Participation as Legitimation

Abstract International organizations ( IO s) have increasingly deepened local public engagement, reflecting a broader shift toward inclusion and responsiveness in global governance. While scholars have examined this trend, its emergence as a distinct normative development warrants further investigation. This article analyzes two cases of this phenomenon—the International Criminal Court’s outreach and community engagement in UN peacekeeping—conceptualizing both as participatory policy norms: social expectations that IO s engage directly with those most affected by their mandates. We argue that these norms represent an underexplored mode of IO legitimation. Tracing how they are codified in policy, operationalized in practice, and justified through normative and strategic logics, we show how participation has become central to cultivating, reaffirming, and defending IO legitimacy in an increasingly contested global environment. At the same time, we highlight the tensions, constraints, and risks of symbolic performance that complicate their role as a legitimation strategy.