What is an international organization? International organizations and their activities

04.03.2020

international organizations) - 1) associations of states or associations of national societies (associations) of a non-governmental nature and individual members for consultation, coordination of activities, development and achievement of common goals in various areas of international life (political, economic, scientific and technical, social, cultural, military etc.); 2) one of the most important forms of multilateral cooperation between states.

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INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

fr. organization, from lat. organizo - give a slender appearance, arrange) - one of the main organizational and legal forms of international cooperation in the modern world; voluntary organizations whose activities cover a variety of aspects of international relations: economic, political, cultural. The number of international organizations is growing steadily - if at the beginning of the 20th century. There were about 40 intergovernmental and 180 non-governmental organizations; today there are about 300 and 5000, respectively. The first international organization was the Universal Postal Union, created in 1875. Modern international organizations include: 1) regional organizations: Council of Europe, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), League of Arab States (LAS), Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) , Organization of African Unity (OAU), Organization of American States (OAS); 2) organizations of an economic nature: the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), etc.; 3) professional organizations: International Organization of Journalists (IOJ), International Association of Political Sciences (IAPS), International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL); 4) demographic organizations: International Democratic Federation of Women (IDFW), World Youth Association (WAY); 5) organizations in the field of culture and sports: International Olympic Committee (IOC); 6) military-political organizations: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Pacific Security Pact (ANZUS), etc.; 7) trade union organizations: International Conference of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), World Confederation of Labor (CGT), etc.; 8) various organizations in support of peace and international solidarity: the World Peace Council (WPC), the International Peace Institute in Vienna, etc.; 9) organizations for the protection of victims of wars, disasters and natural disasters: International Red Cross (IRC); 10) environmental organizations: Greenpeace and others. The most significant role in the system of international relations is played by the United Nations (UN), established in 1945 in order to maintain the global security system. The UN Charter enshrines such principles of international cooperation as the sovereign equality of all its members, the resolution of international disputes by peaceful means, renunciation of the use of force, and non-interference in the internal affairs of states. The structure of the UN is made up of: 1) the UN Secretariat (headed by the Secretary General); 2) Security Council (15 countries, of which 5 are permanent members with veto power - Russia, USA, Great Britain, France, China); 3) General Assembly (all member countries of the organization); 4) a number of organizations - structural units of the UN, including: WHO (World Health Organization), ILO (International Labor Organization), UNESCO (World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), IMF (International Monetary Fund), IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), UNICEF (International Children's Fund), International Court of Justice.

Olga Nagornyuk

Why are international organizations needed?

The modern world is at the stage of post-industrial development. Its distinctive features are the globalization of the economy, informatization of all spheres of life and the creation of interstate associations - international organizations. Why do countries unite in such unions and what role do they play in the life of society? We will discuss this in our article.

The purpose of existence of international organizations

Humanity has come to the realization that problems, be it a political or economic crisis, an AIDS or swine flu epidemic, global warming or energy shortages, must be solved together. Thus was born the idea of creating interstate associations, which were called “international organizations”.

The first attempts to create interstate unions date back to antiquity. The first international trade organization, the Hanseatic Trade Union, appeared during the Middle Ages, and an attempt to create an interethnic political association that would help peacefully resolve acute conflicts occurred at the beginning of the 20th century, when the League of Nations was founded in 1919.

Distinctive features of international organizations:

1. Only associations that include 3 or more states receive international status. A smaller number of members gives the right to be called a union.

2. All international organizations are obliged to respect state sovereignty and have no right to interfere in the internal affairs of member countries of the organization. In other words, they should not dictate to national governments who and what to trade with, what constitution to adopt, and what states to cooperate with.

3. International organizations are created in the likeness of enterprises: they have their own charter and governing bodies.

4. International organizations have a certain specialization. For example, the OSCE is involved in resolving political conflicts, the World Health Organization is in charge of medical issues, the International Monetary Fund is involved in issuing loans and financial assistance.

International organizations are divided into two groups:

intergovernmental, created by the union of several states. Examples of such associations include the UN, NATO, IAEA, OPEC;

non-governmental, also called public, in the formation of which the state does not take part. These include Greenpeace, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the International Automobile Federation.

The goal of international organizations is to find optimal ways to solve problems that arise in their field of activity. With the joint efforts of several states, this task is easier to cope with than for each country individually.

The most famous international organizations

Today in the world there are about 50 large interstate associations, each of which extends its influence to a certain area of society.

UN

The most famous and authoritative international alliance is the United Nations. It was created in 1945 with the aim of preventing the outbreak of the Third World War, protecting human rights and freedoms, conducting peacekeeping missions and providing humanitarian assistance.

Today, 192 countries are members of the UN, including Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an international military organization founded in 1949 at the initiative of the United States with the goal of “defending Europe from Soviet influence.” Then 12 countries received NATO membership, today their number has grown to 28. In addition to the United States, NATO includes Great Britain, France, Norway, Italy, Germany, Greece, Turkey, etc.

Interpol

The International Criminal Police Organization, which declared its goal to fight crime, was created in 1923, and today has 190 states, ranking second in the world in terms of the number of member countries after the UN. The headquarters of Interpol is located in France, in Lyon. This association is unique because it has no other analogues.

WTO

The World Trade Organization was established in 1995 as a single intergovernmental body overseeing the development and implementation of new trade relations, including the reduction of customs duties and the simplification of foreign trade rules. Now there are 161 states in its ranks, including almost all countries of the post-Soviet space.

IMF

The International Monetary Fund, in fact, is not a separate organization, but one of the UN divisions responsible for providing loans to countries in need for economic development. Funds are allocated solely on the condition that the recipient country fulfills all recommendations developed by the fund’s specialists.

Practice shows that the conclusions of IMF financiers do not always reflect the realities of life; examples of this are the crisis in Greece and the difficult economic situation in Ukraine.

UNESCO

Another unit of the United Nations dealing with issues of science, education and culture. The purpose of this association is to expand cooperation between countries in the field of culture and art, as well as to ensure freedoms and human rights. UNESCO representatives fight illiteracy, stimulate the development of science, and resolve issues of gender equality.

OSCE

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is considered the world's largest international organization responsible for security.

Its representatives are present in zones of military conflicts as observers monitoring compliance by the parties with the terms of signed agreements and agreements. The initiative to create this union, which today unites 57 countries, belonged to the USSR.

OPEC

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries speaks for itself: it includes 12 states that trade in “liquid gold” and control 2/3 of the world’s total oil reserves. Today OPEC dictates oil prices to the whole world, and no wonder, because the organization’s member countries account for almost half of the exports of this energy resource.

WHO

Founded in 1948 in Switzerland, the World Health Organization is part of the UN. Among her most significant achievements is the complete destruction of the smallpox virus. WHO develops and implements uniform standards of medical care, provides assistance in the development and implementation of government health programs, and takes initiatives promoting a healthy lifestyle.

International organizations are a sign of the globalization of the world. Formally, they do not interfere in the internal life of states, but in fact they have effective levers of pressure on the countries that are part of these associations.

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Signs of an international organization:

Any international organization must have at least the following six characteristics:

Establishment under international law

1) Establishment in accordance with international law

This attribute is essentially decisive. Any international organization must be created on a legal basis. In particular, the establishment of any organization must not prejudice the recognized interests of the individual state and the international community as a whole. The founding document of an organization must comply with generally accepted principles and norms of international law. According to Art. 53 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations, a peremptory norm of general international law is a norm that is accepted and recognized by the international community of states as a whole as a norm, deviations from which are unacceptable and which can only be changed by a subsequent norm of general international law bearing the same character.

If an international organization was created unlawfully or its activities contradict international law, then the constituent act of such an organization must be declared void and its effect terminated as soon as possible. An international treaty or any of its provisions is invalid if its execution is associated with any action that is unlawful under international law.

Establishment based on an international treaty

2) Establishment based on an international treaty

As a rule, international organizations are created on the basis of an international treaty (convention, agreement, treaty, protocol, etc.).

The object of such an agreement is the behavior of the subjects (parties to the agreement) and the international organization itself. The parties to the founding act are sovereign states. However, in recent years, intergovernmental organizations have also become full participants in international organizations. For example, the European Union is a full member of many international fisheries organizations.

International organizations may be created in accordance with resolutions of other organizations having more general competence.

Implementation of cooperation in specific areas of activity

3) Cooperation in specific areas of activity

International organizations are created to coordinate the efforts of states in a particular area. They are designed to unite the efforts of states in the political (OSCE), military (NATO), scientific and technical (European Organization for Nuclear Research), economic (EU), monetary and financial (IBRD, IMF), social (ILO) and in many other areas. At the same time, a number of organizations are authorized to coordinate the activities of states in almost all areas (UN, CIS, etc.).

International organizations become intermediaries between member states. States often refer the most complex issues of international relations to organizations for discussion and resolution. International organizations seem to be taking over a significant number of issues on which previously relations between states were of a direct bilateral or multilateral nature. However, not every organization can claim an equal position with states in relevant areas of international relations. Any powers of such organizations are derived from the rights of the states themselves. Along with other forms of international communication (multilateral consultations, conferences, meetings, seminars, etc.), international organizations act as a body of cooperation on specific problems of international relations.

Availability of appropriate organizational structure

4) Availability of an appropriate organizational structure

This feature is one of the important signs of the presence of an international organization. It seems to confirm the permanent nature of the organization and thereby distinguishes it from numerous other forms of international cooperation.

Intergovernmental organizations have:

headquarters;
members represented by sovereign states;
the necessary system of main and auxiliary organs.

The highest body is a session convened once a year (sometimes once every two years). The executive bodies are the councils. The administrative apparatus is headed by the executive secretary (general director). All organizations have permanent or temporary executive bodies with different legal status and competence.

Availability of rights and obligations of the organization

5) Availability of rights and obligations of the organization

It was emphasized above that the rights and obligations of the organization are derived from the rights and obligations of member states. It depends on the parties and only on the parties that this organization has precisely such (and not another) set of rights that it is entrusted with the fulfillment of these responsibilities. No organization, without the consent of its member states, can take actions affecting the interests of its members. The rights and obligations of any organization are generally enshrined in its constituent act, resolutions of supreme and executive bodies, and in agreements between organizations. These documents establish the intentions of the member states, which must then be implemented by the relevant international organization. States have the right to prohibit an organization from taking certain actions, and the organization cannot exceed its powers. For example, Art. 3 (5 “C”) of the IAEA Charter prohibits the agency, when performing its functions related to providing assistance to its members, to be guided by political, economic, military or other requirements that are incompatible with the provisions of the Charter of this organization.

Independent international rights and obligations of the organization

6) Independent international rights and obligations of the organization

We are talking about the possession by an international organization of an autonomous will, distinct from the wills of the member states. This sign means that, within the limits of its competence, any organization has the right to independently choose the means and methods of fulfilling the rights and obligations assigned to it by member states. The latter, in a certain sense, does not care how the organization implements the activities entrusted to it or its statutory responsibilities in general. It is the organization itself, as a subject of international public and private law, that has the right to choose the most rational means and methods of activity. In this case, member states exercise control over whether the organization is lawfully using its autonomous will.

Thus, international intergovernmental organization- is a voluntary association of sovereign states or international organizations, created on the basis of an interstate treaty or a resolution of an international organization of general competence to coordinate the activities of states in a specific area of cooperation, having an appropriate system of main and subsidiary bodies, possessing an autonomous will different from the wills of its members.

Classification of international organizations

Among the international organizations it is customary to highlight:

by nature of membership:
- intergovernmental;
- non-governmental;
by circle of participants:
- universal - open to the participation of all states (UN, IAEA) or to the participation of public associations and individuals of all states (World Peace Council, International Association of Democratic Lawyers);
- regional - whose members can be states or public associations and individuals of a certain geographical region (Organization of African Unity, Organization of American States, Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Persian Gulf);
- interregional - organizations in which membership is limited by a certain criterion that takes them beyond the scope of a regional organization, but does not allow them to become universal. In particular, participation in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is open only to oil exporting countries. Only Muslim states can be members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC);
by competence:
- general competence - activities affect all areas of relations between member states: political, economic, social, cultural and others (UN);
- special competence - cooperation is limited to one special area (WHO, ILO), divided into political, economic, social, cultural, scientific, religious;
by nature of powers:
- interstate – regulate cooperation between states, their decisions have advisory or binding force for participating states;
- supranational - are endowed with the right to make decisions that directly bind individuals and legal entities of the member states and are valid on the territory of the states along with national laws;
depending on the procedure for admission to international organizations:
- open - any state can become a member at its discretion;
- closed - admission to membership is carried out at the invitation of the original founders (NATO);
by structure:
- with a simplified structure;
- with a developed structure;
by creation method:
- international organizations created in the classical way - on the basis of an international treaty with subsequent ratification;
- international organizations created on a different basis - declarations, joint statements.

Legal basis of international organizations

The basis for the functioning of international organizations is the sovereign will of the states that establish them and their members. Such an expression of will is embodied in an international treaty concluded by these states, which becomes both a regulator of the rights and obligations of states and a constituent act of an international organization. The contractual nature of the constituent acts of international organizations is enshrined in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations of 1986.

The statutes of international organizations and relevant conventions usually clearly express the idea of their constituent nature. Thus, the preamble to the UN Charter declares that the governments represented at the San Francisco Conference “have agreed to accept the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization called the United Nations...”.

Constitutive acts serve as the legal basis of international organizations; they proclaim their goals and principles, and serve as a criterion for the legality of their decisions and activities. In the constituent act of the state, the issue of the international legal personality of the organization is decided.

In addition to the constituent act, international treaties that affect various aspects of the organization’s activities, for example, those treaties that develop and specify the functions of the organization and the powers of its bodies, are essential for determining the legal status, competence and functioning of an international organization.

Constituent acts and other international treaties that serve as the legal basis for the creation and activities of international organizations also characterize such an aspect of the organization’s status as the exercise as a legal entity of the functions of a subject of national law. As a rule, these issues are regulated by special international legal acts.

The creation of an international organization is an international problem that can only be solved by coordinating the actions of states. States, by coordinating their positions and interests, determine the set of rights and obligations of the organization itself. Coordination of the actions of states when creating an organization is carried out by them themselves.

In the process of functioning of an international organization, the coordination of the activities of states takes on a different character, since a special, permanent mechanism is used and adapted for the consideration and agreed solution of problems.

The functioning of an international organization comes down not only to relations between states, but also between the organization and states. These relations, due to the fact that states voluntarily accepted certain restrictions and agreed to obey the decisions of an international organization, may have a subordinate nature. The specificity of such subordination relations lies in the fact that:

they depend on coordination relations, i.e., if the coordination of the activities of states within the framework of an international organization does not lead to a certain result, then subordination relations do not arise;
they arise in connection with the achievement of a certain result through the functioning of an international organization. States agree to submit to the will of the organization due to the awareness of the need to take into account the interests of other states and the international community as a whole, for the sake of maintaining an order in international relations in which they themselves are interested.

Sovereign equality should be understood as legal equality. In the 1970 Declaration The principles of international law concerning friendly relations and cooperation between states in accordance with the UN Charter state that all states enjoy sovereign equality, they have the same rights and obligations, regardless of differences of economic and social, political or other nature. In relation to international organizations, this principle is enshrined in the constituent acts.

This principle means:

all states have equal rights to participate in the creation of an international organization;
every state, if it is not a member of an international organization, has the right to join it;
all member states have the same rights to raise issues and discuss them within the organization;
each member state has an equal right to represent and defend its interests in the organs of the organization;
when making decisions, each state has one vote; there are few organizations that work on the principle of so-called weighted voting;
a decision of an international organization applies to all members unless otherwise specified.

Legal personality of international organizations

Legal personality is a property of a person, in the presence of which he acquires the qualities of a subject of law.

An international organization cannot be regarded as a mere sum of its member states or even as their collective representative speaking on behalf of all. In order to fulfill its active role, an organization must have a special legal personality that is distinct from the mere summation of the legal personality of its members. Only with such a premise does the problem of the influence of an international organization on its sphere make any sense.

Legal personality of an international organization includes the following four elements:

legal capacity, i.e. the ability to have rights and obligations;
capacity, i.e. the ability of an organization to exercise rights and obligations through its actions;
ability to participate in the process of international law-making;
the ability to bear legal responsibility for one's actions.

One of the main attributes of the legal personality of international organizations is the presence of their own will, which allows them to directly participate in international relations and successfully carry out their functions. Most Russian lawyers note that intergovernmental organizations have an autonomous will. Without its own will, without the presence of a certain set of rights and obligations, an international organization could not function normally and carry out the tasks assigned to it. The independence of the will is manifested in the fact that after the organization is created by states, it (the will) already represents a new quality in comparison with the individual wills of the members of the organization. The will of an international organization is not the sum of the wills of the member states, nor is it a merger of their wills. This will is also “separated” from the wills of other subjects of international law. The source of the will of an international organization is the constituent act as a product of coordination of the wills of the founding states.

The most important features of the legal personality of international organizations are the following qualities:

1) Recognition of the quality of an international personality by subjects of international law.

The essence of this criterion is that member states and relevant international organizations recognize and undertake to respect the rights and obligations of the relevant intergovernmental organization, their competence, terms of reference, grant the organization and its employees privileges and immunities, etc. According to the constituent acts, all intergovernmental organizations are legal entities. Member States shall grant them legal capacity to the extent necessary for the performance of their functions.

2) Availability of separate rights and obligations.

Availability of separate rights and obligations. This criterion for the legal personality of intergovernmental organizations means that organizations have such rights and responsibilities that are different from the powers and responsibilities of states and can be exercised at the international level. For example, the UNESCO Constitution lists the following responsibilities of the organization:

promoting rapprochement and mutual understanding of peoples through the use of all available media;
encouraging the development of public education and the dissemination of culture; c) assistance in preserving, increasing and disseminating knowledge.

3) The right to freely perform one’s functions.

The right to freely perform one's functions. Each intergovernmental organization has its own constituent act (in the form of conventions, charters or resolutions of the organization with more general powers), rules of procedure, financial rules and other documents that form the internal law of the organization. Most often, when performing their functions, intergovernmental organizations proceed from implied competence. When performing their functions, they enter into certain legal relations with non-member states. For example, the UN ensures that states that are not members act in accordance with the principles set out in Art. 2 of the Charter, as may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security.

The independence of intergovernmental organizations is expressed in the implementation of the regulations that constitute the internal law of these organizations. They have the right to create any subsidiary bodies that are necessary to perform the functions of such organizations. Intergovernmental organizations may adopt rules of procedure and other administrative rules. Organizations have the right to revoke the vote of any member who is in arrears in their dues. Finally, intergovernmental organizations can demand an explanation from a member if it does not implement recommendations regarding problems in their activities.

4) The right to conclude contracts.

The contractual legal capacity of international organizations can be considered one of the main criteria of international legal personality, since one of the characteristic features of a subject of international law is its ability to develop norms of international law.

In order to exercise their powers, agreements of intergovernmental organizations have a public law, private law or mixed nature. In principle, every organization can conclude international treaties, which follows from the content of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties between States and International Organizations or between International Organizations of 1986. In particular, the preamble of this Convention states that an international organization has such legal capacity to conclude treaties as necessary for the performance of its functions and the achievement of its objectives. According to Art. 6 of this Convention, the legal capacity of an international organization to conclude treaties is governed by the rules of that organization.

5) Participation in the creation of international law.

The law-making process of an international organization includes activities aimed at creating legal norms, as well as their further improvement, modification or abolition. It should be especially emphasized that no international organization, including a universal one (for example, the UN, its specialized agencies), has “legislative” powers. This, in particular, means that any norm contained in recommendations, rules and draft treaties adopted by an international organization must be recognized by the state, firstly, as an international legal norm, and secondly, as a norm binding on a given state.

The law-making power of an international organization is not unlimited. The scope and type of law-making of an organization are strictly defined in its constituent agreement. Since the charter of each organization is individual, the volume, types and directions of law-making activities of international organizations differ from each other. The specific scope of powers granted to an international organization in the field of lawmaking can only be determined on the basis of an analysis of its constituent act.

In the process of creating norms regulating relations between states, an international organization can play various roles. In particular, in the initial phases of the law-making process, an international organization may:

be an initiator making a proposal to conclude a certain interstate agreement;
act as the author of the draft text of such an agreement;
convene in the future a diplomatic conference of states to agree on the text of the treaty;
itself to play the role of such a conference, coordinating the text of the treaty and approving it in its intergovernmental body;
after the conclusion of the agreement, perform the functions of a depository;
exercise certain powers in the field of interpretation or revision of a contract concluded with its participation.

International organizations play a significant role in shaping customary rules of international law. The decisions of these organizations contribute to the emergence, formation and cessation of customary norms.

6) The right to have privileges and immunities.

Without privileges and immunities, normal practical activities of any international organization are impossible. In some cases, the scope of privileges and immunities is determined by a special agreement, and in others - by national legislation. However, in general form, the right to privileges and immunities is enshrined in the constituent act of each organization. Thus, the UN enjoys on the territory of each of its members such privileges and immunities as are necessary to achieve its goals (Article 105 of the Charter). The property and assets of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), wherever located and whoever holds them, are immune from search, confiscation, expropriation or any other form of seizure or disposal by executive or legislative action (Article 47 of the Agreement on establishment of the EBRD).

Any organization cannot invoke immunity in all cases where it, on its own initiative, enters into civil legal relations in the host country.

7) The right to ensure compliance with international law.

Empowering international organizations to ensure compliance with international law demonstrates the independent nature of organizations in relation to member states and is one of the important signs of legal personality.

In this case, the main means are institutions of international control and responsibility, including the use of sanctions. Control functions are carried out in two ways:

through the submission of reports by Member States;
observation and examination of a controlled object or situation on site.

International legal sanctions that can be applied by international organizations can be divided into two groups:

1) sanctions, the implementation of which is permissible by all international organizations:

suspension of membership in the organization;
exclusion from the organization;
denial of membership;
exclusion from international communication on certain issues of cooperation.

2) sanctions, the powers to implement which are strictly defined by organizations.

The application of sanctions classified in the second group depends on the goals fulfilled by the organization. For example, the UN Security Council, in order to maintain or restore international peace and security, has the right to use coercive actions by air, sea or ground forces. Such actions may include demonstrations, blockades and other operations by air, sea or land forces of UN members (Article 42 of the UN Charter)

In the event of a gross violation of the rules for operating nuclear facilities, the IAEA has the right to take so-called corrective measures, up to and including issuing an order to suspend the operation of such a facility.
Intergovernmental organizations are given the right to take direct part in resolving disputes that arise between them and international organizations and states. When resolving disputes, they have the right to resort to the same peaceful means of resolving disputes that are usually used by the primary subjects of international law - sovereign states.

8) International legal responsibility.

Acting as independent entities, international organizations are subjects of international legal responsibility. For example, they must be held accountable for the illegal actions of their officials. Organizations may become liable if they abuse their privileges and immunities. It should be assumed that political responsibility may arise in the event of an organization violating its functions, failure to comply with agreements concluded with other organizations and states, for interference in the internal affairs of subjects of international law.

Financial liability of organizations may arise in case of violation of the legal rights of their employees, experts, excessive amounts of money, etc. They are also obliged to bear responsibility to the governments where they are located, their headquarters, for illegal actions, for example, for unjustified alienation of land, non-payment utilities, violation of sanitary standards, etc.

International organizations are permanent associations of an intergovernmental or non-governmental nature, created on the basis of international agreements in order to facilitate the solution of international problems specified in the agreements.

The term “international organizations” is usually used to refer to both international intergovernmental (interstate) organizations and international non-governmental organizations. However, these organizations have different legal natures.

International intergovernmental (interstate) organizations are permanent associations of states created on the basis of an international treaty in order to facilitate the solution of international problems specified in the treaty.

International non-governmental organizations are permanent associations of national unions, associations, non-governmental societies to achieve common goals in the field of health, culture, education, science and technology, charity, etc. To recognize an organization as an international non-governmental organization, it must meet the following requirements:

the purpose of the organization is non-profit activity of international importance;

the establishment of an organization is carried out in accordance with the domestic legislation of the state, and not on the basis of an international agreement;

The organization's effective activities are carried out in at least two countries.

Classification by number of participants

universal (that is, for all states; e.g. - UN)

regional (whose members may be states of the same region; e.g. - Organization of African Unity, Organization of American States)

interregional

Classification by nature of powers

interstate - not limiting the sovereignty of the state

supranational (supranational) - partially limiting the sovereignty of the state: by joining such organizations, member states voluntarily transfer part of their powers to an international organization represented by its bodies.

Classification by functions performed

Rulemaking advisory intermediary operational information

Classification by order of admission of new members

open (any state can become a member at its discretion)

closed (reception with the consent of the original founders)

Classification by competence (field of activity)

general competence (eg - UN)

special competence (political, economic, credit and financial, trade, health; e.g. - Universal Postal Union)

Largest international organizations:

UN - (UN, United Nations)

WIPO - World Intellectual Property Organization.

IAEA - International Atomic Energy Agency.

UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Interpol - (Interpol)

Other international regional organizations:

Andean community -

ASEAN - Association of Southeast Asian Nations

ASEM - Forum "Asia - Europe"

APPF - Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum

African Union (formerly OAU) - African Union

European Free Trade Association - EFTA

European Union

CARICOM

LAS - League of Arab States

The League of nations

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organization - NATO

NAFTA - North American Free Trade Area - NAFTA

INOBI - International Organization for Entrepreneurship and Investment - INOBI

OSCE - Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe

OPEC - Organization of Petroleum Producing and Exporting Countries - OPEC

Organization of Islamic Conference

Northern Council

CIS - Commonwealth of Independent States English. Commonwealth of Independent States

OVD - Warsaw Pact Organization

CMEA - Council for Mutual Economic Assistance

Comintern - Third Communist International

Union of Orthodox States

The role of international organizations

International organizations are among the most developed and diverse mechanisms for regulating international life. According to data from the Union of International Associations, in 1998. there were 6,020 international organizations; over the past two decades, their total number has more than doubled.

International organizations are usually divided into two main groups.

1. Interstate (intergovernmental) organizations are established on the basis of an international treaty by a group of states; within the framework of these organizations, interaction between member countries takes place, and their functioning is based on bringing the participants’ foreign policy to a certain common denominator on those issues that are the subject of the activities of the relevant organization.

2. International non-governmental organizations arise not on the basis of an agreement between states, but through an association of individuals and/or legal entities whose activities are carried out outside the framework of the official foreign policy of states. International non-governmental organizations do not include structures whose goal is to make profit (transnational corporations).

It is clear that interstate organizations have a much more tangible impact on international political development - to the extent that states remain the main actors in the international arena.

The influence of non-governmental organizations on international life is also quite noticeable. They can raise issues that are not addressed by government activities; collect, process and disseminate information about international issues requiring public attention; initiate concrete approaches to address them and encourage governments to enter into appropriate agreements; monitor the activities of governments in certain areas of international life and the fulfillment by states of their obligations.

International economic organizations (IEOs) regulate the work of transnational corporations, draw up cooperation agreements, develop legal norms and simplify work in the global market.

The globalization of the economy and the emergence of new industries increases the number of international agreements and features of cooperation between countries. International economic organizations (IEOs) regulate the work of transnational corporations, draw up cooperation agreements, and develop legal norms to make work in the global market easier and more profitable.

The number and composition of IEOs varies depending on the political situation, the characteristics of the development of the global market and the goals of cooperation in the organization. For example, the UN was created to maintain peace after the end of World War II, but over time the organization's powers have expanded significantly. Dozens of specialized IEOs working under the auspices of the UN were added to the organizational structure.

Varieties

Depending on the range of tasks to be solved, such associations of states are divided into universal and specialized.

Specialized ones regulate certain areas of international activity: trade (WTO, UNCTAD), currency relations (IMF, EBRD), export of raw materials (OPEC, MSCT), agriculture (FAO).
Universal organizations are large associations that contribute to the development of international relations in general and simplify access to the world market. For example, OECD - Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation.

Depending on their international legal status, IEOs are divided into interstate and non-governmental organizations.

Interstate agreements are formalized by agreements concluded between several countries (or their associations) to solve a set list of tasks. For example, the UN system includes dozens of specialized international organizations that issue legislation for member states.
Non-governmental organizations are associations of countries that do not involve the conclusion of agreements between government structures. This type of IEO pursues humanitarian goals (the Committee of the Red Cross), investigates human rights violations (the Human Rights Oversight Committee), fights caesura (the Reporters Without Borders committee), and preserves cultural heritage (the Memorial Committee).

Functions

All international organizations are created to form a single world market, adapted to national legislation and their characteristics. The subjects (participants) of IEO can be individual states or their associations, and economic relations become the objects (subjects of cooperation) of such organizations.

Depending on the legal status and the list of tasks to be solved, there are five main functions of the IEO.

Solving problems that are relevant for all countries of the world: combating hunger, epidemics, poverty, unemployment, ensuring stable economic development. Such issues are resolved by the UN and its specialized organizations, the World Bank Group, and the Eurasian Economic Union.
Solving economic, legal and social problems relevant to the region. For example, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development finances structural changes in the economies of Central and Eastern Europe.
Creating comfortable conditions for doing business in a separate market segment. Such organizations unite several countries that produce one group of goods for the world market. For example, OPEC is an association of oil exporting states that coordinates sales of raw materials and controls the price level on the market.
Informal and semi-formal groupings that are created by several countries to solve narrow problems. For example, the Paris Club of Creditors is a financial union of leading economies to regulate the payment of debts of individual states.

Most IEOs are formed and developed as markets expand, national borders in trade disappear, and new industries are created. For example, the massive introduction of Internet technologies led to the creation of the European User Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).