It is not only non-democratic regimes that resort to authoritarian practices. They can increasingly be found in use also in formally democratic states, as the examples of shrinking civic space, populism, and democratic backsliding show.

The global digital transformation is changing the way we live and work, as well as how states relate to each other. Our researchers analyse the ensuing opportunities and challenges in the Global South and explore emerging instruments of state–society interactions and foreign policy, such as digital diplomacy, and cyber-sanctions, including anti-fake news laws. 

Approximately 80 million people worldwide are currently displaced due to war or political violence. Millions more have fled their homes because of environmental disasters and socio-economic marginalisation. As there is no immediate end in sight, forced migration is one of the most pressing challenges facing world politics today. We focus on the causes of this phenomenon in our study regions. 

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine once again raises the question of sanctions’ effectiveness. Economic sanctions are a popular foreign policy tool for addressing a wide range of international issues, including armed conflict, human rights violations, and terrorism. 

Religion is a key facet of society and affects politics and socio-economic development in a multitude of ways. In the name of religions, terrorist attacks are committed, armed conflicts are fought, and xenophobia is justified. At the same time, religion can also be a vital contributor to peace. Our research explores the interplay between religion and security.  

The BRICS, G20, and G7 are shaping global governance in an era of shifting power dynamics. These alliances influence economic relations and geopolitical strategies. Explore how their interactions and rivalries redefine the world order and how we study these developments. 

The Indo-Pacific has emerged as the world’s economic and strategic centre of gravity, an area in which established and rising powers are now heavily competing with one another. Our work particularly emphasises the perspectives of actors (both governmental and non-governmental) in the Indo-Pacific. Learn more about the GIGA’s research on this strategic space. 

How do geopolitics, populism, and global power relations influence international climate politics? Our researchers analyse these interdependencies and examine how countries of the Global South can promote sustainable development to engender fairer and more effective climate policy worldwide. 

Participating in global supply chains brings huge development opportunities to poorer countries, but it is also often associated with precarious working conditions, pollution, and unequal power relations. How can global supply chains become more inclusive and sustainable? Explore our research on global supply chains vis-à-vis the Global South. 

Democracy builds on common principles such as elections, a division of power, and the rule of law. In practice, democratic institutions often underperform due to executives overstepping the mark, conflicts and power struggles causing a stalemate in the policy process, as well as governance instability.

It is not only non-democratic regimes that resort to authoritarian practices. They can increasingly be found in use also in formally democratic states, as the examples of shrinking civic space, populism, and democratic backsliding show.

The global digital transformation is changing the way we live and work, as well as how states relate to each other. Our researchers analyse the ensuing opportunities and challenges in the Global South and explore emerging instruments of state–society interactions and foreign policy, such as digital diplomacy, and cyber-sanctions, including anti-fake news laws. 

Approximately 80 million people worldwide are currently displaced due to war or political violence. Millions more have fled their homes because of environmental disasters and socio-economic marginalisation. As there is no immediate end in sight, forced migration is one of the most pressing challenges facing world politics today. We focus on the causes of this phenomenon in our study regions. 

With two events, Leibniz institutes, including the GIGA, from the Leibniz Lab ‘Systemic Sustainability’ and their partners are making strong contributions to sustainability transformation at the COP30 World Climate Conference in Belém. The focus lies on creative paths for global climate protection and the concept of systemic sustainability, which views ecological, societal, and economic interconnections as an inseparable whole.

This GIGA Talk explores how people and politicians across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East view today’s major conflicts — perspectives often missing from European media. Our panelists discuss how history, regional dynamics, and strategic priorities shape these diverse interpretations of events.

This event series delves into the evolving field of Global International Relations, highlighting research and practices at GIGA and beyond. It examines how IR can move beyond Western-centric frameworks by incorporating diverse perspectives, histories, and experiences from around the world. Each session features expert insights, discussions on knowledge co-production and partnerships with the Global South, and interactive Q&A segments.

In Venezuela, the United States and the post-Maduro leadership are contesting what it means to “run the country.” But will there be a chance for a democratic opening? What impact will this have on the region? And will socialist Cuba survive losing its key ally and facing severe economic crisis?

With Maduro‘s arrest by US forces, Trump’s sanctions on President Petro, and crucial elections ahead, Colombia faces unprecedented challenges. This GIGA Talk examines how the peace process, drug trafficking, and US–Venezuela tensions will shape Colombia‘s political future and Germany‘s engagement with the country.

Since the “Twelve-Day War” with Israel, Iran has undergone transformations on multiple levels. This GIGA Forum ONLINE explores how the conflict has reshaped regional and international politics, state–society relations in Iran, and the prospects for the Islamic Republic’s future.

The consequences of the US administration’s military intervention in Venezuela to capture former president Nicolás Maduro, and Trump’s pledge to “run” the country indefinitely via interim president Delcy Rodríguez while the US secures the country’s oil resources, are reverberating regionally and globally. This roundtable brings together GIGA experts on Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to discuss these events, their drivers, as well as their worldwide implications.

A panel of experts discussed the risks of democratic backsliding in Indonesia under President Prabowo Subianto, the sources of resistance and the implications for Germany’s strategic choices. Read on to learn more about the highlights of the discussion.

Discover how China makes use of its own international organizations to shape global norms. In this GIGA China talk, we will discuss with Eva Seiwert how formats such the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS have evolved since their creation and what role they play in China-US global competition.

The 31st webinar of the Franco-German Observatory of the Indo-Pacific, hosted by the CERI, features Plamen Tonchev of the Athens-based Institute of International Economic Relations (IIER). He speaks about Mediterranean linkages and non-linkages to the Indo-Pacific

Rodrigo Patto Sá Motta's lecture will focus on the recent shift to the right in the Southern Cone countries, which brought the far-right to power in that region starting with Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil (2018) and Javier Milei in Argentina (2023), while Chile's political fate is currently in dispute during the 2025 November/December elections.

GIGA, RWI, DEval, and the evaluation department of KfW invite to a one-day Learning Forum on the use of evidence in German development cooperation. The forum aims to firmly establish evidence-based approaches on the agenda of political decision-makers and to strengthen the dialogue between research and practice. Using concrete examples and current development policy challenges, the event will demonstrate how evidence can be systematically applied to inform and improve decision-making processes.

With two events, Leibniz institutes, including the GIGA, from the Leibniz Lab ‘Systemic Sustainability’ and their partners are making strong contributions to sustainability transformation at the COP30 World Climate Conference in Belém. The focus lies on creative paths for global climate protection and the concept of systemic sustainability, which views ecological, societal, and economic interconnections as an inseparable whole.

This GIGA Talk explores how people and politicians across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East view today’s major conflicts — perspectives often missing from European media. Our panelists discuss how history, regional dynamics, and strategic priorities shape these diverse interpretations of events.

This event series delves into the evolving field of Global International Relations, highlighting research and practices at GIGA and beyond. It examines how IR can move beyond Western-centric frameworks by incorporating diverse perspectives, histories, and experiences from around the world. Each session features expert insights, discussions on knowledge co-production and partnerships with the Global South, and interactive Q&A segments.