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9.1: Introduction

  • Page ID
    210171
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    Learning Objectives

    By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

    • Explain why states create international organizations.
    • Distinguish between different types of international organizations, including international governmental organizations, supranational organizations, and international nongovernmental organizations.
    • nalyze the operations of the United Nations and the European Union.

    Note

    The author adapted and remixed the following section from one existing source:

    Abidin, S.Z. (2016). “International organizations.” In S. McGlinchey (Ed.), International Relations (pp. 71-77) [CC BY-NC 4.0]. E-International Relations.

    Despite the absence of a central authority in the international system, states still manage to work together by following rules governing their interactions. The cooperation between states is so routine that we hardly notice it in our everyday lives. For example, imagine stepping off a plane in a foreign state. As you disembark, you switch on your phone to check any messages that came through while you were in transit. You follow the sign that directs you to the airport’s exit, clear immigration, and pick up your luggage at the designated carousel. You then head straight for the “nothing to declare” green lane to exit the airport. By completing these routine actions, you have interacted with the work of at least four different international organizations.

    The aircraft that you traveled in was one of the many planes under the International Air Transport Association, and it was regulated by standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The fact that you were able to use your phone to check messages was courtesy of the work of the International Telecommunication Union. And, your customs clearance was facilitated by the Kyoto Convention set by the World Customs Organization to simplify the customs process. Today, it is increasingly difficult to imagine an international system in which the only voices that matter are those of states; rather, international organizations form an integral part of our everyday lives.

    An international organization (IO) is a group whose members include governments, institutions, or individuals from different states. IOs are created to promote cooperation among member states by fostering information exchange, monitoring compliance, and creating stable, shared expectations. IOs include international governmental organizations, such as the United Nations and the African Union; supranational organizations, such as the European Union; and international nongovernmental organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders and Greenpeace. In the following sections, we will discuss each type of international organization in turn.


    This page titled 9.1: Introduction is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Jamilya Ukudeeva.

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