Introduction To International Organizations PDF

Unit 1 Introduction to International Organizations Required Regarding Pease: Chapter 1 (pp. 1- 15 )  Contents What Is an International Organization (IO)? Common Questions about International organizations Types of International Organizations In...

Unit 1 Introduction to International Organizations Required Regarding Pease: Chapter 1 (pp. 1- 15 )  Contents What Is an International Organization (IO)? Common Questions about International organizations Types of International Organizations International Law and International Organizations The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations  What Is an International Organization? Traditionally, international organizations were conceived as formal institutions whose principal members are states. Archer in his book “International Organizations” defined international organizations “as a formal, continuous structure established by agreement between members, whether governmental representatives or not, from at least two sovereign states with the aim of pursuing the common interest of the membership”. Elements of International Organization: treaty or charter + members + formal and permanent structure + rules & procedures.  Common Questions about International Organizations Who created the international organizations? Why are international organizations created? How do the activates of international organizations affect individuals, groups and societies? How can international organizations be made more effective? What is the future of international organizations?  Types of International Organizations - 1 The two of the most common classifications of international organizations based on membership and aims & activities (purposes). Membership: 1. The type of membership: Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs) - Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs). 2. The extent of membership (regionalism versus universalism): Global International Organizations – Regional International Organizations. The aims & activities/purposes: 3. Multi - or general - purpose organizations 4. Specific - purpose organizations.  Types of International Organizations - 2 Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): The governments (which represent states) voluntarily join, contribute financing, and make decisions within the organization. Examples: - United Nations (UN). - North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). - European Union (EU). - League of Arab States (Arab League). - African Union (AU). - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). - Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC).  Types of International Organizations - 3 Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): IGOs can be categorized by rules of membership (universalism versus regionalism). 1. Global IGOs: They have universal membership whereby all states may join, such as.. - United Nations (UN) - (193 members). - World Health Organization (WHO) - (194 members). - World Trade Organization (WTO) - (164 members).  Types of International Organizations - 4 Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): 2. Regional IGOs: They have limited membership in that participation is restricted by some objective criteria such as.. - Arab League - (22 members) - European Union (EU) - (27 members). - African Union (AU) - (55 members). - Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) - (6 members). - Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) - (11 members).  Types of International Organizations - 5 Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs): According to the purpose, IGOs can be classified into: 1. Multi - or general - purpose organizations, meaning they can take up any international issue. Examples: - The UN considers a variety of issues that affect the members. - The African Union - The European Union - The Arab League - The GCC  Types of International Organizations - 6 Intergovernmental Organizations (IGOs): 2. Specific - purpose organizations, meaning they focus on specific issues. Examples: - The International Labor Organization (ILO), is charged with setting work and labor standards. - The World Trade Organization (WTO) is responsible for liberalizing trade and resolving trade disputes. - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is responsible for supporting economic policies of its 190 members. - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is working to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. - The World Health Organization (WHO) leads global efforts to expand universal health coverage.  Types of International Organizations - 7 Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): IGOs often have a special status under international law called international legal personality. This means IGOs have the capacity to act under international law. To attain legal personality, the organization must be a permanent association of states that possesses some power that is distinct from that of its member states, with that power being exercised at the international level.  Types of International Organizations - 8 Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): The legal personality of IGOs enables them to act in a manner that is similar to how states act. IGOs can reach international agreements with other international organizations and states. Also, they have many of the same legal privileges of states, such as legal immunity or the right to sue in national courts.  Types of International Organizations - 9 Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs): Political scientists have been forced to address the differences between the written goals and procedures of organizations and their actual performance. For example, during the Cold War, the UN did little to maintain international peace and security. Scholars have also focused on functionalist analyses – cooperation in nonpolitical areas (economic and social spheres) could ‘spill over’ into political areas such as security.  Types of International Organizations - 10 Nongovernmental Organization (NGO): NGOs are essentially nonprofit, private organizations that engage in a variety of international activities. They often focus on specific issues. NGOs participate in international politics by defining goals, creating norms, providing information, and giving expert advice. They also directly and indirectly pressure states and IGOs. They don’t have international legal personality.  Types of International Organizations - 11 Nongovernmental Organization (NGO): Although most NGOs receive some funding from governments, their activities are often autonomous and may be coordinated independently with IGOs. Examples: Amnesty International, Greenpeace, International Committee for the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, Reporters Without Borders, and Human Rights Watch.  Types of International Organizations - 12 Multinational Corporation (MNC): MNCs are for-profit economic firms that have subsidiaries or branches in two or more countries and engage in transnational production activities involving the movement of goods and services across national boundaries. These kinds of international organizations command extensive resources whose assets can rival that of states. For example, Apple has cash assets that exceed the gross domestic product of two-thirds of the world’s states.  Types of International Organizations - 13 Multinational Corporation (MNC): After the governments of the nine largest national economies, Walmart ranks tenth in the world in terms of revenue generated. MNCs have specific interests and preferences that they pursue in local, provincial, national, regional, and global politics. These interests, values, and preferences are often distinct from those of states, IGOs, and NGOs.  International Law and IOs - 1 International Law and IOs: The term “international organization” thus refers to different kinds of actors: IGOs (e.g., the UN), NGOs (e.g., Greenpeace), and MNCs (e.g., General Electric). International organization also refers to the institutions, processes, norms, laws, and regulations that are part of global governance. Global governance focuses on how states and nonstate actors (such as the international organizations) define and address global problems in the absence of a world government. Global governance also involves in making and sustaining the rules and the norms of world order.  International Law and IOs - 2 There is an interrelationship between international law and IOs. International law refers to the formal rules and principles that govern the relations of states and international organizations. As there is no world government, international law must be created by states formally through treaties or informally through custom. International law must also be enforced by states and IOs, and although enforcement in some issue areas is difficult (like the laws during war), international law works reasonably well most of the time.  International Law and IOs - 3 The relationship between international law and international organizations has several dimensions: 1. The legal personality of IGOs comes from a constitutive treaty agreed upon by states. 2. IGOs also play a central role in helping states implement international agreements and following through on states’ international obligations. 3. NGOs and MNCs are objects of international law in that their activities are affected by international legal regulation. 4. At the same time, IGOs, NGOs, and MNCs play a role in shaping international law by promoting values and norms and pressuring the governments of states.  International Law and IOs - 4 The relationship between international law and international organizations has several dimensions: 4. International law has been influenced directly or indirectly by nonstate actors including IOs. Example: Oil MNCs lobbied against the Kyoto Protocol (a treaty to combat climate change) and an NGO, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, was central to the development of a treaty designed to eliminate antipersonnel landmines.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 1 International organizations are analyzed using five theoretical perspectives: realism, liberalism, Marxism, feminism, and constructivism. A theory is a set of generalized principles that have descriptive, explanatory and predictive value. The scholars compare between the different theoretical perspectives based on five elements: 1. Unit of analysis. What is being studied (e.g., states, organizations). 2. The nature of international relations. How states and organizations interact. 3. The principal features of the international system. Key characteristics and structures in global politics. 4. The nature of international organizations. Are they effective? What do they reflect? How effective they are and what they represent. 5. The behavior of international organizations. How do they act? How they act and operate.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 2 Realism: The Main Assumptions: Realism focuses on the state as the principal unit of analysis. The state is the main actor in international relations. The state is a rational actor. In other words, it makes decisions by weighing the costs and benefits of various options. The state as a unitary actor (speaks with one voice). Realism views world politics as essentially conflictual, so the states' main focus is their security.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 3 Realism: The Main Assumptions: States exist in a hostile and dangerous world that forces them to be prepared for war and other forms of violent conflict. The state seeks to survive and protect its own national interests when it acts within an anarchic international system. The concepts of anarchy and balance of power are critical to an understanding of the realist view of international relations.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 4 Realism: The Main Assumptions: Anarchy is defined as the absence of a higher authority or world government that can create laws, resolve disputes, or enforce law and order in international system. The absence of a higher authority or world government requires states to engage in “self-help” in order to guarantee their security and other national interests.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 5 Realism and IOs: Realism focuses on IGOs. According to realists, the IOs serve the interests of the dominant powers in International system and legitimize their dominant position. The dominant powers will support international organizations as long as the gains exceed the costs. Other states join these organizations, even though they serve the interests of the dominant powers, because these dominant powers bear the lion share of the costs, and they have the ability to provide positive incentives.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 6 Realism and IOs: States will belong to and use international organizations if they are in their interest to do so. However, they will also ignore or even undermine them if that is in their self-interest. The effectiveness of IO is directly related to the dominant powers. If the great powers wish to use force, no IO can prevent them. The realists are very pessimistic about the independent role of international organizations in fostering cooperation among sovereign states.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 7 Realism and IOs: Conclusion: The realists tend to view international organizations as extensions of the great powers or as great-power directorates. The interests and behavior of international organizations must be understood in the context of the interests of dominant states. The international organizations can't act independently (non – autonomous).  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 8 Liberalism: The Main Assumptions: The liberal tradition in international relations, which grew out of a critique of realism, draws heavily upon the economic theory of Adam Smith and the political theory of John Locke. liberalism maintains a strong belief in the value of the individual, the idea of limited government, the market, and the rule of law. For liberalism, the unit of analysis is individuals, groups, and states. Liberals tend to be more optimistic about the prospects for cooperative relations between societies. They point out that much of international relations is based on the peaceful exchange of goods, services, and ideas among societies.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 9 Liberalism: The Main Assumptions: Liberals argue that nonstate actors, such as IGOs, MNCs and NGOs, are also important actors in international relations. Liberals see international relations as a combination of cooperation and conflict. Human beings are self-interested, but they are also cooperative. The domestic factors can influence the decision-making process as much as international considerations. Understanding the individuals and types of groups that compete for control of the government is necessary in order to understand how a state behaves in international relations.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 10 Liberalism: The Main Assumptions: Rationality cannot necessarily be assumed, given that the different influences on the government can lead to suboptimal decisions. Governments are composed many entities that can have differing and competing perceptions and interests. The market that generates wealth and prosperity also creates complex interdependence. The expanding global market brings societies together, connecting them through international trade and finance. Complex interdependence promotes more peaceful relations between societies.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 11 Liberalism and IOs: Liberals tend to see IGOs in one of two ways: 1. Some see IGOs as the early institutions—precursors—of world government. IGOs are evolving into supra- national organizations that exercise a great deal of authority over nation- states. The EU and the WTO are examples. 2. Others see IGOs as mechanisms that assist governments in overcoming collective-action problems and help them to settle conflicts and problems peacefully.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 12 Liberalism and IOs: IGOs are important actors in their own right, cooperating with governments and also acting independently. For liberals, global governance is based on the interaction of several kinds of actors—individuals, interest groups, government agencies, IGOs, NGOs, and MNCs—competing and working together to define and promote the “collective good” and to address global problems.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 13 Marxism: The Main Assumptions: Marxism emphasizes economic and political inequality in international relations, an inequality that leads to superior–subordinate relationships. Such relationships result in both violent and nonviolent international conflict. For Marxists, capitalism is the defining feature of the international system. Capitalists seek to maximize profits in a competitive global market. Such competition creates winners and losers.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 14 Marxism: The Main Assumptions: Marxists focus on economic class as the principal unit of analysis. At the domestic level there are two classes, the bourgeoisie (owners of the means of production) and the proletariat (salaried and wage- earning workers).  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 15 Marxism: The Main Assumptions: At the level of the international system, actors are distinguished by their role in the production of goods and services worldwide, so class analysis can also include economic classes of states. In the international system, There are three groups of states: 1. Core states (advanced industrialized countries) provide capital and finance. 2. Periphery states (developing countries) provide cheap raw materials and unskilled labor. 3. Semiperiphery states (newly industrializing countries) provide inexpensive skilled labor.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 16 Marxism: The Main Assumptions: The economic interaction between the three groups of states makes the distribution of benefits and costs inherently unequal. For Marxists, the international relations are conflictual, divided between rich and poor, because capitalism is based on exploitation. Capitalists seek to exploit resources, markets, and labor in order to maximize profits. Marxists hold that economic factors are most important for understanding both domestic and international politics.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 17 Marxism and IOs: For Marxists, the nature of international organizations is determined by the underlying economic order. Contemporary IGOs reflect, legitimize, and promote global capitalism. International financial institutions, such as the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are mechanisms of capitalist domination. They support open markets, forcing privatization and encouraging foreign investment.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 18 Marxism and IOs: MNCs linked societies with a strong circle of dependency that causes underdevelopment and a gross maldistribution of wealth within and between societies. As a conclusion, Marxists see IOs as a tools used by core states (capitalist states) to exploit and control weak states.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 19 Feminism: The Main Assumptions: Feminism examines international relations and international organizations through the lens of gender. The feminist approach examines the status, roles, and contributions of women in IOs and seeks to understand how the actions and policies of IOs impact women. Feminist analyses also highlight the gender bias of the realist, liberal, and Marxist perspectives. Gender is associated with social expectations about what it means to be male or female.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 20 Feminism: The Main Assumptions: According to feminism, the gender is the principal unit of analysis. According to feminism, the international relations are a combination of cooperation and conflict. According to feminism, Patriarchy is the main feature of the international system. Patriarchy means “male dominance”. Most of the establishments of international relations (e.g., states, international organizations, and firms) are either masculinist in nature or dominated by men.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 21 Feminism: The Main Assumptions: The hierarchy of contemporary international issues is ordered on the basis of men’s preferences, marginalizing many women’s issues. These interrelated assumptions provide an alternative framework for systematically criticizing realism, liberalism, and Marxism and offer an alternative lens for viewing international relations and international organizations.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 22 Feminism and IOs: The feminist theoretical approach brings the issue of gender to the study of international organizations by highlighting and evaluating the role of women in international organizations. This kind of gendered analysis examines the employment practices of international organizations to see what kinds of positions women occupy and to assess the status of those positions.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 23 Feminism and IOs: Feminist scholarship emphasizes the exclusion of women from important decision - making positions in IGOs, but NGOs are more horizontally structured. The disparate impact of the policies and activities of international organizations on each gender is also a focus of inquiry.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 24 Constructivism: Main Assumptions Constructivism centers on the role of ideas, beliefs, and interests in shaping the interactions and understandings of actors in world politics. It involves the processes by which leaders, groups and states change their preferences, shape their identities, and learn new behavior. Constructivists seek to identify the social norms and shared identities that are developed and disseminated by international organizations.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 25 Constructivism: Main Assumptions Constructivism rests on the notion that International politics is socially constructed. Values and ideas are created by human beings who are shaped by their social ties and identities. Moreover, those values and ideas change over time as human beings learn more information.  The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 26 Constructivism and IOs: Constructivism, as applied to international organizations, explores how rules and norms are created and disseminated throughout the international system. These norms are developed by a variety of actors, from a variety of cultures, and with a variety of interests. International organizations socialize individuals and states as to how to behave in international relations and how to view international problems. The nature of global governance, according to constructivists, is fluid in that it is constructed by individuals and groups (and therefore states) differently at different times. The Theoretical Perspectives for the Study of International Organizations - 27  Review Questions 1. What are the main assumptions of the realist theory of international relations? How does it view international organizations? 2. What are the main assumptions of the liberal theory of international relations? How does it view international organizations? 3. What are the main assumptions of the Marxist theory of international relations? How does it view international organizations? 4. What are the main assumptions of the feminist theory of international relations? How does it view international organizations? 5. What are the main assumptions of the constructivist theory of international relations? How does it view international organizations?