@techreport{DebreSommerer2023, type = {Working Paper}, author = {Debre, Maria Josepha and Sommerer, Thomas}, title = {Weathering the storm?}, series = {IGCC series on authoritarian regimes and international organizations}, journal = {IGCC series on authoritarian regimes and international organizations}, publisher = {UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation}, address = {La Jolla, CA}, pages = {38}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Democratization scholars are currently debating if we are indeed witnessing a third wave of autocratization. While this has led to an extensive debate about the future of the liberal international order, we still know relatively little about the consequences of autocratization for international organizations (IOs). In this article, we explore to what extent autocratization has led to changes in the composition of IO membership. We propose three different ways of conceptualizing autocratization of IO membership. We argue that we should move away from a dichotomous understanding of regime type and regime change, but rather focus on composition of subregime types to understand current developments. We build on updated membership data for 73 IOs through 2020 to map membership configurations based on the V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index. Contrary to current debates on the crisis of the liberal order, we find that many IOs are not (yet) affected by broad autocratization of their membership that would endanger democratic majorities or overall democratic densities. However, we also observe the disappearance of formerly homogenous democratic clubs due to democratic backsliding in a number of European and Latin American IO member states, as well as a return of autocratic clubs in Southeast Asia and Southern Africa. These findings have important implications for the broader research agenda on international democracy promotion and human right protection as well as the study of legitimacy and the effectiveness of international organizations.}, language = {en} } @article{DijkstraDebre2022, author = {Dijkstra, Hylke and Debre, Maria Josepha}, title = {The death of major international organizations}, series = {Global studies quarterly}, volume = {2}, journal = {Global studies quarterly}, number = {4}, publisher = {Oxford University Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {2634-3797}, doi = {10.1093/isagsq/ksac048}, pages = {1 -- 13}, year = {2022}, abstract = {Major international organizations (IOs) are heavily contested, but they are rarely dissolved. Scholars have focused on their longevity, making institutional arguments about replacement costs and institutional assets as well as IO agency to adapt and resist challenges. This article analyzes the limits of institutional stickiness by focusing on outlier cases. While major IOs are dissolved at considerably lower rates than minor IOs, the article nevertheless identifies twenty-one cases where major IOs have died since 1815. These are tough cases as they do not conform to our institutionalist expectations. To better understand these rare but important events, the article provides case illustrations from the League of Nations and International Refugee Organization, which were dissolved due to their perceived underperformance and a disappearing demand for cooperation. These cases show the limits of the institutional theories of IO stickiness: sometimes member states find high replacement costs justified or consider assets as sunk costs, and IOs may lack agency to strategically respond. This article refines theories of institutional stickiness and contributes to the institutional theory of the life and death of IOs. Les principales organisations internationales (OI) sont fortement contest{\´e}es, mais rarement dissoutes. Pour expliquer leur long{\´e}vit{\´e}, les chercheurs ont avanc{\´e} des arguments institutionnels concernant les co{\^u}ts de remplacement et les actifs de l'institution, mais aussi la capacit{\´e} des OI {\`a} s'adapter et {\`a} r{\´e}sister aux d{\´e}fis. Cet article analyse les limites de la persistance des institutions en se concentrant sur des cas particuliers. Tandis que les principales OI sont dissoutes bien moins fr{\´e}quemment que des OI moins importantes, cet article identifie n{\´e}anmoins 21 cas de disparition d'OI principales depuis 1815. Ces derniers sont particuli{\`e}rement difficiles, car ils ne correspondent pas {\`a} nos attentes en termes d'institutions. Afin de mieux comprendre ces {\´e}v{\´e}nements rares, mais non moins importants, l'article propose comme illustrations de cas la Soci{\´e}t{\´e} des Nations et l'Organisation internationale pour les r{\´e}fugi{\´e}s, qui ont {\´e}t{\´e} dissoutes {\`a} cause de leur manque apparent de r{\´e}sultats et de la disparition de la demande de coop{\´e}ration. Ces cas mettent en {\´e}vidence les limites des th{\´e}ories institutionnelles de persistance des OI : parfois, les {\´E}tats membres consid{\`e}rent les co{\^u}ts de remplacement {\´e}lev{\´e}s justifi{\´e}s ou les actifs comme des co{\^u}ts irr{\´e}cup{\´e}rables, et les OI n'ont peut-{\^e}tre pas la capacit{\´e} de leur r{\´e}pondre de mani{\`e}re strat{\´e}gique. Le pr{\´e}sent article affine les th{\´e}ories de persistance institutionnelle et contribue {\`a} la th{\´e}orie institutionnelle de vie et de mort des OI. Las organizaciones internacionales (OI) m{\´a}s importantes son muy cuestionadas, pero rara vez se disuelven. Los investigadores se han centrado en la longevidad de las IO, formulando argumentos institucionales sobre los costes de sustituci{\´o}n y los activos institucionales, as{\´i} como sobre la capacidad de adaptaci{\´o}n y resistencia de las organizaciones internacionales. Este art{\´i}culo analiza los l{\´i}mites de la rigidez institucional centr{\´a}ndose en casos at{\´i}picos. Aunque las OI m{\´a}s importantes se disuelven en proporciones considerablemente menores que las OI de menor importancia, el art{\´i}culo identifica 21 casos en los que OI m{\´a}s importantes desaparecieron desde 1815. Se trata de casos dif{\´i}ciles, ya que no se ajustan a nuestras expectativas institucionalistas. Para comprender mejor estos raros pero importantes acontecimientos, el art{\´i}culo ofrece ejemplos de casos de la Sociedad de Naciones y de la, Organizaci{\´o}n Internacional para los Refugiados que se disolvieron debido a su bajo desempe{\~n}o percibido y a la desaparici{\´o}n de la demanda de cooperaci{\´o}n. Estos casos muestran los l{\´i}mites de las teor{\´i}as institucionales sobre la rigidez de las OI: En ocasiones, los Estados miembros consideran justificados los elevados costes de sustituci{\´o}n o consideran que los activos son costes irrecuperables, y las OI pueden no disponer de capacidad de respuesta estrat{\´e}gica. Este art{\´i}culo profundiza en las teor{\´i}as de la rigidez institucional y contribuye a la teor{\´i}a institucional de la vida y la muerte de las organizaciones internacionales.}, language = {en} } @misc{NewmanDebreNayloretal.2022, author = {Newman, Abraham and Debre, Maria Josepha and Naylor, Tristen and Regilme, Salvador Santino Fulo Regilme Jr. and Viola, Lora Anne}, title = {Lora Anne Viola. The closure of the international system: how institutions create political equalities and hierarchies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2020. ISBN: 9781108482257 (hardback, \$99.99).}, series = {H-Diplo roundtable}, volume = {XXIII}, journal = {H-Diplo roundtable}, number = {49}, editor = {Labrosse, Diane and Szarejko, Andrew and Fujii, George}, publisher = {H-Net: Humanities \& Social Sciences Online}, address = {East Lansing, MI}, pages = {5 -- 8}, year = {2022}, language = {en} } @misc{DebreDijkstra2021, author = {Debre, Maria Josepha and Dijkstra, Hylke}, title = {Immune to COVID?}, publisher = {London School of Economics and Political Science}, address = {London}, year = {2021}, language = {en} } @article{DijkstraDebreHeinkelmannWild2023, author = {Dijkstra, Hylke and Debre, Maria Josepha and Heinkelmann-Wild, Tim}, title = {Governance abhors a vacuum}, series = {The British journal of politics \& international relations}, journal = {The British journal of politics \& international relations}, publisher = {Sage}, address = {London}, issn = {1369-1481}, doi = {10.1177/13691481231202642}, pages = {20}, year = {2023}, abstract = {International organisations have become increasingly contested resulting in worries about their decline and termination. While international organisation termination is indeed a regular event in international relations, this article shows that other institutions carry the legacy of terminated international organisations. We develop the novel concept of international organisation afterlife and suggest indicators to systematically assess it. Our analysis of 26 major terminated international organisations reveals legal-institutional and asset continuity in 21 cases. To further illustrate this point, the article zooms in on the afterlife of the International Institute of Agriculture in the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Refugee Organization in the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Western European Union in the European Union. In these three cases, international organisation afterlife inspired and structured the design of their successor institutions. While specific international organisations might be terminated, international cooperation therefore often lives on in other institutions.}, language = {en} } @article{DebreDijkstra2021, author = {Debre, Maria Josepha and Dijkstra, Hylke}, title = {COVID-19 and policy responses by international organizations}, series = {Global policy : gp / Durham University ; Hertie School of Governance ; LSE, Public Policy Group}, volume = {12}, journal = {Global policy : gp / Durham University ; Hertie School of Governance ; LSE, Public Policy Group}, number = {4}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Oxford [u.a.]}, issn = {1758-5880}, doi = {10.1111/1758-5899.12975}, pages = {443 -- 454}, year = {2021}, 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.}, language = {en} } @article{Debre2021, author = {Debre, Maria Josepha}, title = {Clubs of autocrats}, series = {The review of international organizations}, volume = {17}, journal = {The review of international organizations}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Boston}, issn = {1559-7431}, doi = {10.1007/s11558-021-09428-y}, pages = {485 -- 511}, year = {2021}, abstract = {While scholars have argued that membership in Regional Organizations (ROs) can increase the likelihood of democratization, we see many autocratic regimes surviving in power albeit being members of several ROs. This article argues that this is the case because these regimes are often members in "Clubs of Autocrats" that supply material and ideational resources to strengthen domestic survival politics and shield members from external interference during moments of political turmoil. The argument is supported by survival analysis testing the effect of membership in autocratic ROs on regime survival between 1946 to 2010. It finds that membership in ROs composed of more autocratic member states does in fact raise the likelihood of regime survival by protecting incumbents against democratic challenges such as civil unrest or political dissent. However, autocratic RO membership does not help to prevent regime breakdown due to autocratic challenges like military coups, potentially because these types of threats are less likely to diffuse to other member states. The article thereby adds to our understanding of the limits of democratization and potential reverse effects of international cooperation, and contributes to the literature addressing interdependences of international and domestic politics in autocratic regimes.}, language = {en} } @article{DebreDijkstra2023, author = {Debre, Maria Josepha and Dijkstra, Hylke}, title = {Are international organisations in decline?}, series = {Global policy}, volume = {14}, journal = {Global policy}, number = {1}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {1758-5880}, doi = {10.1111/1758-5899.13170}, pages = {16 -- 30}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Many international organisations (IOs) are currently challenged, yet are they also in decline? Despite much debate on the crisis of liberal international order, con-testation, loss of legitimacy, gridlock, pathologies and exiting member states, there is little research on IO decline. This article seeks to clarify this concept and argues that decline can be considered in absolute and relative terms. Absolute decline involves a decrease in the number of IOs and their authority, member-ship and output, whereas relative decline concerns a decrease in the centrality of IOs in international relations. Reviewing a wide range of indicators, this article argues that, whereas there is limited decline in absolute terms since 1945, there may well be important decline in relative terms. Relative decline is more difficult to measure, but to probe its significance this article presents data from speeches during the United Nations General Assembly General Debate. It shows that IOs were most often mentioned in 1996 and that there has been a decline since. These findings indicate that, whereas IOs might survive as institutions, they are decreasingly central to international relations.}, language = {en} }