Introduction to International Organisations (IOs) Study Guide PDF

**Poli 345 --** **Introduction to International Organisations (IOs)** **Key Theoretical Approaches** **Realism and IOs** - **Core argument:** IOs serve as instruments for powerful states rather than autonomous entities. - **Mearsheimer (1995) - The False Promise of International Inst...

**Poli 345 --** **Introduction to International Organisations (IOs)** **Key Theoretical Approaches** **Realism and IOs** - **Core argument:** IOs serve as instruments for powerful states rather than autonomous entities. - **Mearsheimer (1995) - The False Promise of International Institutions:** - IOs lack independent enforcement power and merely facilitate state interests. - Security concerns often override multilateralism. - Example: NATO's evolution post-Cold War and its role in US-led interventions. - **Relative vs. Absolute Gains:** - **Relative gains:** States prioritise comparative advantage over collective benefits. - **Absolute gains:** IOs encourage cooperation, but states remain cautious of imbalances. **Neo-Liberal Institutionalism** - **Core argument:** IOs help mitigate anarchy by fostering trust and reducing transaction costs. - **Keohane & Nye, Axelrod -- Shadow of the Future:** - Repeated interactions incentivise compliance over time. - IOs promote cooperation by reducing uncertainty and encouraging reciprocity. - **Case study:** WTO's enforcement of trade agreements to prevent economic disputes. **Constructivism and IOs** - **Core argument:** IOs shape state identities and interests through norms. - **Barnett & Finnemore -- IOs and Norm Diffusion:** - IOs establish legitimacy by appearing neutral and authoritative. - Example: IMF's influence over economic policies through expert recommendations. - **Ian Hurd -- Compliance Through Legitimacy:** - IOs function effectively when states accept their authority as legitimate. - **Examples:** UN peacekeeping, ICJ rulings, and economic governance. **Critical Theory and IOs** - **Core argument:** IOs perpetuate power asymmetries and global inequalities. - **Robert Cox -- IOs as Hegemonic Tools:** - IOs reinforce capitalist systems and suppress alternative economic models. - **Gramsci -- Hegemony and Institutional Consent:** - IOs shape ideology, presenting neoliberal economic policies as universal. - **Examples:** - IMF's structural adjustment programs disadvantaging the Global South. - ILO's historical conflicts over labour protections for working-class women. **The United Nations and Global Governance** **UN Security Council (UNSC)** - **Elite Pacts (Voeten):** - P5 members exert disproportionate influence through informal bargaining. - Legitimacy ensures compliance but is secondary to power politics. - **Article 51 -- Self-Defence Justifications:** - States seek UN endorsement for military interventions (e.g., Gulf War 1991). - **Chapter 7 -- Legal Basis for Intervention:** - **Pre-1990:** Limited military enforcement mechanisms. - **Post-1990:** Expansion of peacekeeping and intervention mandates. **UN General Assembly (UNGA) and Soft Balancing** - **Post-Cold War Shift:** - Rising US dominance triggered opposition through UNGA resolutions. - **Examples:** - UNGA criticisms of US-led military actions. - Symbolic nature of non-binding resolutions to challenge superpowers. **Thompson -- UN as a Legitimacy Conduit** - **Two-step process:** - **Step 1:** IOs communicate coercive threats to reduce resistance. - **Step 2:** Public discourse validates military interventions. - **Example:** 1991 Gulf War -- UN approval ensured broad coalition support. **International Law and IOs** **UNSC and Legal Authority (Hurd 2014)** - **Intersection of Law, Politics, and Power:** - Legal framing adapts to major powers' geopolitical interests. - **Example:** Iraq invasion (2003) without explicit UN backing. - **International Court of Justice (ICJ):** - Rulings depend on state compliance, with enforcement reliant on UNSC. - Example: Nicaragua v. USA (1984), where US refused ICJ jurisdiction. **Norms, Constructivism, and Global Influence** **Norm Life Cycle (Finnemore & Sikkink)** 1. **Norm Emergence:** Advocacy by norm entrepreneurs. 2. **Norm Cascade:** Widespread adoption through IOs and states. 3. **Norm Internalisation:** Becomes accepted as standard practice. - **Examples:** - Red Cross redefining rules of war. - Global adoption of women's suffrage. **Epistemic Communities and Policy Influence** - **IOs as Knowledge Brokers:** - WHO shaping global health policies. - IMF structuring economic reforms. - **Critique:** - **Numbers mask political choices:** - Example: World Bank data framing poverty in purely economic terms. **Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Norms** **R2P and Intervention Debates** - **Bellamy -- R2P vs. State Sovereignty:** - ICC indictments deter war criminals from negotiating peace. - **Finnemore -- Selectivity in Humanitarian Interventions:** - Unequal responses to crises (e.g., Rwanda 1994 vs. Kosovo 1999). **Peacekeeping Failures (Autesserre)** - **Social Framing Biases:** - Incorrect assessments misguide intervention strategies. - Example: Misreading Congo's ongoing violence as post-conflict. **Feminism, the ILO, and Labour Rights** **Four Waves of Feminism and IOs** 1. **First Wave:** Legal equality and suffrage rights. 2. **Second Wave:** Patriarchy critique and structural reforms. 3. **Third Wave:** Intersectionality and racial inclusion. 4. **Fourth Wave:** Integrated struggles of race, gender, and class. **ILO and Gender Policies** - **Protectionist vs. Equality Approach:** - Initial ILO conventions restricted women's labour participation. - Marxist feminists opposed bourgeois emphasis on suffrage over economic rights. - **Post-WW2 Evolution:** - Shift towards gender parity in labour rights. - Example: 1981 ILO reforms promoting equal parental leave. **Conclusion: IOs -- Powerful or Limited?** - **Realists:** IOs remain subordinate to state interests. - **Neo-Liberals:** IOs enhance cooperation but depend on power dynamics. - **Constructivists:** IOs shape norms, altering state behaviour over time. - **Critical Theorists:** IOs reinforce dominant economic and political structures. **Additional But Useful Insights** **Expanded Case Studies** - **Iraq War (2003):** UNSC failure to legitimise intervention. - **UN Peacekeeping Missions:** Failures in Congo, Lebanon, Somalia. - **ICJ Disputes Beyond Nicaragua:** Broadening legal precedents. **Institutional Politics in IOs** - **Thompson's "Transmission Belt" Model:** Role of IOs in shaping intervention narratives. - **Hurd's Perspective on International Law:** Legal flexibility and state compliance. - **Autesserre's Social Frameworks in Peacekeeping:** The role of misperceptions in failed interventions. **Key IOs Beyond the UN** - **ILO's Evolution:** From protectionism to gender equality. - **WTO, IMF, and World Bank:** Economic governance and global policy. - **Veto Power and Decision-Making in IOs:** The politics behind symbolic resolutions.