Global agreements, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate
Agreement, illustrate the need for transnational cooperation to solve complex and interrelated
challenges that affect humanity at large. But how can transnational cooperation be more
successful in times of rapid global changes? This Discussion Paper shows that many of the
premises discussed in the literature on transnational cooperation and on multi-stakeholder
partnerships mirror the praise and concerns brought forward with regard to the Arctic Council as
a case of success. At the same time, it would be possible under the auspices of the Arctic Council
to further transnational cooperation, in particular by advancing its process management.
This study proceeds as follows: It introduces and compares various different approaches in global
governance research that are thought to strengthen transnational cooperation and critically
explores in how far the Arctic Council can be considered an example to learn from in encouraging
transnational cooperation. Moving on from the case of the Arctic Council, the study then expands
further on the premises brought forward in the literature and suggests that more attention be paid
to the dimension of knowledge as particularly in times of rapid global changes a shared
understanding of challenges is an important basis for transnational cooperation.
Global agreements, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Climate
Agreement, illustrate the need for transnational cooperation to solve complex and interrelated
challenges that affect humanity at large. But how can transnational cooperation be more
successful in times of rapid global changes? This Discussion Paper shows that many of the
premises discussed in the literature on transnational cooperation and on multi-stakeholder
partnerships mirror the praise and concerns brought forward with regard to the Arctic Council as
a case of success. At the same time, it would be possible under the auspices of the Arctic Council
to further transnational cooperation, in particular by advancing its process management.
This study proceeds as follows: It introduces and compares various different approaches in global
governance research that are thought to strengthen transnational cooperation and critically
explores in how far the Arctic Council can be considered an example to learn from in encouraging
transnational cooperation. Moving on from the case of the Arctic Council, the study then expands
further on the premises brought forward in the literature and suggests that more attention be paid
to the dimension of knowledge as particularly in times of rapid global changes a shared
understanding of challenges is an important basis for transnational cooperation.
Dorothea Wehrmann
Arctic Council global common good institutional success factors transnational cooperation