Geneva, Switzerland - The World Economic Forum, in partnership with McKinsey & Company, has launched the Global Cooperation Barometer, a tool to measure the state of global cooperation.
This new metric assesses global cooperation across five pillars: trade and capital, innovation and technology, climate and natural capital, health and well-being, and peace and security.
It includes 42 indicators to assess the international landscape from 2012 to 2022 comprehensively.
Among the statistics
According to the Barometer, global cooperation will decline by 2% between 2012 and 2022.
The results are mixed. While there were positive trade, technology, and climate cooperation trends, the Barometer also highlighted declines in global health and increased violent conflict.
These declines were particularly pronounced in the Barometer's Health and Well-Being and Peace and Security pillars.
The release of the Barometer coincides with a year marked by record-breaking temperatures and escalating conflicts worldwide.
However, the period also saw progress in climate initiatives, trade agreements, and technological innovation.
What They Say:
Børge Brende, President of the World Economic Forum, emphasized the need for cooperation across borders to address global challenges despite competition and confrontation.
Bob Sternfels, global managing partner at McKinsey & Company, noted that despite growing divisions in some areas, overall global cooperation remains relatively strong, particularly in climate, nature, and technological innovation.
What is More:
A companion report to the Global Cooperation Barometer offers several recommendations for business and government leaders.
These include fostering public-private partnerships in critical areas such as R&D and AI regulation, practicing "coopetition" (combining cooperation with competition), and using collaboration to build trust and explore further alignment.
The report concludes that countries and companies with robust collaborative frameworks will likely be more resilient in managing supply disruptions and recovering effectively.
