Global cooperation adapts as multilateral pressure mounts, WEF report finds
Staff reporter
Global cooperation is proving resilient despite mounting geopolitical tensions and growing pressure on multilateral institutions, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cooperation Barometer 2026, released in Geneva on 8 January.
The report finds that while traditional multilateral cooperation has weakened, overall levels of cooperation have largely held steady as countries increasingly turn to smaller, more flexible coalitions, sometimes involving private-sector partners.
However, cooperation remains below the level required to address major economic, security and environmental challenges.
Now in its third year, the Barometer was developed with McKinsey & Company and uses 41 indicators to measure cooperation across five areas: trade and capital; innovation and technology; climate and natural capital; health and wellness; and peace and security.
The findings show that the nature of cooperation is changing rather than retreating. Progress has been strongest where global efforts align closely with national interests. Cooperation increased most notably in climate and technology, while health and trade remained broadly flat. Peace and security recorded the sharpest decline.
Resilience
“Amid one of the most volatile and uncertain periods in decades, cooperation has shown resilience,” said World Economic Forum President and CEO Børge Brende. He added that more flexible and purpose-driven partnerships are increasingly critical to economic growth, innovation and crisis preparedness.
Trade and capital cooperation remained above pre-pandemic levels but showed signs of fragmentation. Goods trade continued to grow, albeit more slowly than the global economy, with flows increasingly concentrated among politically aligned partners. Services and selected capital flows showed stronger momentum, particularly where they support domestic industrial capacity. As global trade rules face rising barriers, smaller groupings of countries are advancing cooperation through targeted initiatives.
In innovation and technology, cooperation expanded despite tighter controls on critical resources and knowledge. Cross-border IT services and talent flows increased, and global digital bandwidth is now four times higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic. New cooperative frameworks have emerged in areas such as artificial intelligence, 5G infrastructure and other advanced technologies, mainly among aligned economies.
Clean technologies
Climate and natural capital cooperation also strengthened, driven by rising investment and global supply chains for clean technologies, which reached record deployment levels in mid-2025. While China accounted for a large share of renewable energy and electric vehicle growth, other developing economies increased their contributions. Regional groupings, including the European Union and ASEAN, are increasingly linking decarbonisation efforts with energy security.
Health and wellness cooperation remained stable overall, supported by improving post-pandemic health outcomes. However, the report warns that this stability masks growing fragility, as development assistance for health has contracted sharply, particularly affecting low- and middle-income countries.
Peace and security cooperation continued to deteriorate, with all measured indicators falling below pre-pandemic levels. Rising conflict, increased military spending and strained multilateral conflict-resolution mechanisms have contributed to record levels of displacement, with 123 million people forcibly displaced worldwide by the end of 2024.
The report concludes that global cooperation is being reshaped rather than abandoned. It calls on leaders to rebuild open and constructive dialogue and to develop new cooperative structures, including public-private partnerships, to manage shared global challenges more effectively.
The findings are released ahead of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters from 19 to 23 January 2026, to be held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue”.
Global cooperation is proving resilient despite mounting geopolitical tensions and growing pressure on multilateral institutions, according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Cooperation Barometer 2026, released in Geneva on 8 January.
The report finds that while traditional multilateral cooperation has weakened, overall levels of cooperation have largely held steady as countries increasingly turn to smaller, more flexible coalitions, sometimes involving private-sector partners.
However, cooperation remains below the level required to address major economic, security and environmental challenges.
Now in its third year, the Barometer was developed with McKinsey & Company and uses 41 indicators to measure cooperation across five areas: trade and capital; innovation and technology; climate and natural capital; health and wellness; and peace and security.
The findings show that the nature of cooperation is changing rather than retreating. Progress has been strongest where global efforts align closely with national interests. Cooperation increased most notably in climate and technology, while health and trade remained broadly flat. Peace and security recorded the sharpest decline.
Resilience
“Amid one of the most volatile and uncertain periods in decades, cooperation has shown resilience,” said World Economic Forum President and CEO Børge Brende. He added that more flexible and purpose-driven partnerships are increasingly critical to economic growth, innovation and crisis preparedness.
Trade and capital cooperation remained above pre-pandemic levels but showed signs of fragmentation. Goods trade continued to grow, albeit more slowly than the global economy, with flows increasingly concentrated among politically aligned partners. Services and selected capital flows showed stronger momentum, particularly where they support domestic industrial capacity. As global trade rules face rising barriers, smaller groupings of countries are advancing cooperation through targeted initiatives.
In innovation and technology, cooperation expanded despite tighter controls on critical resources and knowledge. Cross-border IT services and talent flows increased, and global digital bandwidth is now four times higher than before the Covid-19 pandemic. New cooperative frameworks have emerged in areas such as artificial intelligence, 5G infrastructure and other advanced technologies, mainly among aligned economies.
Clean technologies
Climate and natural capital cooperation also strengthened, driven by rising investment and global supply chains for clean technologies, which reached record deployment levels in mid-2025. While China accounted for a large share of renewable energy and electric vehicle growth, other developing economies increased their contributions. Regional groupings, including the European Union and ASEAN, are increasingly linking decarbonisation efforts with energy security.
Health and wellness cooperation remained stable overall, supported by improving post-pandemic health outcomes. However, the report warns that this stability masks growing fragility, as development assistance for health has contracted sharply, particularly affecting low- and middle-income countries.
Peace and security cooperation continued to deteriorate, with all measured indicators falling below pre-pandemic levels. Rising conflict, increased military spending and strained multilateral conflict-resolution mechanisms have contributed to record levels of displacement, with 123 million people forcibly displaced worldwide by the end of 2024.
The report concludes that global cooperation is being reshaped rather than abandoned. It calls on leaders to rebuild open and constructive dialogue and to develop new cooperative structures, including public-private partnerships, to manage shared global challenges more effectively.
The findings are released ahead of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters from 19 to 23 January 2026, to be held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue”.
