The Global Financial Crisis was a truly momentous shock to the global economy. By the autumn of 2008, global output, employment and trade were in free fall as financial markets around the world seized‐up in dysfunction and credit ceased to flow. Ten years after the crisis, the papers in this special issue provide important insights into critical policy issues and can help guide efforts to strengthen international economic and financial governance. Success in this regard is critical to ensuring that the global economy remains a common wellspring of economic and social development for people around the globe.