Joint International Economics - UNU-CRIS Seminar by Maria Rodriguez Alcázar on Exploring Drivers for Citizen Engagement in Regional Organisations

Theories of Multi-Level Governance (MLG) assert that power in modern governance is no longer limited to the nation-state but distributed vertically across levels, such as international Regional Organisations (ROs), and horizontally to include non-state actors like civil society. Public Administration research highlights that involving citizens in decision-making enhances transparency, accountability, and trust in institutions. As ROs take on central roles in addressing global challenges, understanding how they engage citizens is increasingly important. Yet, citizen participation mechanisms in ROs remain underexplored or limited to small-n studies. Recent studies reveal that one-third of RO founding treaties reference citizen engagement, with considerable variation in the mechanisms developed. This raises a critical question: What conditions influence the development of citizen participation mechanisms in ROs?

This study uses regression analysis to test different hypotheses drawn from literature on non-state actor involvement in governance. The analysis covers 70 ROs from 1945 to 2016. As a dependent variable, this paper develops a new Indicator of Citizen Participation in ROs (ICPRO), which measures access to information, elections, and consultations. Analysed alongside indicators of Institutional Power of ROs, preliminary findings reveal significant links between decision making power, cooperation in trade and security, and participatory governance mechanisms in ROs.

This is a closed event. For further information, please contact Pascale Vantorre at pvantorre@cris.unu.edu