The Managing Global Order Project (MGO)

Rising powers. Evolving threats. How can the United States shape the emerging order?

A joint initiative of Brookings Foreign Policy, the NYU Center on International Cooperation and Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute on International Studies.

The MGO project focuses on the changing international order. The balance of influence in the international system changes and the evolving global and transnational security challenges have deep implications for U.S. strategy and for international architecture. MGO’s research program focuses on several key issues: U.S. leadership strategy in response to rising powers and the changing balance of influence in the international system; the international security architecture, and how it is adapting (or not) to the twin challenges of rising powers and evolving threats; the geopolitics of scarcity – the security implications of new major power competition over energy and scarce resources; and new tools for new threats – innovations in building international cooperation to respond to transnational threats and global challenges, including terrorism and biological security.

The project produces independent research and policy recommendations for U.S. and international policy makers, and convenes high-level, informal sessions between the United States and the emerging powers – the Abu Dhabi and Copenhagen dialogues. 

The substantive work of MGO is carried out by an accomplished team of scholars, many with direct experience in the management of U.S. strategy or global institutions, including: Brookings President Strobe Talbott; Foreign Policy Vice President Martin Indyk; Distinguished Visiting Fellow Javier Solana; Director Bruce Jones; Senior Fellows Ted Piccone (Brookings), Stephen Stedman (Stanford) and Waheguru Pal Sidhu (NYU/CIC); Nonresident fellows Jean-Marie Guehenno, Michael Fullilove, and Ann Florini (all Brookings); Nonresident fellows (NYU/CIC) Alex Evans and David Stevens; and Associate Directors Toni Harmer (Brookings) and Richard Gowan (NYU/CIC).