Joel Ng is Senior Fellow and Head of the Centre for Multilateralism Studies (CMS). His research focuses on regionalism, integration, security, and intervention norms, focusing on ASEAN and its dialogue partners as well as the African Union. He began his career in international affairs working in Uganda on peace, conflict, and refugee issues. He has also worked in the private sector in Singapore in public and investor relations. He is a co-chair of the Singapore committee for the Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP). Dr Ng is the author of Contesting Sovereignty: Power and Practice in Africa and Southeast Asia (Cambridge University Press, 2021). He has published widely in venues such as International Affairs, Project Syndicate, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.  He has a DPhil from the University of Oxford, where he was an Oxford-Swire and Tan Kah Kee scholar, and also holds a MA (Distinction) from the University of Sussex, and a BA (Hons) from the University of East Anglia.

• Norms
• Regional Organizations and Architecture
• United Nations
• African Union
• ASEAN
• International Humanitarian Law
• Rule of Law & Governance

RSIS Commentary Series

• Small Island Fragility and Resilience Amid Global Disorder

  19 March, 2026

• Prospects for Multilateralism at the End of the Liberal Order

  27 February, 2025

• Why Singapore’s Vote to Support Palestine’s Full Membership in the UN Matters

  15 May, 2024

• Rethinking Confidence-Building Measures Amid Geopolitical Rivalry

  04 December, 2023

• The Strategic Risks of Systemic Instability

  23 October, 2023

• States of Insecurity: Recalibrations After the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

  13 February, 2023

• Digitalization, Disruption, and Divisions: Is Multilateral Cooperation Ready for the Next Wave of Globalization?

  20 January, 2023

• Consent and Trust in the World Order

  11 March, 2022

• Myanmar Instability: Emerging Reactions in East Asia

  19 May, 2021

• ASEAN’s Special Summit: Can It Resolve the Myanmar Crisis?

  29 April, 2021

• Multilateralism in 2021: Better Than 2020?

  08 February, 2021

• ASEAN as Pivotal Actor: Balancing Centrality and the Indo-Pacific

  17 August, 2020

• Race for the Vaccine: Will ASEAN Be Left Behind?

  23 July, 2020

• Trust During the Time of COVID-19

  18 March, 2020

• Proxies and Drones: Can International Law Handle “Invisible Threats”?

  15 January, 2020

• Evolving Summit Dynamics: ASEAN Putting Its Foot Down?

  06 November, 2019

• The Unlawful Proroguing of UK’s Parliament: Sign of the Times?

  27 September, 2019

• Remembering Robert Mugabe: Hero or Despot?

  11 September, 2019

• US Watch-List For ‘Currency Manipulation’: What Is It?

  30 May, 2019

• Unpacking the “Rules-Based Order”

  12 March, 2019

• Singapore’s ASEAN Chairmanship: Advancing Peace & Security

  16 November, 2018

• CO18167 | Economic Populism: End of The Small State?

  12 October, 2018

• CO18120 | The Quadrilateral Conundrum: Can ASEAN Be Persuaded?

  17 July, 2018

• CO12153 | Great Power Rivalry in Africa: Economic Engagement Holds Key

  14 August, 2012

• CO12114 | The ASEAN Human Rights Declaration: Establishing a Common Framework

  03 July, 2012

• CO12095 | Global Norms in Regional Institutions: Lessons from the African Union and ASEAN

  07 June, 2012

• CO12041 | Kony 2012: Potentials and pitfalls of social media

  13 March, 2012

• CO11172 | China’s Investments in Africa: Need for Governance

  21 November, 2011

• CO11142 | Responsibility to Protect: Tensions between Sovereignty and Security

  06 October, 2011

• CO11040 | The International Criminal Court: Is it a Panacea?

  11 March, 2011

Annual Reviews

• Selected Essays by RSIS Researchers - 2022

  16 January, 2023

• Selected Essays by RSIS Researchers - 2020

  18 January, 2021

Policy-relevant Articles Given RSIS Award

• “ASEAN, Chinese and US Legitimation Strategies Over the Indo-Pacific Security Architecture” in International Affairs, Vol 99, Issue 3, 2023

Authored Books

• Towards Open and Inclusive Regionalism (with Sarah Teo, and Rocky Intan). Indonesia, Jakarta: Centre for Strategic and International Studies, 2023
• Contesting Sovereignty: Power and Practice in Africa and Southeast Asia. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press, 2021

Journal Articles

• “The BRICS Plus Challenge and Emerging Hierarchical Multilateralism” in Global Governance, 30, 2, 2024
• “Critical Dialogue: Response to Swati Srivastava’s Review of Contesting Sovereignty: Power and Practice in Africa and Southeast Asia” in Perspectives on Politics, 21, Issue 3, 2023
• “Critical Dialogue: Hybrid Sovereignty in World Politics. By Swati Srivastava. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2022 (Book Review)” in Perspectives on Politics, 21, Issue 3, 2023
• “ASEAN, Chinese and US Legitimation Strategies Over the Indo-Pacific Security Architecture” in International Affairs, Vol 99, Issue 3, 2023
• “Contested Norms in Peacekeeping” in Journal of Intervention and Statebuilding, 11, 3, 2017
• “Rule of Law as a Framework within the ASEAN Community” in Journal of East Asia and International Law, 5, 2, 2012

Edited Books / Special Issues

• The Dragon’s Emerging Order: Sino-centric Multilateralism and Global Responses. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 2025

Chapters in Edited Books

• “Legitimation Costs and the Regional Contest for the ‘Indo-Pacific’” in Kristie Barrow, Regional Reflections on the War in Ukraine: Diplomacy, Conflict and the Future of Southeast Asia, An AIIA Special Report. Canberra: Australian Institute of International Affairs, 2023, pp. 12-18
• “Examining the Space for Adaptation and Innovation in Conflict Management in the Global South” in Guo Yanjun and I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, Sustaining Peace in ASEAN and the Asia-Pacific: Preventive Diplomacy Measures. Singapore: World Scientific, 2022, pp. 69-92
• “Rule of Law as a Framework within the ASEAN Community” in Eric Yong Joong Lee (Ed.), ASEAN International Law. Singapore: Springer, 2022, pp. 161-174
• “The Southeast Asian Dimension: The ASEAN Model of Integration” (with Joseph Liow Chin Yong) in A. Voskressenski & B. Koller (eds.), The Regional World Order: Transregionalism, Regional Integration, and Regional Projects across Europe and Asia. New York: Lexington Books, 2019, pp. 103-122
• “The State of Brunei Darussalam” in D. Cohen, K. Tan, & M. Mohan (eds.), Rule of Law for Human Rights in the Asean Region: A Base-line Study. Jakarta: Human Rights Resource Centre , 2011, pp. 33-49
• “The Socialist Republic of Vietnam” (with Giao Vu Cong) in D. Cohen, K. Tan, & M. Mohan (eds.), Rule of Law for Human Rights in the Asean Region: A Base-line Study. Jakarta: Human Rights Resource Centre , 2011, pp. 281-297

Policy Reports

• Small States and the Multilateral System: Transforming Global Governance for a Better Future (with Adam Lupel, and Kaewkamol Pitakdumrongkit), Small States and the Multilateral System: Transforming Global Governance for a Better Future, International Peace Institute, 18 September 2024
• Regional Security and Human Rights Interventions: A Global Governance Perspective on the AU and ASEAN (with Andreas O. Stensland and Walter Lotze), Regional Security and Human Rights Interventions: A Global Governance Perspective on the AU and ASEAN, Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), 1 August 2012

Op-Eds

• “Sino-centric Multilateralism: China’s Order-Building in the Post-Liberal Order”, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), 24 February 2026
• “Good minilateralism, bad minilateralism: ASEAN’s dilemma with external initiatives”, ISIS Focus, Issue No. 24, 6 November 2025
• “Multilateralism in a Post-American World”, Project Syndicate, 15 June 2025
• “Is the UN Becoming Irrelevant?” (with Mark Malloch-Brown, Jody Williams, Faith Mabera, Kal Raustiala, and Roland Rich), Project Syndicate, 10 June 2024
• “Why Singapore’s vote to support Palestine’s full membership in the UN matters”, Channel NewsAsia, 14 May 2024
• “Singapore: Rethinking Confidence-Building Measures amid Geopolitical Rivalry”, CSCAP Regional Security Outlook 2024, 30 November 2023
• “UN Security Council Reform: What the World Thinks”, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 28 June 2023
• “Rules-Based Order? Strengthening Consensus on the Rules and Principles Underpinning the International Order” (with Sarah Teo, and Benjamin Ho), CSCAP Regional Security Outlook 2022, 13 December 2021
• “#BookClub: Contesting Sovereignty in Africa and the Global South”, Democracy In Africa, 2 August 2021
• “Book Review: “Dominic D.P. Johnson, Strategic Instincts: The Advantages of Cognitive Biases in International Politics””, Politics and the Life Sciences, 27 July 2021
• “Can ASEAN Offer a Way Out of the US–China Choice?”, East Asia Forum, 9 April 2021
• “Rules-Based Order? Strengthening consensus on the rules and principles underpinning the international order” (with Sarah Teo, and Benjamin Ho), Asia Link Insights, 1 February 2021
• “Rebuild the UN’s Legitimacy”, Council on Foreign Relations Global Memo, 14 September 2020
• “Nigeria’s Opportunity to Enhance the Continental Free Trade Area” (with Densua Mumford), How we made it in Africa, 19 March 2019
• “Strengthening the Private Sector in African Regional Policy-Making” (with Densua Mumford), How we made it in Africa, 11 April 2018
• “Single Air Transport Market: The Benchmark for African Economic Integration” (with Densua Mumford), How we made it in Africa, 14 February 2018
• “S’pore FTA in Africa a Question of ‘When’, Not ‘If’”, The Business Times, 18 October 2017
• “Africa’s Growing Leverage in Business and Trade Relations” (with Densua Mumford), How we made it in Africa, 8 June 2017
• “The TFTA and Intra-Regional Trade in Africa” (with Densua Mumford), How we made it in Africa, 6 April 2017
• “Will Economic Priorities be the Focus for the Next AU Chairperson?” (with Densua Mumford), How we made it in Africa, 16 February 2017
• “Brexit’s Phoney War”, Today, 4 July 2016
• “Brexit: Asean Comparison Puts Choices in Fresh Light”, The Straits Times, 20 June 2016

• “Small States in the Indo-Pacific: Steering Regionalism, Framing Multilateral Cooperation”, “Peace and Security in the Indo-Pacific: Geopolitical Issues and Challenges in the Indian Ocean” conference, Université de la Réunion, St-Denis, 25 February 2026.
• “Multilateral Cooperation against a Fractured Global Order”, Verve Research, Singapore, 9 February 2026.
• “Small States, Big Roles: Cambodia, Laos, and Singapore Steering ASEAN through Change”, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, 27 January 2026.
• “Multilateralism: Views from Canada and ASEAN” (panel), Canadian International Council, Vancouver, 26 November 2025.
• “Multilateralism in the Indo-Pacific: Geopolitics and Resilience”, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, Vancouver, 26 November 2025.
• “Real Power: Multilateralism’s Comeback” (roundtable), Halifax International Security Forum, Canada, 22 November 2025.
• “Multilateralism Beyond 2030 (Geopolitical Status and Implications)”, UNICEF Regional Managers Meeting, 28 October 2025.
• “Multilateralism in the Era of Statecraft”, 26^th Asia-Pacific Programme for Senior Military Officers(APPSMO), RSIS, 15 October 2025.
• “Role-building in the Indo-Pacific: Perspectives from ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand” (panel), 17^th ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Dialogue, Kuala Lumpur, 18 September 2025.
• “ASEAN Centrality: Key to the Indo-Pacific”, seminar at the Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi, 8 August 2025.
• “Lions United: Strengthening Defence Ties”, 16^th India-Singapore Strategic Dialogue, New Delhi, 7 August 2025.
• “Tensions in the International Order” (panel), Singapore Strategic Seminar organized by Institute for Geopolitics & Business, ESSEC Business School, Singapore, 26 June 2025.
• “Multilateralism after Munich”, seminar at Chatham House, London, 13 May 2025.
• “Prospects for Multilateralism at the End of the Liberal Order”, seminar at the University of Oxford, 12 May 2025.
• “Prospects for the rules-based order during Trump 2.0”, at the symposium, Rules for a Lawless World? The international legal order in an age of great-power struggle for normative primacy, Leiden University, 9 May 2025.
• “Multilateralism in a Multipolar World: Strategic choices in Asia”, roundtable at the European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), Brussels, 7 May 2025.
• “International Order: Whose Rules and What Order?” (panel), CSCAP General Conference, Kuala Lumpur, 2 December 2024.
• “Positioning and Regional Relevance amid Geopolitical Contestation”, Re-Centering African Subjects and Subjectivities (RASS) workshop, Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), University of Ghana (Legon), Accra, Ghana, 17 October 2024.
• “BRICS Plus and the Challenge of Emerging Hierarchical Multilateralism”, Academic Council for the United Nations System (ACUNS) Annual Meeting, Tokyo, 21 June 2024.
• “Regional Responses to Great Power Competition in Comparison” and “BRICS Plus and the Emerging Challenge of Hierarchical Multilateralism”, International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Convention, San Francisco, 3-7 April 2024.
• “Contesting Sovereignty: Power and Practice in Africa and Southeast Asia”, Oxford and Cambridge Society of Singapore, 22 February 2024.
• “Evaluating ASEAN’s Evolution: Successes and Challenges”, Seminar for Timor-Leste on Political-Security Issues Under the ASEAN Political-Security Community, The Asia Foundation, Dili, 15 February 2024.
• “The United Nations: Retaining Relevance in a Conflict-Ridden World”, The Democracy Forum, 17 January 2024.
• “Are confidence-building measures possible in an age of competition?” Centre for International and Defence Policy, Queens University, Kingston, Canada, 22 November 2023.
• “No more loyalty tests: A new era for global democracies” (panel), Halifax International Security Forum, Halifax, Canada, 19 November 2023.
• “Perspectives from the region on risk reduction, including the role of the P5” (panel), Wilton Park dialogue on “Strategic stability in the Indo-Pacific”, Singapore, 13 October 2023.
• “How international organizations fight for legitimacy”, International Affairs (Chatham House) webinar, 7 June 2023.
• “Security in South-East Asia: Emerging Challenges amid Geostrategic Competition”, Joint webinar by the Asia and Pacific Research Centre (Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences) and Asia Study Centre (War Studies University, Poland), 28 March 2023.
• “Political Struggles and the Legitimation Strategies of International Organizations” (panel), International Studies Association (ISA) Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada, 17 March 2023.
• “ASEAN centrality and dialogue partner insecurities: A bridge too far?” Workshop on The Role of ASEAN in the Period of Transformation in the Regional Order in the Asia-Pacific, University of Warsaw, 7 March 2023.
• “Impact of War in Ukraine to Indo-Pacific Region” (Panel), Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP) General Conference, ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, 9 December 2022.
• “Southeast Asia amid Great Power Rivalry”, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland, 1 December 2022.
• “Russian Aggression on Ukraine: Implications for EU and Polish strategies in the Indo-Pacific”, University of Warsaw, Poland, 30 November 2022.
• “Legitimation strategies and the Indo-Pacific architecture”, Centre for Asian Affairs, University of Lodz, Poland, 28 November 2022.
• “Legitimation Costs and the Regional Contest for the Indo-Pacific”, Australian Institute for International Affairs Asia Policy Forum, 20 June 2022.
• Dialogue between ASEAN Scholars and the International Commission on Inclusive Peace (ICIP), 10 May 2022.
• “Changing Security Landscape in Europe and Indo-Pacific after Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine”, RSIS-Polish Institute for International Affairs (PISM) Roundtable, 9 May 2022.
• “The International Rule of Law and ASEAN”, Network of ASEAN Defence & Security Institutions (NADI) workshop on ASEAN Centrality in an Era of Great Power Competition, 16 December 2021.
• “Security Challenges amidst a Changing Geopolitical Landscape in the Southeast Asia Region”, MFAC Indonesia training programme for Timor-Leste diplomats on Capacity Building in the ASEAN Political-Security Community Pillar, 9 November 2021.
• “Contesting Sovereignty: Power and Practice in Africa and Southeast Asia”, RSIS Book Launch, 22 July 2021.
• “France as an Indo-Pacific Nation: Security and Multilateralism in Challenging Times”, Embassy of France-RSIS Webinar, 8 July 2021.
• “Is Singapore’s Success Suitable for Emulation in Africa?”, Essec Business School Africa-Singapore Dialogue, 8 May 2021.
• “Youth, Peace, and Security”, ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Open Ended Study Group on Inclusive Processes on Preventive Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution, 5 May 2021.
• “The Functional Logic of ASEAN”, 1^st International Conference on Strategic and Global Studies, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, 30 Nov 2017.
• “An Early Spring? Regional Responses to Crisis in Cote d’Ivoire and Authoritarianism in Myanmar”, UNU-CRIS/UNECA/IIDEA Joint Conference After the Arab Spring: Rethinking the Role of Regional Organisations, Brussels, 22 Nov 2012.
• “Rule of law norms: The African Union and ASEAN charters in comparative perspective”, 2^nd GlobalTech Workshop on Sub-Saharan Africa: Cooperation and Capacity Building, Addis Ababa, 24 May 2011.

• IR6029 – Foreign Policy Analysis