Global Governance Crisis and the Transformation of International Institutions: A Strategic Analysis Through the United Nations, OECD and World Bank
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Global governance structures have come under increasing pressure for transformation in the face of simultaneous and multi-layered crises. Developments such as the 2008 global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the Gaza crisis have fundamentally challenged the crisis management capacities, legitimacy foundations, and representational mechanisms of international institutions. This study aims to analyze how the global governance crisis has reshaped the legitimacy, representation, and effectiveness of key international organizations, namely the United Nations, the OECD, and the World Bank, from a strategic perspective. Employing a qualitative research design, the study is based on document analysis and comparative institutional analysis. The analysis draws on major institutional reports and policy documents published between 2010 and 2023, including United Nations reports, OECD Economic Outlook publications, and World Bank governance indicators. It argues that these institutions are increasingly shifting from purely normative regulatory actors to arenas reflecting geopolitical competition and great power interests. By complementing the predominantly normative global governance literature with a strategic and geopolitical analysis, the study offers a more comprehensive understanding of institutional transformation. In this context, the role and potential influence of middle powers, particularly Türkiye, in international institutional reform debates are systematically examined.
Author: Yılmaz, Cüneyt
Institution: University of Cyprus
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7166702415
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