Cooperation under autonomy: Building and analyzing the Informal Intergovernmental Organizations 2.0 dataset

Abstract

Informal intergovernmental organizations (IIGOs) such as the Proliferation Security Initiative and G20 increasingly play a central role in governing international relations. IIGOs are based on recurrent meetings among high-level state representatives but are not legalized through a treaty and have no permanent secretariat. They allow states to organize internationally without sacrificing autonomy to a supranational entity. We present the IIGO 2.0 dataset, the most comprehensive compilation of these institutions to date, and illustrate the significance of IIGOs through several key empirical findings. First, while the creation of formal IGOs (FIGOs) has plateaued, states are increasingly creating IIGOs to address critical global issues. Second, states disproportionately use IIGOs for high politics issue areas including peace, security, and political agenda-setting which challenges conventional wisdom that IGOs (intergovernmental organizations) are less relevant in the security realm. Third, IIGOs are remarkably durable. Although states could readily formalize or abandon IIGOs, they generally organize cooperation informally for long periods. Finally, IIGOs are typically smaller than FIGOs and this design choice is increasingly used by states of all levels of development, power, and region. The availability of the IIGO 2.0 dataset will promote further analysis on the growing diversity of international institutions.

Institutional design for a post-liberal order: why some international organizations live longer than others

“…Hooghe et al, 2019: 30–32), flexibility increasingly also comes through informal governance both within and outside IOs (e.g. Abbott and Faude, 2020; Stone, 2011; Vabulas and Snidal, 2013, 2020; Westerwinter et al, 2020). In this sense, our conceptualization of flexibility is limited.…”

Informal IGOs as Mediators of Power Shifts

“…Working together, established and rising powers have achieved mutual accommodation through integrative IIGOs such as the G20. Although states also create IIGOs for other reasons (Vabulas and Snidal, 2013, 2020), this paper explores how and why states use IIGOs to mediate global power shifts.…”

“…Unlike FIGOs, IIGOs have neither legal personality such as a treaty nor any independent institutional capacity such as a secretariat (Vabulas and Snidal, 2013, 2020). IIGOs provide forums where high‐level representatives of three or more states meet recurrently to create expectations that guide their behavior.…”

“…Such partial shifts allow institutional adaptation and redistribution without upsetting overall institutional benefits. IIGOs are sometimes stepping stones to FIGOs – providing intermediate steps for smoother adaptation – but IIGOs most often remain informal (Vabulas and Snidal, 2020).…”

“…Of course, there is a spectrum of IGOs that includes ‘close calls’ with limited organizational capability. See Vabulas and Snidal (2013, 2020).…”