POLS2133 Study Guide - Final Guide: Rome Statute Of The International Criminal Court, Member States Of The United Nations, Global Governance
(WK 1) INTRODUCTION
International organizations – purpose is to bind sovereign states to their
commitments which created such organisations
Theories in a sentence:
Neoliberals focus on the impressive way in which IOs help states to
overcome collective action problems and achieve durable cooperation
Liberals tends to see IOs as promoters of peace, engines of progress, and
agents for emancipation
Realists have focused on IOs roles as stabilizing forces in world politics
Constructivists have focused on the more humane and other-regarding
features of IOs
Three forces in world politics:
1. Commitments states make to international organizations
2. Choices states make regarding compliance and non-compliance with
those commitments
3. Powers of enforcement held by each international organisation
Problems such as conflict, terrorism, poverty, etc. can’t be managed by states acting
alone, even superpowers. What has emerged in the past century is the creation by
sovereign states of intergovernmental organisations to do things like:
-Facilitate cooperation and coordination between governments, and increasingly
non-state actors and regular folks;
-Create new international rules, and mechanisms to monitor behaviour and secure
compliance (e.g. IMF); and
-Provide services, such as the collection and provision of information, the
adjudication of disputes and providing food (e.g. UN development program)
All this activity is a consequence of globalisation, interdependence and
interconnectedness. The reality is that what happens in country A, what country B
does, or what country C does not do, is often of relevance to countries D-Z, and
beyond. Due to globalisation in order to solve issues it requires multilateral
cooperation rather than unilateral cooperation.
Obligations
IOs founded by inter-state treaties explicitly spell out the goals and powers of the IO
and the obligations and rules that member states must take on
-E.g. Statute of the International Court of justice says that the decisions of the
Court are final and binding on the states in the dispute
IOs may have indirect obligations that arise in the course of the IO’s operation
-E.g. UN Charter gives the Security Council the authority to create new legal
obligations on UN members
Treaties e.g. UN Charter, Rome Statute of the ICC, are the authoritative source of the
obligations of the states, spelling out the commitments their members are taken on
The UNGA’s influence cannot realistically be assessed by measuring compliance and
non-compliance with its resolutions as its roles include making recommendations to
states, not making decisions or imposing new obligations
Compliance
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Document Summary
International organizations purpose is to bind sovereign states to their commitments which created such organisations. Neoliberals focus on the impressive way in which ios help states to overcome collective action problems and achieve durable cooperation. Liberals tends to see ios as promoters of peace, engines of progress, and agents for emancipation. Realists have focused on ios roles as stabilizing forces in world politics. Constructivists have focused on the more humane and other-regarding features of ios. Three forces in world politics: commitments states make to international organizations, choices states make regarding compliance and non-compliance with those commitments, powers of enforcement held by each international organisation. Problems such as conflict, terrorism, poverty, etc. can"t be managed by states acting alone, even superpowers. What has emerged in the past century is the creation by sovereign states of intergovernmental organisations to do things like: Facilitate cooperation and coordination between governments, and increasingly non-state actors and regular folks;
