global Governance: A review of Multilateralism and International Organizations
CALL FOR SPECIAL ISSUE PROPOSALS
The Global Governance editors invite proposals reflecting (inter-)disciplinary and global perspectives for the 2026 edition of the journal’s annual Special Issue. Proposed Special Issues should:
- Address a specific theme within the scope of the journal;
- Seek to advance the field with new and innovative research, significantly contributing to the existing literature;
- Include a range of scholars from different institutions and backgrounds, taking into account diversity aspects;
- Maintain coherence between different articles;
- Have a total length of up to 70,000 words; which may be split over 5-8 articles of different lengths, depending on how guest editors envision the composition of their Special Issue;
- Be managed by a guest editor or group of editors.
The deadline for proposal submissions is 15 November 2025; submissions should be sent to globalgovernance@fgga.leidenuniv.nl. Proposals should include:
- A short introduction to the special issue (2-3 pages), outlining the topic, contribution to the field, and relevance to global governance;
- A provisional table of contents and title, author, 200-300 word abstracts for each article;
- A short biographical note (50 words) on each author.
Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism and International Organizations
Global Governance is a leading peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal that brings together scholars and practitioners committed to advancing understanding of international cooperation and multilateral affairs. The journal offers rigorous analysis and informed commentary on the world’s most pressing transnational challenges, including peace and security, sustainable development, human rights, climate and environmental governance, and global health.
Published quarterly by De Gruyter Brill in partnership with the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS), Global Governance serves as a dynamic forum for both academic and policy-oriented contributions. It features original research articles, practitioner insights in the Global Forum, book reviews, and special features such as the John W. Holmes Memorial Lecture.
A core mission of the journal is to foster diverse regional, disciplinary, and methodological perspectives. The editorial team actively seeks to amplify voices from the Global South and is committed to inclusive scholarship that reflects the complexity of global governance in theory and practice.
The journal is currently hosted by Leiden University. The staff includes:
- Editors-in-Chief: Alanna O’Malley and Joachim Koops.
- Editorial team: Andrew Gawthorpe, Aigul Kulnazarova, Joris Larik, Frank Mattheis, Vineet Thakur, and Inken von Borzyskowski.
- Managing Editor: Diego Salama
- Book Review Editors: Vanessa Newby and Jade Wong.
The full editorial board, composed of globally recognized experts, supports the journal’s commitment to excellence and inclusivity. To learn more, visit the journal’s Brill webpage. For general inquiries, please contact ACUNS at admin@acuns.org.
Article Submissions
Global Governance accepts proposals for journal articles with a maximum length of 8,000 words. Detailed guidelines for submissions are available on the Brill website and through the publisher’s Editorial Manager platform. Author instructions can also be downloaded directly by clicking the button below. Once a manuscript is accepted, it is published without cost to the author.
The editors of Global Governance are currently not accepting proposals for special issues or special sections. If you have materials suitable for a coherent edited volume, please contact the publisher, Jason Prevost, at prevost@brill.com, who can explore alternative publishing options with you.
Global Forum Submissions
In addition to full-length research articles, Global Governance publishes concise, policy-relevant contributions in the Global Forum section. This space is reserved for practitioners, policymakers, and scholar-practitioners offering critical reflections or forward-looking insights on the reform and future of multilateral cooperation. Global Forum pieces should not exceed 3,000 words, including references, and are subject to editorial review.
For questions about the suitability of proposed contributions to the Global Forum, or to discuss your manuscript idea, please contact the Global Forum Editor, Dr. Joris Larik, at j.e.larik@luc.leidenuniv.nl.
Subscriptions and Access
All ACUNS members are automatically provided electronic access to Global Governance. When signing up for membership, individuals can also select to obtain a print copy of the journal for an additional fee of $15 USD per year. Electronic access includes all past issues of the journal, dating back to the first issue published in July 1995.
Access to the journal is only available via the Brill website. Once an individual has submitted the requisite membership fees, a link will appear on their member portal (on the top right-hand corner of this website) whenever they are logged into their account, providing access to the journal via Brill. All individuals can view the contents of past issues of Global Governance by clicking on the button below. Unlocked access to past articles is only available via the member portal once you have logged into your account.
25th Anniversary Edited Volume
Understanding Global Cooperation: Twenty-Five Years of Research on Global Governance. Edited by Kurt Mills and Kendall Stiles.
The journal Global Governance: A Review of Multilateralism was founded in 1995 and has since offered policy-relevant and theoretically advanced articles aimed at both academic and practitioner audiences. This collection presents some of the most significant pieces published in the journal, addressing topics ranging from human rights and peacekeeping to trade and development – often examining the evolution of the institutional arrangements themselves. Authors include senior UN officials, prominent scholars, and other careful students of international organization. By presenting these twenty-five articles – one from each year since the journal’s founding – in one volume (with an Introduction by by the two editors Kurt Mills and Kendall Stiles) we hope that the reader will be able to better appreciate the evolution of both global institutions and our thinking about them.
Contributors include: Kurt Mills, Kendall Stiles, James N. Rosenau, Inis L. Claude, Jr., David Held, Kofi Annan, Ngaire Woods, Craig Warkentin, Karen Mingst, John Gerard Ruggie, Peter M. Haas, Mats Berdal, Jessica Tuchman Mathews, Rosemary Foot, Michele M. Betsill, Harriet Bulkeley, Michael Barnett, Hunjoon Kim, Madalene O’Donnell, Laura Sitea, Claudia Pahl-Wostl, Joyeeta Gupta, Daniel Petry, Roger A. Coate, Andrea Birdsall, Gilles Carbonnier, Fritz Brugger, Jana Krause, Paul D. Williams, Alex J. Bellamy, John Karlsrud, Kathryn Sikkink, Mateja Peter, Gregory T. Chin, Matthew D. Stephen, Kjølv Egeland, Caroline Fehl, and Johannes Thimm.
Last Updated: Sunday, 12 October 2025