Effective global governance is needed more than ever. Yet, nearly everywhere, it is being contested—and, in many cases, undermined. States recognize the need for cooperation but are increasingly at odds over global rulemaking amidst geopolitical tensions, crises, and war. At the same time, global governance is under pressure from within as polarization, protectionism, and nationalist movements have grown across many regions. In the emerging battle for global governance, institutions are being pulled apart and undermined by actors with opposing interests and values. However, there are important countertrends. In some issue areas—climate change, taxation, and nuclear non-proliferation, for instance—global governance appears to have advanced despite deep-seated differences between actors. In others, conflict and strategic competition seem to have become important drivers of cross-border cooperation.

The upcoming (8th) iteration of the Barcelona Workshop on Global Governance aims to unpack and analyze these emergent patterns. In particular, it seeks to stimulate dialogue between scholars working on the following and related questions:

• What strategies are used to challenge, support, and change global institutions?
• How are institutions responding to, reconciling, or circumventing interstate conflict?
• When has competition between actors stimulated effectiveness and accountability?
• Where is global governance fracturing, and how is this reshaping global dynamics?
• In this version of the Barcelona Workshop on Global Governance, we seek to explore these difficult but pressing questions, bringing together a dynamic group of scholars working on them from different theoretical approaches and analytical traditions.

Venue

The Barcelona Workshop on Global Governance is organized by EsadeGeo (Esade Business School’s Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics) and IBEI (Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals). It aims to offer a leading venue for the study of global governance—its dynamics, effects, and problems—from an interdisciplinary perspective, bringing together scholarship from international relations, law, sociology, anthropology, political theory, public administration, and history.

Paper submissions

We invite abstract proposals from interested scholars from all disciplines, and especially encourage those from early career researchers, women, and people of colour. Proposals should not exceed 300 words in length. The preferred format for all submissions is PDF. Please title the document Your First Name_Your Last Name_BCNWGG.pdf.

Please send your proposals as an attachment to bcnwgg@esade.edu and insert “Submission: Barcelona Workshop on Global Governance” as the subject line of the message.

The deadline for abstracts is 20 September 2024.

All proposals will undergo peer review and notifications of acceptance will be sent out in early November. Final versions of the papers are expected to be delivered by 15 January 2025 for circulation among participants.

Grants and Support

A number of travel grants for early career researchers will be available upon request. Please indicate this in your submission. Funds will be distributed on an equitable basis.

Organizing Committee

Laura Chaqués Bonafont, IBEI
Charles Roger, IBEI
Angel Saz-Carranza, EsadeGeo
Marie Vandendriessche, EsadeGeo

⬇️ Download the Call for Papers in PDF version