Some international agreements create international organizations,
which are institutions that set rules for nations and provide venues for diplomacy.
There are two types of international organizations: international governmental
organizations (IGOs) and international nongovernmental
organizations (INGOs or, more commonly, NGOs). In recent years,
multinational corporations (MNCs) have also had a significant
impact on the international system.
IGOs and NGOs exist for a variety of reasons, such as controlling the
proliferation of conventional and nuclear weapons, supervising trade, maintaining
military alliances, ending world hunger, and fostering the spread of democracy and
peace.
IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
|
Name
|
Type
|
Date Founded
|
Members as of 2006
|
| Amnesty International | NGO | 1961 | 1.8 million members in 150 countries |
| European Union (EU) | IGO | 1992 | 25 states, including the United Kingdom, Sweden, and
Estonia |
| International Olympic Committee (IOC) | NGO | 1894 | 115 individuals, who represent the IOC in their home
countries |
| Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) | IGO | 1960 | 11 states, including Venezuela, Qatar, and
Indonesia |
| Salvation Army | NGO | 1878 | Runs programs in more than 100 countries; has 3.5 million
volunteers |
| Save the Children | NGO | 1932 | Helps children in poverty around the world, including the
United States and Nepal |
| United Nations (UN) | IGO | 1946 | 191 states, including Burkina Faso, Denmark, the United
States, and Jamaica |
| World Bank | IGO | 1945 | Offers loans to more than 100 states, including Cameroon and
Senegal |
International Governmental Organizations
IGOs form when governments make an agreement or band together. Only
governments belong to IGOs, which are sometimes also known by the acronym IO
(for international organization). The United Nations (UN),
the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the World Trade Organization
(WTO), and the European Union (EU) are all examples of IGOs.
Nongovernmental Organizations
Unlike governmental organizations, NGOs are made up of individuals, not
businesses or governments. NGOs serve a variety of functions and represent
numerous interests. Organizations that are not affiliated with governments but
that nevertheless play an important role in international politics are called
nongovernmental actors. Not all NGOs have a positive impact on
global politics. Although Amnesty International has helped defend human rights,
for example, the international terrorist organization al Qaeda has killed
civilians in an effort to cripple economies and topple governments. Since the
end of World War II, nongovernmental actors have become more important in the
global arena.
Multinational Corporations
MNCs, or businesses that operate in more than one country, are another
type of nongovernmental actor in the international system. Although MNCs are
nongovernmental actors, they are not NGOs: As businesses, MNCs cannot be
considered NGOs. Their primary aim is to make money. In the twenty-first
century, MNCs dominate the global economy: According to the Coca-Cola
corporation, for example, more than 70 million Coke products are consumed daily
in Africa.
Example: Some MNCs—such as Coca-Cola,
Microsoft, and IBM, to name a few—are worth more than many small countries,
which means that they have the power to be major players in international
politics. In 2000, for instance, the Central Intelligence Agency
declassified several documents that incriminated ITT, the International
Telephone and Telegraph Company, of having funded rebels to topple the
government of Chile and establish a new, more business-friendly government
in the early 1970s.
