Explaining coherence in international regime complexes: How the World Bank shapes the field of multilateral development finance

Heldt, Eugénia C.; Schmidtke, Henning

doi:10.1080/09692290.2019.1631205

Cited by 32 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Zhao (Forthcoming), for example, demonstrates that the secretariats of the WTO and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety share information and pool expertise to prevent non-compliance by states. Conversely, competition among IO secretariats is typically characterized by rivalry for mandates, members, resources and focality (Lipson 2017;Heldt and Schmidtke 2019), but can also manifest in open conflicts over global policy influence (Morse and Keohane 2014;Hannah et al 2017). Betts (2013:76) argues that regime complexes encourage competition among IOs because institutional proliferation provides states with more choices "in terms of which institutions they could use to address a given problem."…”

Section: Regime Complexes and Iosmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, I demonstrate that IOs are not just part of the architecture of regime complexes, but actors that initiate and undertake their own cross-institutional political strategies in response to decisions taken at other parts of the regime complex. Second, I identify a novel type of IO interaction, intervention, that is distinct from either bureaucratic competition among IOs for mandates, resources and policy influence (Betts 2013;Morse and Keohane 2014;Lipson 2017) or cooperation to achieve joint regulatory goals and/or enhance policy effectiveness and performance (Johnson and Urpelainen 2012;Gehring and Faude 2014;Heldt and Schmidtke 2019). Lastly, I contribute to the literature on IOs as independent actors in global governance by demonstrating three novel political strategies pursued by secretariats in order to influence decision-making not within their own institutions, but at other, overlapping organizations over which they have no formal control.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Intervention by international organizations in regime complexes

Margulis

2020

Rev Int Organ

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This article identifies the existence of a previously unknown but important type of self-directed political behavior by International Organizations (IOs) that I term intervention. Intervention occurs when an IO secretariat acts with the intention of altering an anticipated decision at a partially-overlapping IO in a regime complex. Intervention is a distinct type of behavior by IOs that differs from either bureaucratic competition among IOs for mandates, resources and policy influence, or cooperation to achieve joint regulatory goals and enhance performance. I probe the plausibility of intervention through an analysis of three illustrative case studies in the regime complex for food security showing self-directed political actions by the secretariats of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), World Food Programme (WFP) and Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) directed at altering decision-making by states at the World Trade Organization (WTO). I identify three distinct intervention strategies – mobilizing states, public shaming and invoking alternative legal frameworks – in which IOs utilize their material, ideational and symbolic capabilities to influence decision-making not within their own institutions, but at other, overlapping organizations in a regime complex over which they have no direct control.

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Section: Regime Complexes and Iosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intervention by international organizations in regime complexes

Margulis

2020

Rev Int Organ

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“…At the same time, NDB operations will function as a channel for socialization into BRICS approaches to development. However, since the NDB has chosen for substantial partnerships with other parties, including the westerndominated mul tilateral development banks, part of the BRICS socialization function will be diluted [Heldt, Schmidtke, 2019].…”

Section: Brics Outreach Motivationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Explaining BRICS Outreach: Motivations and Institutionalization

Zhao¹,

Lesage²

2020

IORJ

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This article examines and explains the outreach activity of the BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. We focus on two research puzzles: a) the motivations and b) the form and degree of the institutionalization of BRICS outreach. We define outreach as collaborative interaction among BRICS and other actors within and outside the BRICS area and focus on outreach to governments of non-BRICS countries and national top officials representing regional organizations. First, we offer a theoretical framework based on the experiences of the Group of 7/8 (G7/8) and the Group of 20 (G20), considering both commonalities and differences with BRICS. Second, we provide a detailed empirical analysis of BRICS outreach over time. Third, we explain BRICS outreach in light of the theoretical framework and enrich it based on our findings. Methodologically, we draw empirical information from official documents, news media and academic literature. We argue that the outreach activity of a major power grouping is reflective of its internal cohesion, as well as of how it defines its own position in the world and how it is perceived by others. This research offers a timely contribution to the ongoing debate on BRICS and the under-researched BRICS outreach process as a part of the overall institutionalization of BRICS.

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“…This paper starts from the premise that the World Bank is a primary candidate to fill this policy leadership role (Heldt and Schmidtke, 2019). It looks at interactions between World Bank engagement (specifically projects by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the Carbon Finance Unit, and the International Finance Corporation) and bilateral aid allocation decisions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Multilateral Aid to the Rescue? Sectoral Fragmentation of Bilateral Development Aid and the Role of the World Bank

Steinwand

Reinsberg

2020

SSRN Journal

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Bilateral aid projects continue to proliferate in an uncoordinated fashion, leading to fragmented aid delivery, despite high-level political promises to reign in the practice. Frequently absent in the academic and policy debates is an exploration of which policy venues can be effective in changing donor behavior. In this paper, we explore the role of the World Bank in promulgating best practices and enhancing sectoral coordination among bilateral donors. The World Bank's size, policy clout, and its own publicly stated commitments should make it a prime candidate for enacting measures that can help reduce bilateral aid proliferation and fragmentation. We concentrate on sectoral aid allocations and identify possible venues through which the World Bank can affect bilateral donor behavior and increase allocative efficiency, including as Lead Partner, Balancer, and by leading by example through Best Practices. Based on project-level data from 1998 to 2013, we find that bilateral donors and the World Bank allocate projects in a complementary fashion into the same sectors. Furthermore, World Bank and bilateral project numbers move together, and there is some evidence that bilateral donors emulate World Bank behavior. There is no evidence that World Bank activities help to reduce bilateral aid fragmentation.

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Explaining coherence in international regime complexes: How the World Bank shapes the field of multilateral development finance

Cited by 32 publications

References 80 publications

Intervention by international organizations in regime complexes

Intervention by international organizations in regime complexes

Explaining BRICS Outreach: Motivations and Institutionalization

Multilateral Aid to the Rescue? Sectoral Fragmentation of Bilateral Development Aid and the Role of the World Bank

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