International Organizations and Small States: Participation, Legitimacy and Vulnerability

Description

International Organizations (IOs) are vital institutions in world politics in which cross-border issues can be discussed and global problems managed. This path-breaking book shows the efforts that small states have made to participate more fully in IO activities. It draws attention to the challenges created by widened participation in IOs and develops an original model of the dilemmas that both IOs and small states face as the norms of sovereign equality and the right to develop coincide. Drawing on extensive qualitative data, including more than 80 interviews conducted for this book, the authors find that the strategies which both IOs and small states adopt to balance their respective dilemmas can explain both continuity and change in their interactions with institutions ranging from UN agencies to the World Trade Organization.

Jack Corbett is Professor of Politics at the University of Southampton. Patrick Weller is Professor Emeritus at Griffith University. Xu Yi-chong is a Professor at Griffith University.

"This books casts light on the interactions between small states and IOs. It makes a great contribution to the body of research on how small states deal with capacity-constraints and adds novel insights on how IOs respond to such size-related challenges. It is a must-read for scholars and practitioners interested in small states in international organizations." Diana Panke, Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg "This book provides an answer to the million dollar question: why IOs and big powers put up with small states. A brilliant analysis on strategies of small states in IOs." Baldur Thorhallsson, University of Iceland "For the first time, we have a book that brings the perspectives of two different actors into conversation - small states and international organisations. A relationship built on legitimacy, relevance and influence. This is an essential read for all practitioners and scholars interested in the future of multilateral diplomacy." George Carter, The Australian National University