International Order and Governance

The global order is constantly changing. These changes are driven by developments in the tech sector, as well as shifts in economic, political, military, and demographic power. The US is calling established systems into question. Non-western – and in some cases authoritarian – states are increasingly influencing regional and international structures.

International order and democracy is one of DGAP’s core themes. Through it, DGAP helps answer questions about how Germany and Europe can shape regional and international aspects of the evolving global order in the policy realm. We explore options in the areas of sustainability and climate, digitalization and technology, finance, and the regulation of outer space, as well as which policies will be most effective in strengthening democracy and human rights on a regional and international level.

Recent publications

Photo of two people at the stall of VKontakte at the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum

The Key Player in Russia’s Cybersphere

What the West Needs to Know about VK Company

This paper analyzes the rise of VK Company and the creation of its super app to increase state surveillance and the dissemination of propaganda in Russia. The app is on its way to combining social networking and services related to healthcare, education, and e-government under one roof. Western policymakers need to be aware of why and how the Russian state is pushing its citizens to use such domestic services. Only then can they counter the use of data generated by such services in facilitating the state supervision and control of society.

Philipp Dietrich