IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/glopol/v12y2021i4p443-454.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

COVID‐19 and Policy Responses by International Organizations: Crisis of Liberal International Order or Window of Opportunity?

Author

Listed:
  • Maria Josepha Debre
  • Hylke Dijkstra

Abstract

The liberal international order is being challenged and international organizations (IOs) are a main target of contestation. COVID‐19 seems to exacerbate the situation with many states pursuing domestic strategies at the expense of multilateral cooperation. At the same time, IOs have traditionally benefited from cross‐border crises. This article analyzes the policy responses of IOs to the exogenous COVID‐19 shock by asking why some IOs use this crisis as an opportunity to expand their scope and policy instruments? It provides a cross‐sectional analysis using original data on the responses of 75 IOs to COVID‐19 during the first wave between March and June 2020. It finds that the bureaucratic capacity of IOs is significant when it comes to using the crisis as an opportunity. It also finds some evidence that the number of COVID‐19 cases among the member states affects policy responses and that general purpose IOs have benefited more.

Suggested Citation

  • Maria Josepha Debre & Hylke Dijkstra, 2021. "COVID‐19 and Policy Responses by International Organizations: Crisis of Liberal International Order or Window of Opportunity?," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 12(4), pages 443-454, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:glopol:v:12:y:2021:i:4:p:443-454
    DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.12975
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/1758-5899.12975
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/1758-5899.12975?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Eugénia Heldt & Henning Schmidtke, 2017. "Measuring the Empowerment of International Organizations: The Evolution of Financial and Staff Capabilities," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 51-61, August.
    2. Jon CW Pevehouse & Timothy Nordstrom & Roseanne W McManus & Anne Spencer Jamison, 2020. "Tracking organizations in the world: The Correlates of War IGO Version 3.0 datasets," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 57(3), pages 492-503, May.
    3. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Katharina Michaelowa, 2017. "Resourcing International Organisations: So What?," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 113-123, August.
    4. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Jörn Ege & Michael W. Bauer, 2017. "How Financial Resources Affect the Autonomy of International Public Administrations," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 75-84, August.
    5. Liesbet Hooghe & Gary Marks, 2015. "Delegation and pooling in international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 10(3), pages 305-328, September.
    6. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:26-35 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Andreas Bergmann & Sandro Fuchs, 2017. "Accounting Standards for Complex Resources of International Organizations," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 26-35, August.
    8. Berg, Sebastian, 2019. "Myth #31: The internet enables organizing without organization," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, pages 142-145.
    9. Magnus Lundgren & Theresa Squatrito & Jonas Tallberg, 2018. "Stability and change in international policy-making: A punctuated equilibrium approach," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 13(4), pages 547-572, December.
    10. Kenwick, Michael R. & Simmons, Beth A., 2020. "Pandemic Response as Border Politics," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 74(S1), pages 36-58, December.
    11. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:51-61 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz, 2017. "Resourcing International Organizations: Resource Diversification, Organizational Differentiation, and Administrative Governance," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 5-14, August.
    13. Johnson, Tana, 2020. "Ordinary Patterns in an Extraordinary Crisis: How International Relations Makes Sense of the COVID-19 Pandemic," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 74(S1), pages 148-168, December.
    14. Gerschewski, Johannes, 2021. "Explanations of Institutional Change: Reflecting on a “Missing Diagonal”," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 115(1), pages 218-233, February.
    15. Young, Oran R., 1991. "Political leadership and regime formation: on the development of institutions in international society," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 45(3), pages 281-308, July.
    16. Gerschewski, Johannes, 2021. "Explanations of Institutional Change: Reflecting on a “Missing Diagonal”," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 115(1), pages 218-233.
    17. Jeff Colgan & Robert Keohane & Thijs Van de Graaf, 2012. "Punctuated equilibrium in the energy regime complex," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 7(2), pages 117-143, June.
    18. Drezner, Daniel W., 2014. "The System Worked: How the World Stopped Another Great Depression," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780195373844, Decembrie.
    19. Koremenos, Barbara & Lipson, Charles & Snidal, Duncan, 2001. "The Rational Design of International Institutions," International Organization, Cambridge University Press, vol. 55(4), pages 761-799, October.
    20. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:113-123 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:75-84 is not listed on IDEAS
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Samuel J. Spiegel & Johanne Mhlanga, 2022. "Refugee Policy Amidst Global Shocks: Encampment, Resettlement Barriers and the Search for ‘Durable Solutions’," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(4), pages 427-441, September.
    2. Didier Wernli & Lucas Böttcher & Flore Vanackere & Yuliya Kaspiarovich & Maria Masood & Nicolas Levrat, 2023. "Understanding and governing global systemic crises in the 21st century: A complexity perspective," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(2), pages 207-228, May.
    3. ROUKANAS A. Spyros & VITZILEOS Vaggelis, 2023. "The Response Of International Financial Institutions To The Covid-19 Crisis," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 18(2), pages 257-269, August.
    4. Suyu Liu, 2022. "International Organizations' Policy Response to COVID‐19 in Longer Terms," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(4), pages 617-621, September.
    5. Adrián Zancajo & Antoni Verger & Pedro Bolea, 2022. "Digitalization and beyond: the effects of Covid-19 on post-pandemic educational policy and delivery in Europe [How did the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic affect teacher wellbeing?]," Policy and Society, Darryl S. Jarvis and M. Ramesh, vol. 41(1), pages 111-128.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maria J. Debre & Hylke Dijkstra, 2023. "Are international organisations in decline? An absolute and relative perspective on institutional change," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 14(1), pages 16-30, February.
    2. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:113-123 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Steffen Eckhard & Hylke Dijkstra, 2017. "Contested Implementation: The Unilateral Influence of Member States on Peacebuilding Policy in Kosovo," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 102-112, August.
    4. Tobias Lenz & Besir Ceka & Liesbet Hooghe & Gary Marks & Alexandr Burilkov, 2023. "Discovering cooperation: Endogenous change in international organizations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 18(4), pages 631-666, October.
    5. Weinlich, Silke & Baumann, Max-Otto & Lundsgaarde, Erik & Wolff, Peter, 2020. "Earmarking in the multilateral development system: Many shades of grey," IDOS Studies, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), volume 101, number 101, March.
    6. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Katharina Michaelowa, 2017. "Resourcing International Organisations: So What?," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 113-123, August.
    7. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz, 2017. "Resourcing International Organizations: Resource Diversification, Organizational Differentiation, and Administrative Governance," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 5-14, August.
    8. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:51-61 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Klaus Hüfner, 2017. "The Financial Crisis of UNESCO after 2011: Political Reactions and Organizational Consequences," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 96-101, August.
    10. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Eugénia Heldt & Henning Schmidtke, 2017. "Measuring the Empowerment of International Organizations: The Evolution of Financial and Staff Capabilities," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 51-61, August.
    11. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:102-112 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:96-101 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Adela Toscano-Valle & Antonio Sianes & Francisco Santos-Carrillo & Luis A. Fernández-Portillo, 2022. "Can the Rational Design of International Institutions Solve Cooperation Problems? Insights from a Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-22, June.
    14. Thomas Sommerer & Theresa Squatrito & Jonas Tallberg & Magnus Lundgren, 2022. "Decision-making in international organizations: institutional design and performance," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 17(4), pages 815-845, October.
    15. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:75-84 is not listed on IDEAS
    16. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Jörn Ege & Michael W. Bauer, 2017. "How Financial Resources Affect the Autonomy of International Public Administrations," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 75-84, August.
    17. Eugenia C. Heldt & Thomas Dörfler, 2022. "Orchestrating private investors for development: How the World Bank revitalizes," Regulation & Governance, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(4), pages 1382-1398, October.
    18. Coen, David & Kreienkamp, Julia & Tokhi, Alexandros & Pegram, Tom, 2022. "Making global public policy work: A survey of international organization effectiveness," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 13(5), pages 656-668.
    19. Bernhard Reinsberg & Oliver Westerwinter, 2021. "The global governance of international development: Documenting the rise of multi-stakeholder partnerships and identifying underlying theoretical explanations," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 59-94, January.
    20. Sommerer, Thomas & Squatrito, Theresa & Tallberg, Jonas & Lundgren, Magnus, 2021. "Decision-making in international organizations: institutional design and performance," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 111834, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    21. David Coen & Julia Kreienkamp & Alexandros Tokhi & Tom Pegram, 2022. "Making global public policy work: A survey of international organization effectiveness," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 13(5), pages 656-668, November.
    22. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:62-74 is not listed on IDEAS
    23. Michael Zürn & Alexandros Tokhi & Martin Binder, 2021. "The International Authority Database," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 12(4), pages 430-442, September.
    24. Hartley, Tilman, 2023. "State crisis theory: A systematization of institutional, socio-ecological, demographicstructural, world-systems, and revolutions research," Working Paper Series 01/2023, Post-Growth Economics Network (PEN).
    25. Fabio Franchino & Camilla Mariotto, 2021. "Noncompliance risk, asymmetric power and the design of enforcement of the European economic governance," European Union Politics, , vol. 22(4), pages 591-610, December.
    26. repec:bla:glopol:v:8:y:2017:i::p:85-95 is not listed on IDEAS
    27. Klaus H. Goetz & Ronny Patz & Erin R. Graham, 2017. "Follow the Money: How Trends in Financing Are Changing Governance at International Organizations," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 8(s5), pages 15-25, August.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:glopol:v:12:y:2021:i:4:p:443-454. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/lsepsuk.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.