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How Do Informal International Organizations Promote the Sustainable Development Goals Through Orchestration?

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  • Dan Xu

Abstract

Informal intergovernmental organizations (IIGOs), such as G20, G7, and BRICS, have become increasingly pivotal actors in global governance. By implication, they are afforded a key role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Without a permanent secretariat, however, IIGOs govern through orchestration, relying heavily on intermediary organizations. For instance, the G20 frequently enlists the OECD to provide analytical support and to implement its Action Plan on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This article examines the dynamics between informal and formal international organizations, exploring how IIGOs choose specific intermediaries. Using the case of the G20 and a mixed‐method approach, I examine how IIGOs select intermediaries to promote the SDGs. To do so, I extend Downie's (2022b) G20 orchestration dataset, providing a more comprehensive resource for global governance studies. I find that the G20 considers both goal alignment and the focality of the intermediaries, favoring intermediaries with common members and greater public attention. By shedding light on IIGO–intermediary dynamics, this research enhances understanding of institutional interactions within hybrid institutional complexes (HICs) and provides insights for strengthening international cooperation, which are particularly important to facilitating sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Dan Xu, 2025. "How Do Informal International Organizations Promote the Sustainable Development Goals Through Orchestration?," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 16(4), pages 713-723, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:glopol:v:16:y:2025:i:4:p:713-723
    DOI: 10.1111/1758-5899.70085
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    1. Jack Taggart & Benjamin Faude, 2025. "Boon or Bane?: The Hybrid Institutional Complex for the Sustainable Development Goals," Global Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 16(4), pages 682-690, September.
    2. Felicity Vabulas & Duncan Snidal, 2021. "Cooperation under autonomy: Building and analyzing the Informal Intergovernmental Organizations 2.0 dataset," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 58(4), pages 859-869, July.
    3. Cormier, Ben & Heinzel, Mirko & Reinsberg, Bernhard, 2024. "Informally governing international development: G7 coordination and orchestration in aid," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 122594, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    4. Charles Roger & Sam Rowan, 2023. "The New Terrain of Global Governance: Mapping Membership in Informal International Organizations," Journal of Conflict Resolution, Peace Science Society (International), vol. 67(6), pages 1248-1269, July.
    5. Kenneth Abbott & Duncan Snidal, 2010. "International regulation without international government: Improving IO performance through orchestration," The Review of International Organizations, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 315-344, September.
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