TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of the chair in informal international organisations
T2 - Australia’s Group of Twenty presidency
AU - Downie, Christian
AU - Crump, Larry
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 Australian Institute of International Affairs.
PY - 2017/11/2
Y1 - 2017/11/2
N2 - Scholars of international relations have devoted significant effort to understanding international organisations. However, two areas have been understudied: the role of the chair in international multilateral negotiations and the role of informal international organisations. Yet informal international organisations are increasingly important in international affairs as world leaders turn to smaller and more flexible forums to address global challenges. This article addresses these two blind spots in the literature by considering the role of Australia as chair in one of the most important yet most understudied informal international organisations: the Group of Twenty (G20). Drawing on primary interview data and the participant observations of the first author, who was a member of the G20 chair in 2013–14 during Australia’s presidency, the authors examine two theoretical puzzles: (1) why states delegate control of the negotiation process to a chair and (2) how the chair can, and does, influence the negotiation process. It is argued that member states delegate control to the chair to overcome specific institutional failures and, in doing so, provide the chair with the power to influence the negotiation process. The authors also argue that the G20 case indicates that existing theory overlooks key factors which restrict the capacity of the chair to influence the negotiation outcome.
AB - Scholars of international relations have devoted significant effort to understanding international organisations. However, two areas have been understudied: the role of the chair in international multilateral negotiations and the role of informal international organisations. Yet informal international organisations are increasingly important in international affairs as world leaders turn to smaller and more flexible forums to address global challenges. This article addresses these two blind spots in the literature by considering the role of Australia as chair in one of the most important yet most understudied informal international organisations: the Group of Twenty (G20). Drawing on primary interview data and the participant observations of the first author, who was a member of the G20 chair in 2013–14 during Australia’s presidency, the authors examine two theoretical puzzles: (1) why states delegate control of the negotiation process to a chair and (2) how the chair can, and does, influence the negotiation process. It is argued that member states delegate control to the chair to overcome specific institutional failures and, in doing so, provide the chair with the power to influence the negotiation process. The authors also argue that the G20 case indicates that existing theory overlooks key factors which restrict the capacity of the chair to influence the negotiation outcome.
KW - Chair
KW - G20
KW - informal international organisations
KW - international negotiations
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85028569905&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10357718.2017.1360839
DO - 10.1080/10357718.2017.1360839
M3 - Article
SN - 1035-7718
VL - 71
SP - 678
EP - 693
JO - Australian Journal of International Affairs
JF - Australian Journal of International Affairs
IS - 6
ER -