Conceptions, Characteristics and Roles: The Case of Observers in Regional International Organisations

Many regional international organizations (RIOs) across the globe grant observer status to a variety of actors, including other international organisations and non-governmental organisations, but mostly states. The reasons driving states to pursue observer status in international organisations have not been systematically considered so far. Furthermore, even though the potential presence of observers was envisioned in numerous organisations’ legal frameworks decades ago, there has been a noticeable increase in clauses regulating the presence and participation of observers in IOs since the turn of the century. IOs display not just significant diversity concerning the rights and duties attached to observer status, but also in terms of the type, number, and geographical distribution of observers. In light of the prevailing interest in attaining observer status, this research intends to contribute towards a systematic understanding of the phenomenon, while also shedding light on the particular reasons for states to seek observer status in some particular IOs (but not others) and for IOs to admit some particular states as observers (but not others). Therefore, the research question guiding this paper is: what are the causes motivating states to be an observer in a RIO? The paper presents a delineation of the research gap regarding observers in the international system and a conceptualisation of the term in the context of states. Drawing on research on international cooperation, institutional design as well as access, participation, influence within organisations, it develops a set of hypotheses concerning the conditions conducive to the emergence of observers in RIOs.