The coral reefs of global governance: how formal IOs make informality work

Abstract

Why have states increasingly relied on informal IOs as instruments of cooperation? Most research on this question has focused on identifying incentives that lead states to establish informal bodies. But attention is turning to ‘supply-side’ factors – those making it easier for informal IOs to operate. I advance this strand of research by explaining how formal IOs make informality work. Specifically, I theorize how the presence of formal institutions in a region or issue area – particularly, those capable of providing key resources and services to informal IOs – changes calculations about their viability and leads policymakers to embrace informality more readily. Support for this argument is provided through an analysis of formal IO assistance to informal bodies, and case studies of the EU’s impact on two organizations – COST and EUREKA – to unpack the mechanisms at work. Overall, the article offers insights into the drivers of informality, presents original data on inter-institutional interactions, and speaks to broader arguments about the EU, organizational ecology, and regime complexity.