Foreword It is a pleasure to release this year’s edition of the Global Cooperation Barometer. This third edition comes at a time of consequential global transformation, when leaders around the world are not only looking to stay on top of rapid global developments but better understand their implications and anticipate and shape what may take place next. Uncertainty and unpredictability are being fuelled by historic changes across several fronts. Economic architectures are transforming as political and geostrategic considerations increasingly inform new dynamics of trade. Similarly, the formula for stability is under revision, as new power dynamics are affecting security calculations in several regions. Further, technology systems are poised to reshape labour markets and societies, offering possibilities but also new risks. These dynamics are leading many countries to look inward and reconsider their global outlook through a domestic prism. Within this complex context, one certainty remains – cooperative approaches are vital for advancing corporate, national and global interests. This year’s Global Cooperation Barometer shows what cooperation looks like in today’s ever- changing landscape: more bespoke, more interest-based and, most importantly, still present. It is this last point that is worth underlining. Namely, the barometer finds that, in the face of strong headwinds, cooperation is still taking place, albeit in different forms than in the past. The resiliency of cooperation, even if not at needed levels, is likely based on shared assessments around the world that it makes sense. The only way to deliver widespread economic growth, capture the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) and advance global security is through aligned action. The paradox is that, at a time of such rapid change, developing new and innovative approaches to cooperation requires refocusing on some of the basics – notably, doubling down on dialogue. This building block of collaboration (open, honest, constructive engagement) is in danger of degradation, replaced by one-way positioning statements meant to hold ground and entrench positions rather than advance progress. Taking steps forward to address global priorities can only happen if parties first talk with one another to find commonality. With this in mind, the World Economic Forum and McKinsey & Company present this edition of the Global Cooperation Barometer. The report offers stakeholders insight both into how cooperation is taking place and what leaders can do to advance collaboration in a more uncertain era.Børge Brende President and CEO, World Economic ForumBob Sternfels Global Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company The Global Cooperation Barometer 2026 January 2026 The Global Cooperation Barometer 2026 3