This Working Paper, Governance and Institutions: The Backbone of Resilience, examines how strong institutions and effective governance contribute to resilient infrastructure systems and services. It emphasises that resilience extends beyond the physical strength of infrastructure assets to include the institutions, policies, processes and partnerships that support their planning, development, operation and recovery. Clear roles and responsibilities, effective coordination, risk-informed planning, adequate resources and robust regulatory frameworks are essential to ensuring continuity of infrastructure services during disasters and climate-related disruptions. The paper explores the roles of public institutions, including ministries, regulators, disaster risk management agencies and subnational governments, alongside private infrastructure operators, businesses, communities, academia and professional associations. It highlights the importance of integrating resilience across the infrastructure lifecycle, strengthening institutional capacities, and developing and enforcing appropriate building codes, standards and regulations. Drawing on global experiences and country examples, it offers practical insights into strengthening institutional arrangements and fostering collaboration among stakeholders. A key contribution is the Institutional and Policy Assessment Framework, which enables infrastructure agencies to assess existing arrangements, identify institutional and policy gaps, establish baselines and prioritise areas for improvement.