17 The concept of International organizations

Summary

The video script discusses the evolution and significance of international organizations since the 19th century, highlighting their growth and role in global governance. It defines these organizations as associations of states or other organizations with specific tasks, equipped with permanent organs and governed by international law. The video touches on the political issues of legitimacy and accountability, emphasizing the rationality and centrality of law in the functioning of these bureaucracies.

Takeaways

• 🕰️ International organizations have been around since the 19th century but significantly increased in the second half of the 20th century, reflecting their growing importance in global governance.
• 🌐 There are several hundred international organizations worldwide, ranging from small technical organizations to large universal organizations like the United Nations.
• 🤝 International organizations are defined as associations of states or other organizations, established to serve specific tasks with permanent organs.
• 🏛️ The creation of international organizations is a result of a free intent to come together and act together, unlike states which are often the result of a factual process.
• 📜 Membership in international organizations is often made up of states, but can also include other international organizations, as seen with the European Union's membership in the WTO.
• 📑 International organizations are established through juridical acts, typically treaties, which serve as their foundational instruments and are binding like a constitution.
• 🔍 Organizations are specialized based on functionalism, designed to fulfill certain functions such as monitoring, protecting, or regulating specific areas.
• 🛠️ Equipped with permanent organs like a Secretariat and governing bodies, international organizations are institutions with their own internal culture and habits.
• 📚 Bureaucracies within international organizations are rational and central to modern governance, with law being a key driver of their actions and decisions.
• 📖 The legal basis for any new task within an international organization is a question of international law, highlighting the importance of legal expertise in these entities.
• 🔑 Civil servants in international organizations derive their power and authority from the law, always referring to legal instruments to justify their actions.

Q & A

What is the historical context of the emergence of international organizations?

International organizations have been in existence since the 19th century, but their number and importance significantly increased during the second half of the 20th century.

How many international organizations are there today, and what is the range of their sizes and purposes?

There are a few hundred international organizations around the world today, ranging from small technical organizations like bilateral River commissions to large universal organizations with crucial political tasks, such as the United Nations.

What role do international organizations play in global governance?

International organizations play an important role in global governance by providing expertise and professionalism, often being relied upon by states to design, decide, and implement common policies.

What are some of the concerns and problems associated with international organizations?

Concerns and problems associated with international organizations include issues of legitimacy and accountability, which are largely political issues rather than purely legal ones.

How can international organizations be defined from a legal perspective?

From a legal perspective, international organizations can be defined as associations of states and/or other organizations, established to serve specific tasks and equipped with permanent organs.

What distinguishes the creation of international organizations from the formation of states?

Unlike the formation of states, which is largely a factual process, the creation of international organizations is the result of a free intent to come together and act together.

Why are international organizations often referred to as intergovernmental organizations?

International organizations are often referred to as intergovernmental organizations because their members are typically states, although other international organizations can also be members if the rules allow it.

What is the significance of a treaty in the establishment of an international organization?

A treaty is significant in the establishment of an international organization as it serves as the basic instrument or 'constitution' that is binding upon the organization and governs its creation and operation.

What is the concept of functionalism in the context of international organizations?

Functionalism in the context of international organizations refers to the idea that these organizations are established to fulfill certain functions and are specialized accordingly, such as monitoring and protecting migrating birds or regulating fisheries.

Why are international organizations equipped with permanent organs?

International organizations are equipped with permanent organs, such as a Secretariat and governing bodies, to serve as institutions with their own habits, character, and internal culture, distinguishing them from ad hoc international conferences.

How do international organizations relate to the concept of bureaucracies, and what role does law play in this context?

International organizations are bureaucracies, characterized by their rationality and central role in modern governance. Law is central to bureaucracies, as bureaucrats, including international civil servants, derive their power and authority from the law and always refer to it to justify their actions.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Evolution and Role of International Organizations

The script discusses the historical development and current significance of international organizations, which have proliferated since the mid-20th century. It highlights their role in global governance, where they contribute expertise and professionalism, often being relied upon by states for policy-making. The script also touches on the legitimacy and accountability concerns associated with these organizations, noting that these are primarily political rather than legal issues. The paragraph defines international organizations from a legal perspective as associations of states or other organizations, established to fulfill specific tasks with permanent organs, and distinguishes them from domestic law associations.

05:02

🏛️ Structure and Function of International Organizations

This paragraph delves into the structure and functions of international organizations, emphasizing their permanent organs, typically a Secretariat and a governing body representing member states. It describes these organizations as institutions with their own habits, character, and internal culture, and labels them as bureaucracies in a positive light, highlighting their rationality and central role in modern governance. The script underscores the importance of law in bureaucracies, where civil servants derive their power and authority from legal instruments and rules, and how international organizations operate within the framework of international law, with any new task requiring a legal basis.

Keywords

💡International Organizations

International organizations are entities established by states or other organizations to work together on specific tasks and issues. They are central to the video's theme, illustrating the growth and importance of such organizations in global governance since the 19th century. The script mentions the United Nations as an example of a universal organization with crucial political tasks.

💡Global Governance

Global governance refers to the collective management of public affairs at the global level, involving various actors including international organizations. The script discusses how international organizations contribute to this concept by designing, deciding, and implementing common policies, highlighting their role in shaping international relations.

💡Legitimacy

Legitimacy in the context of the video pertains to the recognition and acceptance of international organizations' authority and actions. It is a concern raised in the script, suggesting that while these organizations are influential, there are ongoing debates about their right to perform certain tasks and make decisions.

💡Accountability

Accountability is the obligation of international organizations to report on their actions and decisions, especially in matters of public interest. The script notes that concerns about legitimacy often intertwine with issues of accountability, emphasizing the need for transparency and responsibility in global governance.

💡Intergovernmental Organizations

Intergovernmental organizations are a type of international organization where the members are states, and decisions are made through a collective process. The script uses this term to describe organizations like the United Nations, which are formed by states coming together with a shared intent to act in concert.

💡Functionalism

Functionalism in the script refers to the specialized roles that international organizations play to fulfill certain functions, such as monitoring and protecting migratory birds or regulating fisheries. It is a concept that underscores the practical, task-oriented nature of these organizations.

💡Permanent Organs

Permanent organs are the structural components of an international organization, such as a Secretariat and governing bodies, which provide continuity and institutional memory. The script emphasizes that these organs distinguish international organizations from ad hoc conferences, giving them a bureaucratic character.

💡Bureaucracies

Bureaucracies, as mentioned in the script, are systems of administration characterized by hierarchy, rules, and procedures. International organizations are described as bureaucracies, which are seen as rational and central to modern governance, with law being a key driver of their actions.

💡Legal Basis

The legal basis is the foundation of authority for international organizations to undertake specific actions or tasks. The script discusses how new tasks are considered in light of the legal basis provided by the international instruments governing the organization, which is a question of international law.

💡International Law

International law is the set of rules and principles governing relations between states and other international actors. The script highlights its importance in the creation and operation of international organizations, as well as in determining their powers and responsibilities.

💡Treaty

A treaty is an international agreement between states that serves as the legal foundation for the establishment of an international organization. The script explains that organizations are not parties to the treaties under which they are established but are bound by them, similar to a constitution.

Highlights

International organizations have increased in number and importance in the second half of the 20th century.

There are a few hundred international organizations around the world, ranging from small technical organizations to universal organizations with crucial political tasks like the United Nations.

International organizations play an important role in global governance, with their expertise and professionalism relied upon by states.

States often turn to international organizations to design, decide, and implement common policies.

There are concerns and problems of legitimacy and accountability with international organizations, which are largely political issues rather than purely legal ones.

International organizations can be defined legally as associations of states and/or other organizations, established to serve specific tasks with permanent organs.

International organizations are created through a free intent to get together and act together, unlike states whose creation is a result of a factual process.

The members of international organizations are often states, but other international organizations can also be members if the rules allow it.

International organizations are established as a result of a juridical act, usually a treaty, which serves as their basic instrument and constitution.

International organizations are distinguished from domestic law associations by their membership of other subjects of international law and their creation governed by international law.

Organizations are based on functionalism, fulfilling certain functions and specializing in areas like monitoring and protecting migrating birds, designing aviation rules, or regulating fisheries.

International organizations are equipped with permanent organs, such as a Secretariat of international civil servants and a governing body representing the members.

The permanent character of the organs makes international organizations institutions with their habits, character, and internal culture.

International organizations are bureaucracies, which are profoundly rational and central to any modern way of governing.

Law is central to bureaucracies, with bureaucrats always acting by referring to legal instruments and rules to justify their actions.

In international organizations, when a new task is envisaged, the first question is to determine the legal basis that entitles the organization to carry it out.

The legal basis question in international organizations is a matter of international law.

Transcripts

[Music]

International organizations have existed

since the 19th century but it is really

during the second half of the 20th uh

Century that they have increased in

number and in importance today there are

a few hundred International

organizations around the world from

small technical organ ganizations

established between neighboring states

like a bilateral River commission to

Universal organizations entrusted with

crucial political tasks like the United

Nations International organizations play

an important role in what can be called

the global governance their expertise

and professionalism is relied upon by

States and states often turn to them in

order to design decide and Implement

common policies and of course this is

not without raising some concerns and

some problems of legitimacy and

accountability but those issues are

largely political issues rather than

purely legal ones and despite their

importance this course will

unfortunately not be able to address uh

to address all of them despite their

differences in composition in size and

in object and purpose International

organizations can be defined from a

legal point of view as associations of

states and or of other

organizations associations that are

established between them to serve

specific tasks and which are equipped

for that purpose with permanent organs

and let me take those elements in turn

first an international organization is

an association un like States whose

creation uh uh uh is to a large extent

the result of a factual process

International organizations are always

the result of a free intent to get

together and act together second an

association as an association the

international organization has members

in many instances those members are

states and this explains why

International organizations are also of

refer to as being intergovernmental

organizations but other International

organizations may also be members of

international organizations if the rules

of the organization allows it and for

instance while only States may be

members of the United Nations separate

Customs territory having full autonomy

in the conduct of external commercial

relations can also be members of the

world World Trade Organization and this

is why for instance the European

Community now the European Union has

been a founding member of the WTO

alongside the you uh European Union

member

states organizations are established as

a result of a jurdic act usually a

treaty concluded between the founding

members the organization is not party to

the treaty under which it has been

established but such treaty will be the

basic instrument of the organization it

will be binding upon the organization

and it will be like a constitution for

the

organization it is because their

membership is made of other subjects of

international law and it is because

their creation results from an act

governed by international law that

International organizations can be

distinguished from domestic law

associations like NOS or other legal

entities constituted under the laws of a

specific

country three an international

organization is established between its

members in order to serve specific tasks

organizations are based on

functionalism they are there to fulfill

certain functions and are for that

matter specialized for instance an

international organization can be

established in order to Monitor and to

protect protect migrating birds or in

order to design and coordinate the rules

relating to civil aviation or in order

to regulate Fisheries in certain oceans

or as the international criminal court

to prosecute and to judge individuals

accused of having committed grave

International

crimes will revert to this element of

functionalism and of specialty when

addressing the personality and the

powers of international

organizations four and lastly

International organizations are equipped

with permanent

organs those organs are usually a

Secretariat made of international civil

servants and some governing body where

the members of the organization are

represented and those organs are

permanent an international organization

is not an adoc International Conference

set up for a certain purpose during a

couple of weeks or months the permanent

character of the organs will make the

organization an institution an

institution with its habits its

character and its internal culture to

put it bluntly International

organizations are bureaucracies and by

this I do not want to mock them or to be

pejorative in any way on the contrary as

Max vber demonstrated bureaucracies are

profoundly rational and they are Central

to any modern way to govern moreover law

is Central to bureaucracies and

bureaucracies are moved by the law by

this I mean that bureaucrats always act

by referring to the legal instruments

and the rules in order to justify their

act action bureaucrats civil servants

derive their power and their Authority

from the law and always refer and rely

on it to give reasons for their actions

and this is true in National

bureaucracies but it is somehow squared

in international bureaucracies in any

International Organization when a new

task is envisaged the first question

that will need to be addressed is to

know what legal basis entitles the

organization to to carry it out and that

is a question for lawyers and as that

question will always somehow refer to

the international instrument under which

the organization is established which is

an instrument governed by international

law that question will be a question of

international law

[Music]

itself