Risks such as climate change, financial breakdown and political instability seem to become increasingly interconnected. This transition unfolds at the same time as the world foresees increases in world population, resource access and availability, economic growth, technological
breakthroughs in multiple domains, and fundamental geopolitical changes.

These interconnected trends pose fundamental challenges to international institutions, law, networks and partnerships. The challenges call for a global capacity to cope with surprise, shocks and propagating failures with complex underlying drivers and cascading consequences.

In connection with a workshop on governance, innovation and connected risks which took place in Stockholm in April 2014, we asked four of the participants about their perspectives on how to approach these challenges.

Jonas Tallberg, Department of Political Science, Stockholm University, provides his thoughts on the role of global democracy:

Jake Dunagan from the Institute for the Future (Palo Alto, USA) on innovative governance solutions:

Arjen Boin from the School of Governance, Utrecht University, on crisis management and governance:

Ellen Hey from the Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam, on connected risks and international law: