Framework for Analyzing Interplay between International Institutions

Abstract

"The phenomenon of institutional interplay between institutions for international cooperation in different issue areas, such as trade, environment or human rights, has become a growing concern for research on the effectiveness of international institutions. Over the past decade, the number of international agreements has been constantly rising. The increasing density of institutional arrangements has moved interactions between international institutions and their impact on effectiveness into the focus of analysis. This paper seeks to develop a framework for the analysis of institutional interplay. It applies the Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework to the situation of interplay between international institutions, drawing on recent results in interplay research. The first section provides an overview over the phenomenon of institutional interplay and its consequences. Section two introduces the IAD framework and applies it to the situation of interplay. Sections three to five discuss how functional and political linkages between international agreements and the attributes of actors involved affect institutional interplay."