Introduction to IOs - Summary
Lecture 1 - International Organisations in World Politics I
Institution: body of norms/rules/practices that shape behavior/expectations
• Regime: principles/norms/rule/procedures that govern interaction in certain areas
• Global governance: sum of rules/actors that make up regime (too broad)
• Formal international organization scholarship: focus on rules/issues with specific legal bodies
(legalist approach)
Features of IGOs:
• >3
• Treaty (authority + obligations)
• Institution
• International legal personality:
• Subjects of international law
• Certain rights, privileges and responsibilities (e.g. can’t be sued)
Categorization (most common):
• Membership: limited/regional vs universal
• Competence: general vs issue-specific
• Function: program (decide) vs operational (execute)
• Authority: intergovernmental vs supranational
Forces of IOs:
• Obligations: direct vs indirect (arise later)
• Flaw: states can withdraw consent
• Compliance: explicit (initial consent) vs implicit (IOs influence behaviour/environment)
• Enforcement: direct vs soft (reputation)
Readings:
• Hurd, I., chapter 1
,Lecture 2 - International Organisations in World Politics II
Role of IOs:
• Actors (legal personality, agency, recognition)
• Forums (logistical support, physical meeting places)
• Resources (domestic scapegoat, delegitimizing opponent, symbols)
Power of IOs:
• Contractualism: states > IOs
• Regime theory: states < IOs
• Constructivism: states <=> IOs
Perspectives on IOs (origins, role):
• Neorealism: hegemonic interest/relative gains, marginal
• Neo-institutionalism: collective gains/principle-agent relations, reduce uncertainties
• Liberalism: progress/shared values/interdependence, ensure peace
• Constructivism: norm entrepreneurs, transform world
• Critical theories: neoliberal elites/patriarchy, reinforce power structures
• Rational design??
Oldest IO: Central Commission for Navigation on Rhine (5 members)
League of Nations:
• Covenant adopted 1919, enters into force 1920
• Problem: force allowed if unanimous decision unreachable
• Members
• 32 original, 58 max
• Germany/Japan withdraw 1933, Italy 1935
• Structure:
• Assembly: plenary, flexible, unanimous decisions (except 2/3 for membership)
• Council: annual forum, reports, conflict resolution
• 6 permanent (GB, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, USSR)
• 4 non-permanent, + anyone concerned
• Permanent secretariat: support Assembly and Council, appointed by Assembly
• Permanent Court of International Justice: 9 judges, ended when Germany occupied
Netherlands
• Committees: disarmament, mandates, labour, health
Reading:
• Hurd, I., chapter 2
• Five lessons Brexit negotiators should take from the League of Nations
• Covenant of League of Nations
• Nationalism and the League of Nations Today (pp. 721-737)
, 1. Comment
18 October 2019 at 13:43:31
Greater impact than charter states
- Reinforce norms
Decision making:
- Important issues: 2/3
- Other issues: simple majority
Membership:
- Procedure: formal application —
> Secretary General —> UNSC (9
votes, no vetoes) —> GA (2/3)
- US vetoes Palestine
- Types of members:
- Member states
- Observer states (e.g. Lecture 3 & 4 - United Nations
Palestine)
- IGOs (observers) Shaped to avoid LoN failures: no enforcement, big power interests, easy withdrawal, illogical
- EU (enhanced disarmament, protectionism (?)
observers)
Key facts:
Observers:
• Headquarters: New York
- Right to speak
• 192 members
- Right to vote on procedural
• Mandate: end international war, promote development
matters
- EU: submit/amend proposals
Founding 1945:
• San Francisco conference
2. Comment
18 October 2019 at 13:33:27 • 50 participants
Effect of sovereign equality on • 1 plenary, >400 committee meetings
each stage: • Main disagreements: power delegation, veto powers, ICJ power, colony sovereignty
1. Agenda setting: medium
2. Negotiations: weak UN Charter - most important articles:
3. Decision-making: strong • Every other treaty is subordinate
(conditional votes) • Sovereign equality
• Non-intervention in domestic jurisdiction
3. Comment • Refrain from use of force
18 October 2019 at 13:39:18 • Right to use force in self-defense
Special sessions: emergency
meetings Structure:
- Enabled by “Uniting for Peace” 1 • General Assembly: make non-binding recommendations
resolution 2 • Plenary organ
- E.g. if UNSC fails to reach 3 • Subsidiary organs (annual meetings)
unanimity • Main committees (report to plenary organ): Disarmament and International Security;
- 10 so far (e.g. status of 4 Economic and Financial; Social, Humanitarian and Decolonisation; Administrative and
Jerusalem) Budgetary; Legal
• Other bodies: Commissions; Councils; Joint Inspections Unit; United Nations Dispute
4. Comment Tribunal
18 October 2019 at 13:34:55 • Security Council: enforcement action on international peace/security
Sets budget - only legally binding 5 • Secretariat: bureaucracy
GA power 6 • Secretary general
7 • Staff
UN members not paying dues 8 • Economic and Social Council: coordinates agencies, recommend on non-security issues
- Late payments • 15 specialized agencies: independent IOs, but closely linked to UN (e.g. ILO, IMF, WHO, etc)
- Strategic withholding • International Court of Justice: legal disputes
- 128 least paying = 1.3% • Trusteeship Council: oversaw non-self-governing territories (took over mandates commission for
- US: 22% LoN)
- Penalty: no GA vote of not payed
in 2 years Regional groups:
• African (54)
Assessed every other year • Asian-Pacific (53)
• East European (23)
4 separate budgets • Latin American/Caribbean (33)
- Regular budget (core activities)
5. Comment
18 October 2019 at 14:12:16
Authority:
- Supportive (less)
- Operational (more)
- Decision-making (most)
6. Comment
18 October 2019 at 15:02:47
- Recommended by SC
- Appointed by GA
Problem: often passive
Lecture 1 - International Organisations in World Politics I
Institution: body of norms/rules/practices that shape behavior/expectations
• Regime: principles/norms/rule/procedures that govern interaction in certain areas
• Global governance: sum of rules/actors that make up regime (too broad)
• Formal international organization scholarship: focus on rules/issues with specific legal bodies
(legalist approach)
Features of IGOs:
• >3
• Treaty (authority + obligations)
• Institution
• International legal personality:
• Subjects of international law
• Certain rights, privileges and responsibilities (e.g. can’t be sued)
Categorization (most common):
• Membership: limited/regional vs universal
• Competence: general vs issue-specific
• Function: program (decide) vs operational (execute)
• Authority: intergovernmental vs supranational
Forces of IOs:
• Obligations: direct vs indirect (arise later)
• Flaw: states can withdraw consent
• Compliance: explicit (initial consent) vs implicit (IOs influence behaviour/environment)
• Enforcement: direct vs soft (reputation)
Readings:
• Hurd, I., chapter 1
,Lecture 2 - International Organisations in World Politics II
Role of IOs:
• Actors (legal personality, agency, recognition)
• Forums (logistical support, physical meeting places)
• Resources (domestic scapegoat, delegitimizing opponent, symbols)
Power of IOs:
• Contractualism: states > IOs
• Regime theory: states < IOs
• Constructivism: states <=> IOs
Perspectives on IOs (origins, role):
• Neorealism: hegemonic interest/relative gains, marginal
• Neo-institutionalism: collective gains/principle-agent relations, reduce uncertainties
• Liberalism: progress/shared values/interdependence, ensure peace
• Constructivism: norm entrepreneurs, transform world
• Critical theories: neoliberal elites/patriarchy, reinforce power structures
• Rational design??
Oldest IO: Central Commission for Navigation on Rhine (5 members)
League of Nations:
• Covenant adopted 1919, enters into force 1920
• Problem: force allowed if unanimous decision unreachable
• Members
• 32 original, 58 max
• Germany/Japan withdraw 1933, Italy 1935
• Structure:
• Assembly: plenary, flexible, unanimous decisions (except 2/3 for membership)
• Council: annual forum, reports, conflict resolution
• 6 permanent (GB, France, Italy, Japan, Germany, USSR)
• 4 non-permanent, + anyone concerned
• Permanent secretariat: support Assembly and Council, appointed by Assembly
• Permanent Court of International Justice: 9 judges, ended when Germany occupied
Netherlands
• Committees: disarmament, mandates, labour, health
Reading:
• Hurd, I., chapter 2
• Five lessons Brexit negotiators should take from the League of Nations
• Covenant of League of Nations
• Nationalism and the League of Nations Today (pp. 721-737)
, 1. Comment
18 October 2019 at 13:43:31
Greater impact than charter states
- Reinforce norms
Decision making:
- Important issues: 2/3
- Other issues: simple majority
Membership:
- Procedure: formal application —
> Secretary General —> UNSC (9
votes, no vetoes) —> GA (2/3)
- US vetoes Palestine
- Types of members:
- Member states
- Observer states (e.g. Lecture 3 & 4 - United Nations
Palestine)
- IGOs (observers) Shaped to avoid LoN failures: no enforcement, big power interests, easy withdrawal, illogical
- EU (enhanced disarmament, protectionism (?)
observers)
Key facts:
Observers:
• Headquarters: New York
- Right to speak
• 192 members
- Right to vote on procedural
• Mandate: end international war, promote development
matters
- EU: submit/amend proposals
Founding 1945:
• San Francisco conference
2. Comment
18 October 2019 at 13:33:27 • 50 participants
Effect of sovereign equality on • 1 plenary, >400 committee meetings
each stage: • Main disagreements: power delegation, veto powers, ICJ power, colony sovereignty
1. Agenda setting: medium
2. Negotiations: weak UN Charter - most important articles:
3. Decision-making: strong • Every other treaty is subordinate
(conditional votes) • Sovereign equality
• Non-intervention in domestic jurisdiction
3. Comment • Refrain from use of force
18 October 2019 at 13:39:18 • Right to use force in self-defense
Special sessions: emergency
meetings Structure:
- Enabled by “Uniting for Peace” 1 • General Assembly: make non-binding recommendations
resolution 2 • Plenary organ
- E.g. if UNSC fails to reach 3 • Subsidiary organs (annual meetings)
unanimity • Main committees (report to plenary organ): Disarmament and International Security;
- 10 so far (e.g. status of 4 Economic and Financial; Social, Humanitarian and Decolonisation; Administrative and
Jerusalem) Budgetary; Legal
• Other bodies: Commissions; Councils; Joint Inspections Unit; United Nations Dispute
4. Comment Tribunal
18 October 2019 at 13:34:55 • Security Council: enforcement action on international peace/security
Sets budget - only legally binding 5 • Secretariat: bureaucracy
GA power 6 • Secretary general
7 • Staff
UN members not paying dues 8 • Economic and Social Council: coordinates agencies, recommend on non-security issues
- Late payments • 15 specialized agencies: independent IOs, but closely linked to UN (e.g. ILO, IMF, WHO, etc)
- Strategic withholding • International Court of Justice: legal disputes
- 128 least paying = 1.3% • Trusteeship Council: oversaw non-self-governing territories (took over mandates commission for
- US: 22% LoN)
- Penalty: no GA vote of not payed
in 2 years Regional groups:
• African (54)
Assessed every other year • Asian-Pacific (53)
• East European (23)
4 separate budgets • Latin American/Caribbean (33)
- Regular budget (core activities)
5. Comment
18 October 2019 at 14:12:16
Authority:
- Supportive (less)
- Operational (more)
- Decision-making (most)
6. Comment
18 October 2019 at 15:02:47
- Recommended by SC
- Appointed by GA
Problem: often passive
