ABSTRACT
Leadership plays a significant role in processes of institutionalized cooperation. However, leadership also requires an institutionalized context to be sustainable. It is seldom ad hoc. It rests on continuity, stability, and repetition. Strong leadership seems to be essential for guiding and directing a group of countries towards collective action. Conversely, cooperation between international actors raises questions about how to share both costs and benefits, especially when some actors are economically and/or militarily more powerful than others.
