International Organizations and the Management of Regime Complexity : Disregard, Confrontation, Coordination, and Cooperation

Regime complexity, which is characterized by overlap between international organizations (IOs) concerning both policy competencies and member states, has been increasing over time.It is a defining feature of today's international system.As the regime complexity literature points out, overlaps between IOs carry potential negative effects, such as duplicated efforts or incompatible norms.This book argues that IOs can actively manage regime complexity and potentially avoid negative side effects or even create positive benefits.Yet, overlapping IOs differ in how they react. To explain under what conditions IOs disregard overlaps or manage them by resorting to confrontation or collaboration, this book addresses the following research questions: Why do organizations differ in their responses to overlaps?Why do some opt for disregard while others choose confrontation or engage in collaboration?These questions are answered by studying a subset of IOs, namely regional international organization