JKP 511E – International Organization

Sidang Video 1

Introduction
➢ An international organization (IO) is an organization with an international membership, scope
or presence.
➢ IO is a specialization within the political science master program. It covers various aspects of
global governance from multiple social political science perspectives.
➢ To study IO is to study the norms, rules and institutions that shape relations between states and
contacts across state borders, and how they affect peoples lives, the destiny of nations and the
fate of the planet.

Benefits Of International Organization.

➢ IOs can provide smaller states an opportunity for stronger economic power.
➢ This can also help build relationships with larger states in which some believe can prevent war
between one another.
➢ IOs also gives states an opportunity to be efficient and that is why states join them.
➢ IOs provides opportunity for secured worldwide trade.
➢ IOs can benefit the larger state because it shows others that they are willing to not always get
their way on issues and it allows them to work with others.

Limitations Of International Organization.

➢ Cultural differences : very hard to deal with such difference. Beyond the expertise to understand
and overcome.
➢ Monitoring multiple countries : It is is very important and at the same time very difficult to
closely analyze all the economic and other dynamic situations all over the world.
➢ Resistance from the domestic organizations : the domestic organizations may not be in favor of
centralization of power.
➢ Gov and political hurdles : Different countries with different political parties may lead to
diversified the government restrictions and administrative limits.

Types Of International Organization.

a) Inter-Governmental Organizations (IGOs)
 An IGO is an organization composed primarily of soverign states (member state) or of other
inter-governmental organizations. IGOs are established by treaty or other agreement that acts as
a charter (grant of authority / rights) creating the group. Example include the United Nations,
World Bank or European Union.

b) International Non-Governmental Organizations (IGOs)

 An International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGO) has the same mission as a non-
governmental organization (NGO), but it is international in scope and has outposts around the
world to deal with specific issues in many countries. Some INGOs are operational (primary
purpose is to foster the community-based organizations within each country via different
projects and operations) & some are advocacy-based (primary purpose is to influence the
policy-making of different countries governments regarding certain issues or promote the
awareness of a certain issue).
c) Multinational Corporations / Enterprise
 A multinational corporation (MNC) or multinational enterprise is and organization that owns or
controls production of goods or services in one or more countries other than their home country.
It can also be referred as an international corporation, a “transnational corporation” or a
stateless corporation.

4 Role is International Organization.

➢ The participating countries define the function of the Ios. The objective of Ios is to study,
collect and propagate information, setting up of laws that are internationally accepted. TheIOs
also help in cooperation between different countries by setting up negotiation deals between
them and in technical assistance.

a) Setting of international norms through technical analysis.

 The IOs play an important role in collection statistical information, analyzing the trends in the
variables, making a comparative study and disseminate the information to all other countries.
There are some IGOs that have set international minimum standard. Such norm are difficult to
be set at the state level.

b) Supervisory role
 These are some IOs that perform certain supervisory functions. The supervisory system of the
UN is very weak. In contrast , the supervisory mechanism of the ILO is quite strong. The
European Union, together with Commission and the Court Of Justice, has a relatively strong
supervisory mechanism.

c) Technical Assistance.
 An important role in the recent times, is lending out technical cooperation to the member
countries. By technical cooperation we mean the provision of intellectual or financial material
to the countries, which require them.

d) Negotiating and setting up multilateral agreements.

 Amongst all the roles and activities of the IOs, the most important is negotiating and setting up
multilateral agreements. Minimizing the transaction costs can strengthen the cooperation
between different countries. Beside they also provide lucidity and information. For negotiations,
forum for bargaining are set up and focal point structures are constructed during negotiation.
The multilateral agreements that are settled by the IOs occur in sections like environment
protection, development trade, crime human rights and etc.

Formation of the International Organization

➢ A constituent act (charter), which is a type of international treaty, is the basis for the creation
and activities of each IO. The charter usually establishes an organization's goals, principles,
structure and activities and is the highest law for an IO and its members. Its provisions must
accord with ad must not contradict the norm and principles of modern international laws.
➢ The Highest body of most Ios is the general assembly (conference) of all members, which meets
periodically (either annually or once every few years). The competence of the general assembly
usually includes the adoption, review, amendment and alteration of the constituents act. In
addition, the general assembly handles the admission of new members, the establishment of a
dues scale, and the adoption of a budget.
➢ Most IOs are governed by an executive council (for example an exec' committee or presidium).
➢ As a rule, each IO has a standing secretariat headed by a secretary-general or director.
➢ In addition, auxiliary consultative bodies are usually established (commissions, committees,
working group and councils).
➢ The decisions of an overwhelming majority of IOs are recommendations; that is, is a strictly
legal sense, they are not binding on their members.
➢ IOs contribute to the resolution of major international problems. Some I)s give financial support
to INGOs so that they can implement concrete programs or conduct research in which the
interstate organizations are interested.
JKP 511E – International Organization
Sidang Video 2

• What is an international organization?

An organization with international membership, scope or presence.

• Who are members of international organizations?

State and non-state actor – depending on the type of organization.

• Renewed interest toward IOs

They are in an extraordinary period of transition.
Their role in world politics and the scope of their activities has increased.

• What purpose do international organizations serve?

Connecting members, bridging gaps, encouraging peace and security, economic developing,
etc...
 • Today's Topic Of Discussion:
a) History of IOs and tendencies of their emergence as crucial players in the world politics.
b) Some major international organizations (more specifically IGOs), such as UN and EU that
are selected on the basis of their significance to the world and regional politics, that will be
discussed in terms of their structures and functions.
c) International Non-Governmental Organization (INGOs)
d) Multinational Corporations (MNCs)

• These issues will be discussed in more detail and in the scope of specific political-economic
themes during the following classes.

Types of international organizations.

• IGOs are formal institutions comprised primarily of sovereign states (referred to as member
states), or of other intergovernmental organization (e.g. UN, EU, NATO, IMF, G8 etc).
• They can be multi or general-purpose organizations, taking up any international issue, such as
UN.
• They can also have narrow mandate focusing on a specific economic, political, social or
military issue, examples : ILO, WHO
• Spillover – cooperation in one issue area may affect another issue area.
• Membership can be open to all actors, or limited by some objective criteria (e.g. EU, Nato
conditionally)
• International NGO – essentially nonprofit, private organizations that engage in a variety of
international activities(e.g. Amnesty International, Greenpeace, International Committee for
Red Cross, Worldvision International, etc..)
• Types on INGOs (alternate names): independent sector, volunteer sector, civil society,
grassroots, private voluntary organizations, self-help organizations and non-state actors.
• Financing – mostly membership dues, charitable contributions and private sourcing.
• NGOs roles in the world politics :
a) Information gathering with people on the ground, interaction with other INGOs, IGOs and
MNCs.
b) Consult and expertise.
c) Carrying out policies of states and INGOs
d) Private interactions involving with various transactions to bring together groups and
individuals.
• Participate in international politics by defining goals, providing information, and giving expert
advice.
• Pressure governments and IGOs through direct and indirect lobbying.
• NGOs are instrumental in setting international norms and executing international policy.
• MNCs – for – profit firms that have subsidiaries in two or more countries and engage in
transnational production activities involving movement of goods and services across national
boundaries (e.g Wal-Mart, McDonalds, General Motors, Boeing, Adidas, etc)
• Some large multilateral corporations, given their large economic influence as well as their
extensive financial resources, can have a powerful influence in local economics as well as the
world economy and play an important role in international relations and globalization.
• In addition to efforts by multinational corporations to affect governments, there is much
government action intended to affect corporate behavior. The threat of nationalization (forcing a
 company to sell its local assets to the government or to other local nationals) or changes in local
business laws and regulations can limit a multinational's power.
• Four broad categories of MNCs :
– MNCs involved in Agriculture and attractive industries, including gas and oil explorations
(British Petroleum, BP), Staoil (Norwegian), Exxon (US), AMOCO (US), etc....
– MNCs involved in the provision of financial services, such as multinational banks, brokers,
and insurance companies.
– MNCs as industrial corporations involved in manufacture of goods (Motorola, Sony,
Volkswagen, etc)
• International Regimes – informal principles, rules, norms and decision making procedures that
are codified in charters, treaties and international law (e.g. International Protocols, Convention,
Systems, etc...)
• International actors, when formally organized, many of them cab be considered
intergovernmental organizations.
• Often form in response to a need to coordinate behavior among countries among issues, such a
security trade, finance, investment, information, communication, human rights and
environment, etc...
• E.g In its absence, telecommunications between countries would have to be governed by
numerous bilateral agreements, which would become impossibly complex to administer
worldwide. A regime such as ITU servers simultaneously as a forum, a multilateral treaty, and a
governing body to standardize telecommunications across countries efficiently The IMF,
Biological Weapon Convention, and Kyoto Protocol are other examples of International
regimes.

JKP 511E – International Organization

Sidang Video 3

History Of IGOs & UN System

History Of IGOs
• The earliest modern precedents to today's IGOs:
a) The Concert of Europe (1815 – 1914) – The balance of power that existed in Europe from the
fall of Napoleon to the outbreak of WW1. This was a result of a custom, following the era of
Napoleon and the French Revolution, adopted by the old great powers of Europe. The Concert
would meet from time to time in an international conference or congress, in order to plan a
solution by mutual agreement (concert), whenever some problem arose that threatened peace
between European nations. A mechanism to enforce the decisions of the Congress of Vienna.

b) The Congress of Vienna – A forum for international collaboration on European security and
commerce. A multipurpose IGO created by the European great powers to reestablish order and
stability on the continent after the Napoleonic Wars.

c) The Leagues Of Nations (1919 – 1939) – President Woodrow Wilson considered its architect,
establish after WW1, having universal membership, predeceasing UN, UN embraces most of
the League's principles and structures

d) Failure of the League : politically challengec by Japan-China Conflict in Manchuria (1931) and
 the Italy-Ethiopia conflict (1935). The outbreak of WW2 ended the League's history. However,
its legacy lives on.

• The post WW2 era - massive proliferation of IGO's and other IO's (over 20,000).
• From the league of nations to UN :
Creation of UN System in 1945. The founders – victorious allies of WW2 – meet in San
Francisco to found a multipurpose IGO first envisioned by the league of nations.
• UN designed to be center of multilateral diplomacy in postwar word politics. Aiming a
restoring peace and maintaining security, establish friendly relations among nations, address
economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and to promote respect for universal
human rights.
• Universal membership, currently up to 192 countries (all countries in the world, except
Vatican and Kosovo)
• Headquartered in New York.
• Six official languages : Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.
• UN system structured around five principle organs, together with its several agencies and
autonomous organizations, comprise the UN family of IGOs

The UN System :
A. The General Assembly – serves as quasi legislative body, functions assigned by the UN Charter are
fivefold :
1. Deliberates and considers any issue that arises under the Charter. Addresses any issues related
to international peace, security and disarmament and bring to the attention of Security Council,
its decision, however is non-binding.
2. Responsible to initiate studies and make recommendations for promoting political cooperation.
3. Responsible for promoting international cooperation in economic, social, cultural, educational
and health fields.
4. Drafts and approves the UN budget.
5. Oversees the UN bureaucracy
• Based on liberal democratic principles of political equality and majority rule. Simple
majority vote deciding most issues. 2/3 required to decide on important issues.

B. The Security Council - main organ with primary responsibility to maintain international peace
and security.
• Unlike the Assembly, the Security Council's decisions are binding on member states.
• Limited membership : composed of permanent and non-permanent elective members, headed
by a president, an office that rotates among members.
• Permanent members (P5) include five great powers victors of WW2: US, UK, Russia, France
and China.
• Each P5 posses right of veto over the Council decision, which allows one member to kill
• Ten elected members selected from and by the Assembly.
• Absent a veto, Security Council resolutions are passed by an affirmative vote of nine members.
C. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) – known as World Court is the primary judicial organ of
the UN, based in the Hague, Netherlands.
• Main functions are to settle legal disputes submitted to it by member states and to give advisory
opinions on legal questions submitted to it by duly authorized international organs, agencies and
the UN General Assembly.
 • Composed of fifteen judges elected to nine years terms by the UN General Assembly and the
UN Security Council from a list of persons nominated by the national groups in the Permanent
Court of Arbitration.
• Elections take place every three years, with one-third of the judges retiring each time, in order
to ensure continuity within the court.

D. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) - composed of 54 member states, assist the
General Assembly in promoting international economic and social cooperation and development.
• ECOSOC's functions include information gathering, advising member nations and making
recommendations.
• The president is elected for a one-year term and chosen among the small or middle powers
represented on ECOSOC.
• ECOSOC meets once a year in July for a four-week session.
• Three broad categories of MNC's :
a) MNCs involved in Agriculture and attractive industries, including gas and oil explorations
(British Petroleum, BP), Staoil (Norwegian), Exxon (US), AMOCO (US), etc....
b) MNCs involved in the provision of financial services, such as multinational banks, brokers,
and insurance companies.
c) MNCs as industrial corporations involved in manufacture of goods (Motorola, Sony,
Volkswagen, etc)

E. The Secretariat – one of the principal organs of the United Nations and it is headed by the UN
Secretary General, assisted by a staff of international civil servants worldwide.
• It provides studies, information and facilities needed by UN bodies for their meetings and
carries out tasks as directed by the UN bodies.

Current Challenges to UN System.

a) Tendency towards failure in decision making in the Security Council due to the veto right of
each P5, the interests of which often overlap.
b) Tensions between UN and US, which is the largest contributor but also largest debtor to UN.
c) US withdrawing from Kyoto Protocol and International Criminal Court.
d) 9/11 raising questions about the appropriate role of UN.
e) UN invasion of Iraq in 2003 without UN authorization.

The European Union

• The EU is a comprehensive, multipurpose regional organization that has been under
construction since WW2.
• The EU traces its origins to the European Coal and Steel Community formed among six
countries (Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany) in 1951 an
the treaty of Rome extending this cooperation to atomic energy (EURATOM) and establishing
European Economic Community in 1957.
• It is an economic and political union of 27 member states, located primarily in Europe. It was
established by the treaty of Maastricht (city in Amsterdam), which was signed in February 1992
and came into force in November 1993.
• The EU operates through a hybrid system of intergovernmentalism and supranationalism. In
certain areas it depends upon agreement between the member states. However, it also has
supranational bodies, able to make decisions without unanimity between all national
governments.
 • The institutions are not concentrated in a single city: they are instead based across three cities,
Brussles, Luxembourg and Strasbourg.
• The Treaty of Amsterdam (arranging locations) states that the Commission and Council would
be based in Brussels, the Courts in Luxembourg and the Parliament in Strasbourg.
• However some departments of the commission and meetings of the Council take place in
Luxembourg, while the Parliament has its committees and some sessions in Brussels and its
secretariat in Luxembourg.
• Of the new institutions, the Central Bank is based in Frankfurt, while the European Council is
based it Brussels, but has some extraordinary meeting.

A. The European Council – Intergovernmental body of the EU, consisting of heads of EU member
states/governments and representing the political leadership of the EU.
• Formally established by the Single European Act in 1985 and strengthened by Maastricht Treaty
in 1992.
• The European Council meets twice a year with representatives of other EU institutions to
coordinate EU policy with national policies and interests.
• Influential body as most of the political and military decisions are still made at the national
level.
B. The Council Of Ministers – another intergovernmental body of the EU, a chief decision making
body made up of relevant ministers (depending on a subject matter discussed in the Council) from the
governments of the member states.
• The Council is thus a fluid body whose composition changes depending on the issue area.
• The Council is a political institution, often influenced by individual national interests as
members of the Council represent their national governments to the EU.

C. The European Commission – supranational body and the bureaucratic arm of the EU, generator of
most of the proposals and initiatives.
• Formally reporting to the Council of Ministers, but yet exercising a great deal of autonomy.
• The Commission members (25 appointed for four year term) are responsible to further the
interest of EU as opposed to the interests of their own countries.
• Power to initiate policy proposals.
• Power to execute EU policies.
• Power to control – guardian of EU Treaties

D. The European Court Of Justice – created by the Treaty of Paris in 1958 to adjudicate any legal
dispute
• Located in Luxembourg.
• Composed of 27 justices appointed by their national governments who are assisted by 8
Advocates – Generals
• The Judges and Advocates – Generals are appointed by common accord of the governments of
the member states and hold office for a renewable term of 6 years.
• It is the responsibility of the Court of Justice to ensure that the law is observed in the
interpretation and application of the Treaties of the EU and of the provisions laid down by the
competent Community Institution.