Influence in Multilateral Aid Organizations: A Literature Review

Sammanfattning

The EBA Working Paper Series constitutes shorter overviews, surveys, mappings and analyses that have been undertaken to bring about discussion and advance knowledge of a particular topic. Working Papers are not subject to any formal approval process by the Expert Group. Just as in the EBA reports, authors are solely responsible for the content, conclusions and recommendations.

Sweden is a devoted partner in multilateral development cooperation. In 2021, Sweden allocated more than half of its Official Development Assistance, around 30 billion SEK, to multilateral organizations in the form of core and earmarked funding. As a large-scale donor, Sweden has an interest in influencing the operations and agendas of its multilateral partners to ensure that they align with Swedish priorities for international development.

This report reviews and summarizes the findings of 76 academic and gray literature publications on influence in multilateral aid organizations. In doing so, it combines methods of rapid evidence assessment with traditional literature review to identify broad characteristics of the literature as well as in-depth insights on the current state of knowledge with regards to channels of influence, influencing actors, and factors shaping success.

We find that the literature has mainly focused on governments’ attempts to wield influence in international, general purpose, organizations. While countries of all sizes assert influence using a combination of means, we find that they mainly leverage four principal channels: financial flows, formal governance, advocacy, and staffing. While financial flows and formal governance structures stand out as the most commonly used channels, the literature emphasizes that influence in multilaterals stems from continuous influencing work that draws on multiple channels and utilizes a range of strategies and tools, over time.

Determinants of success vary across the different influencing channels, but the literature emphasizes some recurring factors. One important factor is the structural resources of the influencing actor. Sufficient financial and human resources enable states to secure representation in formal governance and decision-making, to engage in informal preparatory and follow-up activities, and to be active on a broad range of issues across multiple organizations. However, having fewer structural resources does not necessarily equate to diminished influence, but rather, small states can be smart by timing their efforts, prioritizing issues, and forging strategic alliances. In this way, Sweden and other Nordic countries have managed to influence their multilateral partners, for example by advancing their ambitions on gender equality, human rights, and disability inclusion.