Part I Introduction, Ch.3 The Law and Politics of International Organizations

Subject(s):

Collective security — Membership of international organizations — International organizations, practice and procedure — Resolutions of international organizations — Responsibility of international organizations

This chapter describes the contours of the international law (IL) and international relations (IR) scholarship on international organizations (IOs), as well as some of its key characteristics and debates. It proceeds in three parts. Part I briefly surveys the major theoretical approaches to the creation and functions of IOs found in the IL and IR literature. Part II analyzes the most important conceptual debates that have occupied IO scholars in recent years, including debates over the autonomy, accountability, and legitimacy of IOs. Part III explores a cluster of policy dilemmas, including the political implications of institutional fragmentation, how to manage IO interactions, and why IOs increasingly seem unable to effectively address matters of pressing international concern.