INTL 3200 Lecture 9: International Organizations
19 Feb 2019
School
Department
Course
Professor
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Globalization and Integration:
-International organizations that are supranational subsume a number of
states and their functions within a larger whole
-Its can contain a struggle between the contradictory forces of nationalism
and supranationalism
-Technological change, specifically the revolution in information
technologies is another source of integration
Roles of International Organizations:
-Despite anarchic nature of international system based on state
sovereignty, the security dilemma does not usually lead to breakdown in
basic operation among states
-States work together
-Rules that govern most interactions in IR are norms
-International norms are the expectations held by state leaders about
normal international relations
-Agreed norms of behavior
-Institutionalized through organizations
-Become habitual over time and gain legitimacy
-Power of international norms and standards of morality may vary when
different states hold different expectations of what is normal
-When shared norms and habits may not suffice to solve international
dilemmas, institutions play a key role
-International organizations (IOs)
-Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs)
-Global IGOs: UN, Intelsat, OPEC
-members are states
-Nongovernmental organizations
-members are individuals
-Economic or business-related functions (International Air Transport
Association)
-Global political purposes (Amnesty International)
-Cultural purposes (International Olympic Committee)
-Religious groups are among largest NGOs
-Global or regional or bilateral in scope
-General or specific functional purposes
-Regional IGOs
-European Union, Association of South East Asian Nations, Southern Cone
Common Market, African Union
The United Nations:
-State sovereignty creates a real need for such organizations on a practical
level - why?
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-Because no central world government performs the function of
coordinating actions of states for multi benefit
-State sovereignty also severely limits the power of the UN and other IOs
-Reserve power to themselves
The UN System:
-Purposes of the UN:
-To provide a global institutional structure through which states can
sometimes settle conflicts with less reliance on the use of force
-UN Charter is based on principles that:
-States are equal under international law
-States have full sovereignty
-States have full independent and territorial integrity
-States should carry out international obligations
-Benefits of membership
-Structure of the UN
-General Assembly — the largest group in
-ECOSOC
-Security Council
-most important body in the UN
-5 permanent members (U.S., France, China, Russia, Great Britain)
-in total, 15 members at any time
-10 other members are elected on 2 year terms by the General
Assembly
-if anything wants to get passed it needs 9 out of the 15 votes, and
all of the security counsel
-Secretariat
-Headed by Secretary General of UN
-oversees operations of the UN
-administrative branch or bureaucracy of the UN
-just makes sure everything is running correctly
-World Court // International Court of Justice
-if there is a dispute between states
-ex. the U.S. supported a rebel group in Nicaragua and Nicaragua
took the U.S. to the International Court of Justice. the Court found
the U.S. guilty of breaking international law and ordered them to
pay reparations to Nicaragua. but the U.S. said no
-Universality of membership
-Collective security
-History of the UN
-1945 San Francisco, 51 states
-Tension between UN and U.S.
-Membership more than doubled in 1950s and 1960s
Document Summary
International organizations that are supranational subsume a number of states and their functions within a larger whole. Its can contain a struggle between the contradictory forces of nationalism and supranationalism. Technological change, specifically the revolution in information technologies is another source of integration. Despite anarchic nature of international system based on state sovereignty, the security dilemma does not usually lead to breakdown in basic operation among states. Rules that govern most interactions in ir are norms. International norms are the expectations held by state leaders about normal international relations. Become habitual over time and gain legitimacy. Power of international norms and standards of morality may vary when different states hold different expectations of what is normal. When shared norms and habits may not suffice to solve international dilemmas, institutions play a key role. Economic or business-related functions (international air transport. Global or regional or bilateral in scope. European union, association of south east asian nations, southern cone.
