Summary: Introduction To International Organizations

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• 1 introduction

• 1.2 What are IOs?

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• What is the definition of an international organization?

  A type of international institution that has norms, rules, practices that shape the behavior and expectations of states and other political world actors.

• What are five things that an international organization must have?

  1. Headquarters/bureaucracy
     
  2. A formal treaty base
  3. At least 3 member states
  4. Formal rules/procedures
  5. Regular state meetings

• 1.3 Categorisation of IOs

• What are the two types of memberships with IOs?

  - universal (every state can join -> UN)
  - limited (only some states can join -> EU)

• What are the two types of competence with IOs?

  - comprehensive/general purpose (deal with many issues & different topics)
  - limited/issue specific (focuses on a specific theme)

• What are the two functions of IOs?

  - rule-making -> make policies 
  - operational -> execute policies

• What two types of decision-making authorities do IOs have?

  - inter-governmental (decision are made by the member states -> horizontal authority & pooled sovereignty) UNSC
  - supranational (decisions are made by a body above the member states -> vertical authority & delegated sovereignty) WTO

• 1.4 Forces of IOs

• What are the three forces of an IO?

  - Obligation (when states join an IO, they accept the rules & obligations)
  - Compliance (is calculated or not calculated)
  - Enforcement

• What are the two types of obligation?

  - direct obligation -> explicitly set out (known in advance on a treaty/charter)
  - indirect obligation -> arrive during the IOs course of operation (are open-ended)

• What are the two types of compliance?

  - explicit compliance (Directly decide to join an IGO and choose then to either explicitly comply or violate the IGOs rules (“consent to be bound”))
  - implicit compliance (IGOs influence states’ preferences (through setting goals, understanding of self-interest and understanding what’s appropriate) leading to eventual compliance with the rules (“socialisation”))

• What are the two types of enforcement?

  - Direct Enforcement: Ability to threaten and punish rule-violators (but very few IGOs have this ability; e.g. EU, WTO).
  - Indirect Enforcement: Ability to persuade or shame rule-violators (more commonly used by IGOs). Even in absence of direct enforcement, states often comply as they see more benefit in agreeing with the IGO, rather than going against it.