Institutions are permanent structures that guide, regulate and monitor the interactions between states and other actors in the international system. These structures aim to maintain order and international cooperation through specific rules, norms and pseudo-rules. The concept of institutions also includes rules and norms such as human rights norms, international law, disarmament regimes. Institutions are an important part of global governance. The existence of these structures can help balance power imbalances in international relations and contribute to the solution of global problems (climate change, peace and security, etc.). Intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) are among the most common examples in the discipline of international relations.

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• Finnemore, M., & Sikkink, K. (1998). International norm dynamics and political change. International Organization, 52(4), 887–917. https://doi.org/10.1162/002081898550789