Research

GPPi is committed to high-quality research on governance in our key focus areas. GPPi furthers its knowledge base by working with leading universities and research institutions in Europe, the United States and China as well as other global knowledge networks. GPPi has received research grants from the European Commission, the German Foundation for Peace Research (DSF), the German Marshall Fund of the US, the Volkswagen Foundation and the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, among others.

The results of the institute’s research are easily accessible to the broader public through the publications section on our website.

Current projects

October 2009 – June 2013

Humanitarian Assistance: Truly Universal?

This research project aims to develop a deeper understanding of the norms, interests, policies and operational procedures shaping the humanitarian aid of selected non-Western donor countries.

May 2010 – September 2013

Strategic Management in Peace Operations

A research project that asks about the relationship between the institutional structure of interventions and their ability to strategically create and implement policy in post-conflict police reform at the examples of Afghanistan and Kosovo.

January 2012 – December 2013

Transatlantic Responses to Critical Issues in European Security

This is a two-year research and dialogue program jointly implemented by GPPi and the Brookings Institution focusing on two key priority areas of the transatlantic alliance: energy and defense.

November 2012 – April 2015

Global Norm Evolution and the Responsibility to Protect

Together with academic partners in Europe, Brazil, China and India, this research project analyzes the evolution of global norms with a focus on the Responsibility to Protect.

September 2012 – September 2017

Political Prisoners and Human Rights Compliance

Why do oppressive states release dissidents from jail – and does it matter? The aim of the project is to add to the current empirical and theoretical knowledge about human rights compliance by focusing on the release of political prisoners and on the role they play in promoting further human rights reform.

September 2012 – September 2017

Explaining Intermediary Censorship: Why Western Web Firms Curtail Freedom of Expression

This project furthers the scholarship on transnational business behavior by analyzing the extent to which global human rights norms impact Western technology firms that carry out censorship and surveillance when operating in authoritarian states.

February 2009 - ongoing

Global Climate Governance and the Making of China's Climate Change Policy

This research endeavor is based on the premise that more effective engagement of China on climate change should be based on an understanding of China's interests, domestic actors and mechanisms of decision-making.

Completed projects

December 2010 – February 2012

Origins of Strategy for Justice and Security Sector Reform in Afghanistan and Pakistan

Focusing on how Germany, the United States, NATO and the EU make strategic choices about justice and security sector reform, this pilot study analyzed the interplay of politics and bureaucracy in complex foreign policy decisions.

August 2011 – February 2012

Food Security: A Mapping of European Approaches

The German Marshall Fund of the United States asked GPPi to head up a study on European approaches and activities supporting food security in Sub-Saharan Africa.

February 2011 – January 2012

Human Rights and Global Governance: Will China’s Rise Lead to a New Normative Order?

As China rises, what will be the consequences for the international order with respect to human rights? This research project analyzes China’s position on human rights in the UN.

January 2010 – January 2012

Common Goals – Different Approaches?

Jointly implemented by GPPi and Brookings, this two-year research and dialogue program focuses on transatlantic cooperation around global energy issues.

February 2007 – January 2012

Learning to Build Peace? The United Nations, Peace Operations and Organizational Learning

Tracing the evolution of UN peacekeeping and its quest to remake itself into a learning organization, this multi-year academic study analyzes organizational learning in a complex international bureaucracy.

January 2008 – January 2012

The European Union, China and Global Governance

Perceptions, Misperceptions, and Convergences

February 2007 – December 2011

EU Foreign Policy Towards China

The project aimed to provide a theoretically informed and empirically rich analysis of the institutional politics of EU-China relations.

May 2010 – September 2010

UN-Business Partnerships since 2000

This project aimed both to summarize the evolution of UN-Business partnerships over the last 10 years while also drawing out key trends shaping the...

April 2011 – August 2011

Towards Global Partnerships 2011

GPPi, together with the UN Global Compact Office, developed the Secretary-General’s report "Towards Global Partnerships," presented at the 66th session of the General Assembly.

April 2010 – June 2011

Uniting on Food Assistance

Promoting Evidence-Based Transatlantic Dialogue and Convergence

December 2010 – May 2011

Sino-African Energy Relations

In partnership with Climate Focus, this project analyzed the opportunities and challenges connected with increased Chinese involvement in Africa's renewable energy sector.

February 2007 - May 2011

Learning to Build Peace? Developing a Research Framework

The United Nations, transitional administration, strategic planning and organizational learning

November 2009 – April 2011

Joint Stakeholders in Global Energy Governance?

Prospects for joint global problem-solving between the EU and China

July 2008 - December 2010

Learning in EU Peace Operations?

This research project analyzed organizational learning in EU civilian crisis management operations.

February 2006 - October 2010

The New Protectorates

International administration and the dilemmas of governance

June 2008 – April 2010

"Brusselisation" and the Emergence of a Strategic Culture in the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP)

With the 10th anniversary of the British-French St. Malo summit in December 2008 it is time to take stock on how...

June 2009 – January 2010

Role and Success Factors of Round Tables

In Germany and abroad, traditional governmental and administrative functions are reaching their limits...

January 2008 - December 2009

Changing Rules of the Game

Global energy governance in the 21st century

February 2009 – December 2009

Public-Private Partnerships for Education

GPPi supported the International Institute for Educational Planning in conducting research on including private actors to finance the expansion of education and to improve the quality of education.

January 2008 - December 2009

Raising the Bar

Enhancing transatlantic governance of disaster relief and preparedness

April 2009 – August 2009

Common Objective, Diverging Regimes?

Prospects and Challenges in Building a Global Carbon Market

January 2009 – July 2009

Towards Global Partnerships: Development of the Secretary-General’s Report

Developing the UN Secretary-General's Report "Towards Global Partnerships," presented at the 64th session of the General Assembly...

October 2007 - February 2008

The Role of Private Donors in International Development

Private donors are playing an increasingly significant role in international development...

March 2007 – August 2007

Towards Global Partnerships: Development of the Secretary-General’s Report

Developing the UN Secretary-General’s Report "Towards Global Partnerships," presented at the 62nd session of the General Assembly...

March 2006 – June 2007

Corporate Engagement in Disaster Preparedness and Humanitarian Response

In recent years commercial actors have begun to play a growing role in development assistance and conflict prevention.

April 2006 - September 2006

Teaching Case Development for the Bucerius Summer School on Global Governance

GPPi developed a teaching case for the Bucerius Summer School on Global Governance 2006 organized by the ZEIT Foundation Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius.

October 2005 - June 2006

Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development History Project

MMSD was an independent two-year process of research and consultation in the mining and minerals sector, which was officially completed in 2002...

January 2004 - May 2006

Seed Initiative Research & Learning Channel

The Seed Initiative aims to inspire, support and build the capacity of locally-driven entrepreneurial partnerships...

January 2005 - September 2005

The UN and Partnerships

Taking Stock and Sketching a Way Forward

January 2005 - September 2005

The Kimberley Process

Teaching Case for the Hertie School of Governance

January 2005 - September 2005

The Financial Action Task Force

Teaching Case for the Hertie School of Governance

December 2003 - March 2005

Exploring and Analyzing Accountability in Global Governance

Accountability has emerged as one of the key approaches in the search for new modes of democratic governance beyond the nation-state...

May 2004 - December 2004

The World Commission on Dams

Teaching Case for the Hertie School of Governance

November 2003 - July 2004

The Partnership Principle

New Forms of Governance in the 21st Century

June 1999 – December 1999

Global Public Policy Case Studies

In 1999, the team for what was then the Global Public Policy Project commissioned case studies on new forms of collaboration between the public sector, civil society and business.