REMIT is pleased to announce the publication of a new symposium “Global governance of emerging technologies and the advocacy coalition framework” in the journal Politics. The Symposium brings together cutting-edge research on how advocacy coalitions shape global governance across rapidly evolving technological domains.
Edited by Catherine Lo, Michal Onderco, and Carolina Polito, the collection examines four distinct policy subsystems—cyber warfare, human germline genome editing, military artificial intelligence (AI), and 5G infrastructure—to uncover how belief systems, shocks, and institutional environments influence governance trajectories.
The symposium advances scientific understanding of how actors mobilize, compete, and learn across complex transnational arenas, highlighting the diverse pathways through which global governance emerges around transformative technologies.
Long-Term Coalition Dynamics in Cyber Warfare Governance
Shires and Smeets (2026) trace the evolution of global cyber warfare governance over an extended period, showing how two enduring advocacy coalitions—differing sharply in their views on militarisation, information control, and the role of international law—have structured the subsystem. Their analysis demonstrates how internal and external shocks have periodically shifted the balance between coalitions, prompting strategic recalibrations and reshaping the venues in which governance debates unfold.
Rapid Agenda-Setting in Human Germline Genome Editing
Lo (2026) examines the governance of human germline genome editing, where an abrupt internal shock—the high-profile He Jiankui case—transformed a previously fragmented and weakly institutionalised policy arena. The shock enabled a precautionary coalition to consolidate influence, build cohesion, and translate ethical concerns into coordinated global governance efforts. The paper underscores the catalytic power of crisis events in mobilising actors and accelerating institutional development.
Competing Visions in Nascent Military AI Governance
Onderco and Javadi (2026) analyse military AI governance as an emerging yet quickly organising subsystem. They reveal how competing coalitions advance divergent regulatory visions across parallel venues, navigating institutional deadlock through policy-oriented learning. Their contribution offers important insights into how coalitions strategically select forums and adapt their approaches during the early stages of subsystem formation.
Polarisation and Power Asymmetries in 5G Governance
To (2026) explores the highly polarised governance landscape surrounding 5G technologies. The study shows how adversarial coalitions, rooted in sharply contrasting belief systems, engage in governance struggles in a fast-moving and geopolitically charged context. To highlights the role of cross-border power and dependence asymmetries in shaping coalition cohesion, policy choices, and governance outcomes under pressing conditions of technological urgency.
Together, the contributions illuminate how belief structures, crises, power dynamics, and institutional configurations interact to shape the evolution of governance across diverse technological frontiers. The symposium offers valuable comparative insights into how advocacy coalitions operate under varying temporal, political, and normative pressures—and how global governance develops in response.
The full symposium is now available on the website of the journal Politics.
Full citations
Lo, C. Y., Onderco, M., & Polito, C. (2026). Global governance of emerging technologies and the advocacy coalition framework: An introduction to the symposium. Politics, https://doi.org/10.1177/02633957261425417
Shires, J., & Smeets, M. (2026). Advocacy coalitions in cyber warfare: From global negotiations to issue-specific initiatives. Politics, https://doi.org/10.1177/02633957261422133
Lo, C. Y. (2026). Global governance of human germline genome editing: An advocacy coalition framework analysis. Politics, https://doi.org/10.1177/02633957261423865
Onderco, M., & Javadi, M. (2026). Understanding military AI governance through the Advocacy Coalition Framework. Politics, https://doi.org/10.1177/02633957261417198
To, Y. (2026). Understanding the regulation of 5G equipment suppliers through the advocacy coalition framework. Politics, https://doi.org/10.1177/02633957261417190