Summary International
Organisation
Emma Muthert, June 2019
Introduction to International Organisation
- IOs often try to tackle problems that transcend state boundaries
- Sometimes argued to be counterproductive, eg SAPs of the IMF and WB; Bretton Woods
institutions
- IO is a formal organisation with members from at least three states
1. Intergovernmental organisation: members represent a government or state, eg EU and
UN
2. International NGO/transnational organisation: members are private actors, eg Amnesty
3. Hybrid organisation: members are both governments and private actors, eg
International Labour Organisation = agency of UN
- Regime: set of implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures
around which actors’ expectations converge in each area of international relations (the
accepted setting in which states pursue their interests/rules to play by), eg Bretton Woods
System in international monetary relations
- First IO founded in 1815: Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine, goal was that all
European countries could safely navigate this important river
- Woodrow Wilson established the League of Nations, allowed leaders from all over the world
to clarify their views and discuss possible solutions to the issues the international community
was facing at the time, FAILED
- Most of the IOs discussed find their origins in the years after WW2
- There are many reasons to create IOs:
1. Tackling collective issues, eg WTO
2. Lock in self-interest, eg Bretton Woods for USA after WW2
3. Symbolic value, eg NATO membership after Cold War and UN membership; gives a
country a strong argument for being an official state
4. Scapegoats, eg Greece blamed IMF for crisis 2010s and Italy blamed EU Stability
Mechanism for strict economic rules
5. Forum function, discuss problems, eg Mercosur
6. Pooling sovereignty, eg European Union
The United Nations
President Roosevelt saw failure of League of Nations and set out plans for the Four Policemen:
- USA
- United Kingdom
- Soviet Union
- Republic of China
Roosevelt discussed his views on how to build a stable and peaceful world order with British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill in 1941, they signed the Atlantic Charter and more conferences followed
1
, - United Nations Charter signed during San Francisco conference in 1945
- Goal UN is to maintain international peace and security and to develop friendly relations
between states, as well as to respect human rights
- All members are equal and disputes are settled in a peaceful and civilised manner
- Six main organs of the UN:
1. Security Council:
o Highest power of UN, only one that can make binding decisions
o Fifteen members; five permanent (veto) and other ten rotate every two years
o Can use coercive force to enforce peace
o UN peacekeeping missions
2. General Assembly:
o All world leaders meet to discuss and deliberate about international issues
o Every member has one vote, two-third majority
o Can bring issues to the attention of Security Council
o Can initiate studies
o Approves budget
o Elects rotating members of Security Council
o Votes on Secretary-General candidate brought forward by Security Council and
new UN members
3. Economic and Social Council ECOSOC:
o Set up to discuss, study and research issues that go beyond security
o Can make recommendations, compose draft conventions
o 54 member states that are elected every three years by General Assembly
o It has no real power
4. Secretariat:
o Headed by Secretary General, eg Dag Hammerskjöld and Kofi Annan, now
António Guterres
o 40.000 civil servants from 186 countries
o Behind the scenes work
5. International Court of Justice ICJ:
o Settles legal disputes between member states
o Can offer advisory opinions to the UN
o Differs from International Criminal Court, which is for individuals
6. Trusteeship Council:
o Its job was to administer eleven “Trust Territories” after WW2 and make sure
that they could govern themselves
o Succeeded in 1994, Palau
o Now only exists on paper
o Removing it etc would require amendment of the UN Charter, will bring
discussion on Security Council
- Other UN agencies: World Health Organisation and UNICEF
- Member issues:
1. Kosovo, Russia does not allow
2. Palestine, observer state
3. Taiwan, China does not allow
4. North Korea, was already member and thus cannot be withdrawn
2
Organisation
Emma Muthert, June 2019
Introduction to International Organisation
- IOs often try to tackle problems that transcend state boundaries
- Sometimes argued to be counterproductive, eg SAPs of the IMF and WB; Bretton Woods
institutions
- IO is a formal organisation with members from at least three states
1. Intergovernmental organisation: members represent a government or state, eg EU and
UN
2. International NGO/transnational organisation: members are private actors, eg Amnesty
3. Hybrid organisation: members are both governments and private actors, eg
International Labour Organisation = agency of UN
- Regime: set of implicit or explicit principles, norms, rules and decision-making procedures
around which actors’ expectations converge in each area of international relations (the
accepted setting in which states pursue their interests/rules to play by), eg Bretton Woods
System in international monetary relations
- First IO founded in 1815: Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine, goal was that all
European countries could safely navigate this important river
- Woodrow Wilson established the League of Nations, allowed leaders from all over the world
to clarify their views and discuss possible solutions to the issues the international community
was facing at the time, FAILED
- Most of the IOs discussed find their origins in the years after WW2
- There are many reasons to create IOs:
1. Tackling collective issues, eg WTO
2. Lock in self-interest, eg Bretton Woods for USA after WW2
3. Symbolic value, eg NATO membership after Cold War and UN membership; gives a
country a strong argument for being an official state
4. Scapegoats, eg Greece blamed IMF for crisis 2010s and Italy blamed EU Stability
Mechanism for strict economic rules
5. Forum function, discuss problems, eg Mercosur
6. Pooling sovereignty, eg European Union
The United Nations
President Roosevelt saw failure of League of Nations and set out plans for the Four Policemen:
- USA
- United Kingdom
- Soviet Union
- Republic of China
Roosevelt discussed his views on how to build a stable and peaceful world order with British Prime
Minister Winston Churchill in 1941, they signed the Atlantic Charter and more conferences followed
1
, - United Nations Charter signed during San Francisco conference in 1945
- Goal UN is to maintain international peace and security and to develop friendly relations
between states, as well as to respect human rights
- All members are equal and disputes are settled in a peaceful and civilised manner
- Six main organs of the UN:
1. Security Council:
o Highest power of UN, only one that can make binding decisions
o Fifteen members; five permanent (veto) and other ten rotate every two years
o Can use coercive force to enforce peace
o UN peacekeeping missions
2. General Assembly:
o All world leaders meet to discuss and deliberate about international issues
o Every member has one vote, two-third majority
o Can bring issues to the attention of Security Council
o Can initiate studies
o Approves budget
o Elects rotating members of Security Council
o Votes on Secretary-General candidate brought forward by Security Council and
new UN members
3. Economic and Social Council ECOSOC:
o Set up to discuss, study and research issues that go beyond security
o Can make recommendations, compose draft conventions
o 54 member states that are elected every three years by General Assembly
o It has no real power
4. Secretariat:
o Headed by Secretary General, eg Dag Hammerskjöld and Kofi Annan, now
António Guterres
o 40.000 civil servants from 186 countries
o Behind the scenes work
5. International Court of Justice ICJ:
o Settles legal disputes between member states
o Can offer advisory opinions to the UN
o Differs from International Criminal Court, which is for individuals
6. Trusteeship Council:
o Its job was to administer eleven “Trust Territories” after WW2 and make sure
that they could govern themselves
o Succeeded in 1994, Palau
o Now only exists on paper
o Removing it etc would require amendment of the UN Charter, will bring
discussion on Security Council
- Other UN agencies: World Health Organisation and UNICEF
- Member issues:
1. Kosovo, Russia does not allow
2. Palestine, observer state
3. Taiwan, China does not allow
4. North Korea, was already member and thus cannot be withdrawn
2
