This book is about how governance networks in host cities attract International Organizations (IOs), and about how and why they fail or succeed. It is August 26, 2015. A crucial day during the Conference of State Parties in Cancún, Mexico. 67 of the 69 member states of the Arms Trade Treaty vote for a location of the new Secretariat. Three candidate host states and their cities are bidding: Austria (Vienna), Switzerland (Geneva), and Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain). In the first round, Port of Spain wins with 32 votes, Geneva gets 21, and Vienna drops out with 14 votes. The second round, Geneva gets 35, scooping up all of Vienna’s votes, and wins. What did Switzerland and Geneva do right? What did the others do wrong – if anything? This book is about how governance networks in host cities attract International Organizations (IOs), and about how and why they fail or succeed. Scholars in the field of governance and public policy often agree that better policy alignment and cooperation in networks increase the chances of success. Yet, the findings of this study contradict this. Considering the interests of IOs proves to be more important than having matters ‘in order’ internally. Prologue; 1 Introduction; 1.1 Setting the Stage: Attracting International Organizations; 1.2 Governance Network Approach; 1.3 Research problem and questions; 1.4 International Organizations; 1.5 Interurban competition to host IOs; 1.6 Research approach; 1.7 The contribution of this work; 1.8 The outline of this book; 2 Theoretical background; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Governance networks; 2.3 The instrumental perspective; 2.4 The discursive perspective; 2.5 The relational perspective; 2.6 Network success or failure?; 2.7 Conclusion; 3 Research design and operationalization; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Selection of cases; 3.3 Data collection; 3.4 Operationalization; 3.4.1 Operationalizing the success variable; 3.4.2 Operationalizing the instrumental perspective; 3.4.3 Operationalizing the discursive perspective; 3.4.4 Operationalizing the relational perspective; 3.5 Conclusion; 4 Geneva; 4.1 Switzerland and Geneva; 4.1.1 Case 1: The Green Climate Fund; 4.1.2 Case 2: The Arms Trade Treaty Secretariat; 4.2 Instrumental perspective; 4.3 Discursive perspective; 4.4 Relational perspective; 4.5 Conclusions Switzerland and Geneva; 5 The Hague; 5.1 The Netherlands and The Hague; 5.1.1 Case 1: The International Criminal Court; 5.1.2 Case 2: UNICEF Private Fundraising and Partnerships; 5.2 Instrumental perspective; 5.3 Discursive perspective; 5.4 Relational perspective; 5.5 Conclusions the Netherlands and The Hague; 6 Vienna; 6.1 Austria and Vienna; 6.1.1 Case 1: The Arms Trade Treaty Secretariat; 6.1.2 Case 2: Sustainable Energy for All; 6.2 Instrumental perspective; 6.3 Discursive perspective; 6.4 Relational perspective; 6.5 Conclusions Austria and Vienna; 7 Copenhagen; 7.1 Denmark and Copenhagen; 7.1.1 Case 1: United Nations Office for Project Services; 7.1.2 Case 2: Sustainable Energy for All; 7.2 Instrumental perspective; 7.3 Discursive perspective; 7.4 Relational perspective; 7.5 Conclusions Denmark and Copenhagen; 8 Comparative analysis; 8.1 Introduction; 8.2 Measures of Success; 8.3 Policy design and perception; 8.4 Similar perceptual frames; 8.5 Network characteristics; 8.6 Conclusion; 9 Conclusions and discussion; 9.1 Introduction; 9.2 Reflection on the findings; 9.3 Theoretical implications; 9.4 Practical implications; 9.5 Limitations and future avenues; Epilogue; References; Appendices