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Time to React: The Efficiency of International Organizations in Crisis Response

Online ISBN:
9780199356546
Print ISBN:
9780199337118
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

Time to React: The Efficiency of International Organizations in Crisis Response

Heidi Hardt
Heidi Hardt

Assistant Professor of Political Science

University of Texas, Arlington
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Published online:
23 January 2014
Published in print:
4 February 2014
Online ISBN:
9780199356546
Print ISBN:
9780199337118
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

In conflict-affected regions, delays in international response can have life or death consequences. The speed with which international organizations react to crises affects the prospects for communities to reestablish peace. Why, then, do some international organizations take longer than others to answer calls for intervention? To answer this question and explore options for reform, this book builds on an original database on response rates and interview evidence from 50 ambassadors across four leading organizations (AU, EU, OAS, and OSCE). The explanation for variation in speed ultimately lies in core differences in institutional cultures across organizations. Although wealth and capabilities can strengthen a peace operation, it is the unspoken rules and social networks at organizations’ peace and security committees that dictate the pace with which an operation is established. This book offers a first analysis of the timeliness of international organizations in crisis response.

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