International Organizations

History and Context: Vocabulary,

concepts and organizational typology

International Organizations

What is an international organization?

An organization with an international membership, scope or
presence

Who are members of international organizations?

state and non-state actors depending on the type of organization

Renewed interest towards IOs

They are in an extraordinary period of transition
Their role in world politics and the scope of their activities has
greatly increased

What purpose do international organizations serve?

Connecting members, bridging gaps, encouraging peace and
security, economic development, etc

Types of international organizations

IGOs are formal institutions comprised primarily of sovereign

states (referred to as member states), or of other
intergovernmental organization (e.g. UN, EU, NATO, IMF, G8, etc).

They can be multi or general-purpose organizations, taking up any

international issue, such as UN.

They can also have narrow mandate focusing on a specific

economic, political, social or military issue, examples: ILO, WHO.

Spillover - cooperation in one issue area may affect another issue

area

Membership can be open to all actors, or limited by some objective

criteria (e.g. EU, NATO conditionality)

Types of international organizations

International NGOs essentially nonprofit, private organizations

that engage in a variety of international activities (e.g. Amnesty
International, Greenpeace, International Committee for Red Cross,
Worldvision International, etc.)

Types of NGOs (alternative names): independent sector, volunteer

sector, civil society, grassroots organizations, transnational social
movement organizations, private voluntary organizations, self-help
organizations and non-state actors

Financing mostly membership dues, charitable contributions and

private sourcing.

Types of international organizations

NGOs roles in the world politics:

Information gathering with people on the ground, interaction

with other NGOs, IGOs and MNCs.
Consult and expertise.
Carrying out policies of states and IGOs.
Private interactions involving with various transactions to bring
together groups and individuals.

Participate in international politics by defining goals, providing

information, and giving expert advice

Pressure governments and IGOs through direct and indirect

lobbying

NGOs are instrumental in setting international norms and

executing international policy

Types of international organizations

International Regimes informal principles, rules, norms, and

decision-making procedures that are codified in charters, treaties
and international law (e.g. International Protocols, Conventions,
systems, etc).

International actors, when formally organized, many of them can be

considered intergovernmental organizations.

Often form in response to a need to coordinate behavior among

countries around issues, such as security, trade, finance,
investment, information, communication, human rights,
environment, etc.

E.g. In its absence, telecommunications between countries would

have to be governed by numerous bilateral agreements, which
would become impossibly complex to administer worldwide. A
regime such as ITU serves simultaneously as a forum, a multilateral
treaty, and a governing body to standardize telecommunications
across countries efficiently. The IMF, Biological Weapons
Convention, and Kyoto Protocol are other examples of international
regimes.

History of IGOs

The earliest modern precedents to todays IGOs:

The Concert of Europe (1815-1914) - The balance of power that
existed in Europe from the fall of Napoleon to the outbreak of WWI.
This was a result of a custom, following the era of Napoleon and
the French Revolution, adopted by the old great powers of Europe.
The Concert would meet from time to time in an International
Conference, or Congress, in order to plan a solution by mutual
agreement (concert), whenever some problem arose that
threatened peace between European nations. A mechanism to
enforce the decisions of the Congress of Vienna.
The Congress of Vienna - A forum for international collaboration
on European security and commerce. A multipurpose IGO created
by the European great powers to reestablish order and stability on
the continent after the Napoleonic Wars.
The League of Nations (1919-1939) - President Woodrow Wilson
considered its architect, established after WWI, having universal
membership, predeceasing UN. UN embraces most of the Leagues
principles and structures.
Failure of the League: politically challenged by Japan-China conflict
in Manchuria (1931) and the Italy-Ethiopia conflict (1935). The
outbreak of WWII ended the Leagues history. However, its legacy
lives on.

History of IGOs

The post WWII era massive proliferation of IGOs and other IOs
(over 20,000).

From the League of Nations to UN:

Creation of UN System in 1945. The founders victorious allies of
WWII meet in San Francisco to found a multipurpose IGO first
envisioned by the League of Nations.
UN designed to be center of multilateral diplomacy in postwar word
politics. Aiming at restoring peace and maintaining security, establish
friendly relations among nations, address economic, social, cultural
and humanitarian problems, and to promote respect for universal
human rights.
Universal membership, currently up to 192 countries (all countries in
the world, except Vatican and Kosovo)
Headquartered in New York.
Six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and
Spanish.
UN system structured around five principle organs, together with its
several agencies and autonomous organizations, comprise the UN
family of IGOs.

Theories of IOs

Realism:

International institutions are reflections of the power distribution in the

anarchical system.
Liberalism:
International institutions reflect shared interests among states and represent
rational responses to life in an anarchical system.
Constructivism:
International institutions represent shared beliefs and understandings about
how the world hangs together, collective identity, and standards of rightful
action in world politics; as such they may play a transformative role in
altering state perceptions and behavior
Critical theory:
International institutions are means for domination by privileged states and the
capitalist interests that they serve; they are strategies to mask power
relations and interests.

Logics of action

Logic of expected consequences

Action determined by rational calculations of
consequences (interests choices outcomes)
(Realism, Neo-liberalism/institutionalism)

Logic of appropriateness
Actions determined by norms and identities, which
suggest appropriate behavior in given situations
(identities/norms choice outcomes further
identity shifts)
(Constructivism)

The UN System

The General Assembly serves as quasi legislative body,

functions assigned by the UN Charter are fivefold:

1.

Deliberates and considers any issue that arises under the Charter.
Addresses any issues related to international peace, security and
disarmament and bring to the attention of Security Council. Its
decision, however, is non-binding.
Responsible to initiate studies and make recommendations for
promoting political cooperation
Responsible for promoting international cooperation in economic,
social, cultural, educational and health fields.
Drafts and approves the UN budget.
Oversees the UN bureaucracy.

2.
3.
4.
5.

Based on liberal democratic principles of political equality and

majority rule. Simple majority vote deciding most issues. 2/3
required to decide on important issues.

The UN System

The Security Council main organ with primary responsibility to

maintain international peace and security

Unlike the Assembly the Security Council's decisions are binding on

member states.

Limited membership: composed of permanent and non-permanent

elective members, headed by a president, an office that rotates
among members.

Permanent members (P5) include five great powers victors of WWII:

US, UK, Russia, France and China

Each P5 posses right of veto over the Council decision, which allows
one member to kill the Council action.

Ten elected members selected from and by the Assembly

Absent a veto, Security Council resolutions are passed by an

affirmative vote of nine members.

The UN System

The International Court of Justice (ICJ)- known as World Court is

the primary judicial organ of the UN, based in the Hague,
Netherlands.

Main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by member

states and to give advisory opinions on legal questions submitted to it
by duly authorized international organs, agencies and the UN General
Assembly.

composed of fifteen judges elected to nine year terms by the Un

General Assembly and the UN Security Council from a list of persons
nominated by the national groups in the Permanent Court of
Arbitration.

Elections take place every three years,

with one-third of the judges retiring
each time, in order to ensure
continuity within the court.

The UN System

The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) composed of

54 member states, assists the General Assembly in promoting
international economic and social cooperation and development.

ECOSOCs functions include information gathering, advising

member nations, and making recommendations.

The president is elected for a one-year term and chosen

amongst the small or middle powers represented on ECOSOC.

ECOSOC meets once a year in July for a four-week session.

The UN System

The Secretariat - one of the principal organs of the United

Nations and it is headed by the UN Secretary General, assisted
by a staff of international civil servants worldwide.

It provides studies, information, and facilities needed by UN

bodies for their meetings and carries out tasks as directed by the
UN bodies.

Ban Ki-moon current UN Secretary-General,

proceeded by Kofi Annan

The UN System

Current challenges to UN System:

Tendency towards failure in decision making in the Security

Council due to the veto right of each P5, the interests of which
often overlap.
(these topics will be further discussed in next classes)

Tension between UN and US, which is the largest contributor but

also the largest debtor to UN.

US withdrawing from Kyoto Protocol and International Criminal

Court.

9/11 raising questions about the appropriate role of UN.

US invasion of Iraq in 2003 without UN authorization.

The European Union

The EU is a comprehensive, multipurpose regional organization that

has been under construction since WWII.

The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community
formed among six countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxemburg,
the Netherlands and West Germany) in 1951 and the treaty of
Rome extending this cooperation to atomic energy (EURATOM) and
establishing European Economic Community in 1957.

It is an economic and political union of 27 member states, located

primarily in Europe. It was established by the treaty of Maastricht
(city in Amsterdam), which was signed in February 1992 and came
into force in November 1993.

The EU operates through a hybrid system of intergovernmentalism

and supranationalism. In certain areas it depends upon agreement
between the member states. However, it also has supranational
bodies, able to make decisions without unanimity between all
national governments.

The European Union

EP Brussels

EP Strasbourg

Central Bank

Commission

The institutions are not concentrated in a single city: they are instead
based across three cities, Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg.
The Treaty of Amsterdam (arranging locations) states that the
Commission and Council would be based in Brussels, the Courts in
Luxembourg and the Parliament in Strasbourg.
However some departments of the Commission and meetings of the
Council take place in Luxembourg, while the Parliament has its
committees and some sessions in Brussels and its secretariat in
Luxembourg.
Of the new institutions, the Central Bank is based in Frankfurt, while
the European Council is based in Brussels, but has some extraordinary
meetings elsewhere.

The European Union

The European Council Intergovernmental body of the EU,

consisting of heads of EU member states/governments and
representing the political leadership of the EU.

Formally established by the Single European Act in 1985 and

strengthened by Maastricht Treaty in 1992.

The European Council meets twice a year with representatives of

other EU institutions to coordinate EU policy with national policies
and interests.

Influential body as most of the political and military decisions are

still made at the national level.

Current Presidency taken after France: The Check Republic,

President Mirek Topolanek.

The European Union

The Council of Ministers another intergovernmental body of

the EU, a chief decision making body made up of relevant
ministers (depending on a subject matter discussed in the
Council) from the governments of the member states.

The Council is thus a fluid body whose composition changes

depending on the issue area.

The Council is a political institution, often influenced by

individual national interests as members of the Council represent
their national governments to the EU.

The European Union

The European Commission supranational body and the

bureaucratic arm of the EU, generator of most of the proposals and
initiatives.

Formally reporting to the Council of Ministers, but yet exercising a

great deal of autonomy.

The Commission members (25 appointed for four year term) are
responsible to further the interests of EU as opposed to the interests
of their own countries.

Power to initiate policy proposals.

Power to execute EU policies.

Power to control - guardian of EU Treaties.

The European Union

The European Parliament responsible for overseeing the Commission, although

its legislative powers are limited.
Advises Council and Commission on proposals and approves the Commissions
overall budget.
732 MEPs - directly elected by the voters in Europe.
The Parliament represents Europe's broad political spectrum: European
Socialists, the Christian Democrats, the Greens, etc
Voting involves all three: Commission (normally initiated legislative proposals),
EP (passes the law) and Council (passes the law).
Codecision process, involving two readings and seven steps.
Assent, EP obtains Councils assent before deciding on certain important issues
Consultation, based on the Commissions proposal,
Council consults EP, ECOSOC and Committee of the Regions.
The Parliaments power and influence remains symbolic in comparison with the
Commission and the Council.

The European Union

The European Court of Justice created by the Treaty of

Paris in 1958 to adjudicate any legal dispute

Located in Luxembourg, Luxembourg

Composed of 27 justices appointed by their national

governments who are assisted by 8 Advocates-Generals.

The Judges and Advocates-Generals are appointed by common

accord of the governments of the member states and hold office
for a renewable term of 6 years.

It is the responsibility of the Court of Justice to ensure that the

law is observed in the interpretation and application of the
Treaties of the EU and of the provisions laid down by the
competent Community institutions.

International Organizations

Summary:
Types of international organizations
History of international organizations
Theories of international organizations

Discussion:
What IO or IOs do you consider particularly important players in
the world politics? Why?

Questions?