The governance of inter‐governmental organisations

Abstract

Inter‐governmental organisations (IGOs) are established and governed, directly or indirectly, by sovereign states. As the number and significance of these organisations has grown, so too has interest in their governance. This article examines two factors that make the governance of IGOs unique: the dual purpose of IGO governance and the dual purpose of IGO representation. The tensions between these two purposes are analysed, and the consequences for three key aspects of governance are discussed: relations between delegates (representatives of sovereign states accredited to an IGO) and secretariats (the managers and staff of an IGO); responsibility for overseeing management; and decision making in meetings. It is clearly demonstrated in this paper that strengthening the governance of IGOs is essential to increasing both their effectiveness and the unique role they play in the global field. This can be done only by understanding the unique nature of governance in IGOs, by clarifying governance and management roles in these organisations, and by putting in place mechanisms to fully support both roles.

Citation

Campbell, P. and Hushagen, J. (2002), "The governance of inter‐governmental organisations", Corporate Governance, Vol. 2 No. 1, pp. 21-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/14720700210418689