Authors: Ole Jacob Sending and John Karlsrud (Norwegian Institute of International Affairs)

Abstract: This policy brief builds on research from the NAVIGATOR project to analyse how the European Union’s engagement with regional organizations across Africa, the Americas, and Asia could evolve in response to growing gridlock within global governance institutions. As multilateral organizations face declining legitimacy, reduced financing, and weakened crisis-management capacity, regional organizations are increasingly relevant as intermediate governance structures. While they cannot replace universal institutions, they can potentially complement them by enhancing legitimacy, responsiveness, and regional ownership in a fragmented international order.

Keywords: EU, coalitions, effectiveness, institutions, multilateralism, legitimacy, regional organizations

Citation Recommendation: Karlsrud, John and Sending, Ole Jacob, (2026). “Stronger Together? The EU and Regional Organizations in Global Governance”, NAVIGATOR policy brief, WP. 2, D. 4. (February), pp. 1-6. https://eunav.eu/