International organizations: structure, role, and function

International Organizations

There are a number of difficulties involved in developing international organizations. These can include a lack of internationalization, poor economic growth, and relationships with other associations. Most international organizations have largely rejected the American federal model of institutional organization. It is likely that internationalization and globalization trends will continue to grow, contributing to the rise of the global citizen and the demise of the nation, as well as a continued rise in the power and scope of international organizations.

Since the end of WWII, there has been a strong growth of international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Today, there are tens of thousands of NGOs worldwide that act to shape international affairs and the lives of individuals (Iriye).

The development of international organizations has had a profound impact on today's world. Today, international organizations can include environmental organizations, religious organizations, multinational corporations, regional communities, and transnational private associations, among others. International organizations have been important in environmental protections, furthering human rights issues, and furthering developmental aid (Iriye).

One of the great challenges in developing international organizations, both of a governmental and non-governmental nature, is fostering the shared value of internationalism. Internationalism encompasses the idea that nations and people share specific interests and boundaries, regardless of national boundaries. Further, it includes the idea that cooperation and working together produces much better results than working alone within national boundaries. The growth of internationalism plays a crucial role in the successful development of international organizations. In the 1900s, the growth of internationalism was linked closely to the growth of international organizations (Iriye). When people and nations feel that it is in their best interests to fulfill national interests or work independently from other nations, the development of international organizations is at risk.

Developing international organizations is also put at risk when economic growth and development is not present. Wealth enables groups and organizations to finance interests that are forwarded as international organizations, especially philanthropic organizations. Notes Iriye, "Without a flourishing world economy at the beginning of the century, [international nongovernmental organizations] might have been much slower to develop" (12).

International organizations can also be negatively impacted by relationships with other associations. Specifically, Judge notes, "All social entities -- INGOs, IGGs, groups, national or local bodies, movements, and individuals -- are bound together in a delicate web of interdependent social relationships, in which each is autonomous and at the same time, dependent on the actions of others." Further, the authors note that there is so little known about the relationships between international organizations that it cannot be determined how the actions of one type of organization will impact other organizations (Judge).

International organizations largely do not follow the American federal model of institutional organization. In this model, individual states relinquish sovereignty to a central authority, but keep some limited powers. One exception to this is the development of non-governmental committees that serve to coordinate industrial and commercial activities within European Economic Community countries, which take on this federal model (Union of International Associations).

Despite the potential problems in developing international organizations, international organizations have become a powerful force in today's world. This success, linked largely to the rise of internationalism, can also be linked to concepts such as the inevitability of the global citizen and the demise of the nation. Today, modern communications, transportation, and the media have ensured that there are fewer barriers than ever before separating individuals and nations. As a result, individual loyalties may be shifting away from a specific nation-state and towards a loyalty to humankind on a global scale. Further, the demise of the nation may be imminent, as globalization cuts a swath across nations.