This paper does four things. It reviews recent contributions to the literature concerning ‘global social policy’ – understood here as global social redistribution, global social regulation and global social rights. It traces recent developments and initiatives in one of these aspect of global social policy namely mechanisms of global redistribution. It discusses developments in the governance of global social policy arguing that this is increasingly the province of global networks, partnerships and tasks forces somewhat removed from public scrutiny. Finally, it reflects upon the need for and prospects of a global social reformist project and the contribution that both research and political alliances might play in this.