

Public opinion is an increasingly powerful force shaping the legitimacy, authority, and effectiveness of international organisations. What drives citizens’ views of IOs, how do those views influence multilateral cooperation, and can these organisations still secure public support in an increasingly contested world?

Lisa Dellmuth

"The Stakes Are Existential": Europe's Strategic Choices in a Disordered World

EU foreign policy

Blog Post

7.4.2026

"The Stakes Are Existential": Europe's Strategic Choices in a Disordered World

Europe is not navigating a transition: it is facing a rupture of the global governance system. To avoid becoming a rule-taker in a fragmented world, the EU must make hard choices about where to lead and where to adapt. What are they?

"A Particularly Worrying Message": What Omnibus I Signals About the EU's Global Role

climate and sustainability

Blog Post

24.2.2026

"A Particularly Worrying Message": What Omnibus I Signals About the EU's Global Role

To boost EU competitiveness through regulatory simplification, the European Commission adopted the Omnibus I package, amending key sustainability directives. While framed as a move to reduce burdens, the reforms may risk weakening the EU’s role as a global standard-setter.

Maddalena Neglia

“The West Must Act Decisively”: Three Lessons for Defending Multilateral Institutions Under Trump 2.0

Blog Post

10.2.2026

“The West Must Act Decisively”: Three Lessons for Defending Multilateral Institutions Under Trump 2.0

With US President Trump once again challenging multilateral institutions, the rules-based international order is under renewed pressure. Experience from his first term offers three lessons that help explain which institutions bend, which endure, and why.

Tim Heinkelmann-Wild

Beyond Obstruction: Rethinking the Far Right and Climate Governance

climate and sustainability

Blog Post

28.1.2026

Beyond Obstruction: Rethinking the Far Right and Climate Governance

Far-right governments are often assumed to obstruct global climate cooperation – but the reality is far more complex. When and why do some far-right leaders engage with international environmental institutions?

Nina Hall

“Youth Should Lead the Way”: Lessons from Ten Years of Programming on the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda

Blog Post

9.12.2025

“Youth Should Lead the Way”: Lessons from Ten Years of Programming on the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda

Ten years after Resolution 2250 launched the Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda, youth-led peacebuilding has proven its transformative potential across diverse contexts. To fulfil this agenda’s promise in the decade ahead, systemic reforms and long-term support for youth leadership are urgently needed.

Erica Gaston

“Something Lost, Something Gained?” Worry and Hope for Climate Action at COP30

climate and sustainability

Blog Post

10.11.2025

“Something Lost, Something Gained?” Worry and Hope for Climate Action at COP30

As Western powers retreat and Brazil steps up, COP30 becomes a crucible for the very norm of global climate action. Will Belém’s push for implementation help bolster collective climate governance or expose its breaking point?

Laura von Allwörden

The Paris Agreement Turns 10 – It’s Time to Prepare for the Teenage Years

climate and sustainability

Blog Post

7.10.2025

The Paris Agreement Turns 10 – It’s Time to Prepare for the Teenage Years

At 10, the Paris Agreement has the machinery – but the real test is its delivery. With COP30 ahead, now is the moment for pragmatic implementation that links policy and finance, leverages targeted coalitions, and keeps the UNFCCC central to the process.

"Walking a Tightrope": From Equity to Good Governance in Global Trade Preferences

trade and inequality

Blog Post

17.9.2025

"Walking a Tightrope": From Equity to Good Governance in Global Trade Preferences

Who counts as “developing” – and who deserves special treatment in trade – is no longer a simple question. New research shows how the EU’s evolving GSP scheme reflects a shift from equity to governance goals, sparking debate about the future of trade policy.

Clara Weinhardt, Deborah Barros Leal Farias

Expert Blog

What the Experts Say

“Public Opinion Is Not Background Noise”: How Citizens Shape and Constrain International Organisations

"The Stakes Are Existential": Europe's Strategic Choices in a Disordered World

"A Particularly Worrying Message": What Omnibus I Signals About the EU's Global Role

“The West Must Act Decisively”: Three Lessons for Defending Multilateral Institutions Under Trump 2.0

Beyond Obstruction: Rethinking the Far Right and Climate Governance

“Youth Should Lead the Way”: Lessons from Ten Years of Programming on the Youth, Peace and Security Agenda

“Something Lost, Something Gained?” Worry and Hope for Climate Action at COP30

The Paris Agreement Turns 10 – It’s Time to Prepare for the Teenage Years

"Walking a Tightrope": From Equity to Good Governance in Global Trade Preferences