International Organisations at the Street-Level

Abstract

Around two thirds of the staff of international organizations (IOs) in the United Nations system work in the field where they implement IO policy or liaise with member states. While there is variation between organizations, there is a group of distinctive “operative international organizations” with responsibilities in the areas of development, humanitarian aid, environment, health and peacekeeping. Even though these field-heavy organizations account for the bulk of IO financial and personnel resources, a separate literature on IO street-level tasks or policy implementation does not exist. This panel brings together papers with a comparative perspective on IOs at the street-level.