Prof. Lucile Maertens
Associate professor in political science and international relations
International organizations – Global environmental politics – Critical security studies – Qualitative methods
Welcome!
My research on international organizations and multilateral practices is rooted in empirical work while addressing major questions in political science and international relations on the construction of global public problems and their management within multilateral arenas, as well as on international institutions’ inner workings.
I intend to contribute empirically, theoretically, and methodologically to the study of global governance and multilateralism, through different projects focusing for example on the UN Security Council, climate negotiations or environmental politics.
Highlights
Les débats sur l’utilité des organisations internationales pendant la pandémie de COVID-19 ou la guerre en Ukraine illustrent le poids des attentes qui reposent sur ces institutions, malgré leur affirmation de ne pas intervenir dans le champ politique. Cet ouvrage prend cette revendication au sérieux et étudie la manière dont ces organisations s’efforcent de « dépolitiser le monde ».
Professors James Hollway and Lucile Maertens have been named the new co-directors of the Graduate Institute’s Global Governance Centre (GGC). The GGC supports research into the actors, institutions, and processes of global governance, disseminating research findings through publications, teaching, a vibrant visiting programme, and seminars for scholars and practitioners.
This edited volume brings together contributions from over 60 scholars covering a wide variety of methods and combinations of methods for the study of international relations and, in particular, international organizations. Conceived as a daily companion throughout the research process, this handbook is aimed at students as well as young and experienced researchers wishing to enrich the range of tools available for conducting their research.
How do international organizations keep an issue, which is not seen as a priority, on the agenda in times of crisis?
The project First things first! investigates this question by exploring how UN actors attempted to keep the environment and climate change on the international agenda during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How do states perform their role as elected members at the UN Security Council?
With a focus on the very first membership of Switzerland at the UN Security Council (2023-2024), this project intends to document this unique experience to better understand the manifold practices through which elected members take on their role.
How, why, and to what end do international organizations present their action as outside the realm of politics?
Building on the concept of depoliticization, this book provides a first systematic analysis of international organizations' apolitical claims. It shows that depoliticization sustains their everyday activities while allowing them to remain engaged in politics, even when they pretend not to.
To find out more on past and on-going projects
Latest intervention
Pollution au plastique : « 2023 marque enfin une prise de conscience mondiale »
Op-ed the global governance of plastic pollution (in French)
Article written for the annual review of the French newspaper Le Monde, January 2022
Launched in 2022, The Observatory of Multilateralism and International Organizations is an online platform designed for academics and practitioners interested in the world of global governance. Led by the Groupement de recherche sur l’action multilatérale, it publishes podcasts, articles, policy papers, brief analysis of the multilateral daily news, and profiles of key figures in the world of international cooperation. The Observatory provides visibility to the latest findings in this field by sharing them widely to a diverse audience including students, journalists and diplomats.